Web based email control center for monitoring and providing a sumary of the detected event information organized according to relationships between the user and network sites

• US 6,874,023 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Claria Corporation
• Inventors: Pennell, Mark E., Zorovic, Aleksandar Sasa, Coleman, Denis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/437,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709200-207, 709/219, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Accessing web sites on which the user has an account and providing notification of changes at the site, and improved electronic mail management is provided, allowing all email to be collected and forwarded from a central site to other email addresses or allowing for the user to view the email at the central site. The user may assign individual email addresses to any number of uses, for example, an individual email address for use in communicating with a particular commercial web site.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processing system, comprising:

detecting one or more online events in response to one or more commands from a user of a plurality of network sites;

accumulating event information corresponding to the online events; and

presenting presentation information to a user corresponding to the event information, the presentation information comprising a summary of the event information organized according to relationships between the user and the plurality of network sites, the presentation information being presented in a message window while the user is accessing the network utilizing a browser application.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises receiving an email change or status notification that includes an email address corresponding to the user and one or more of the network sites.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising forwarding via a network the email change or status information to an email address pre-selected by the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the user defines how often the email change or status information is forwarded to the pre-selected email address.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises

monitoring user activity at the one or more network sites;

and

responding to a transaction user activity by generating and forwarding for accumulation a corresponding transaction notification.

6. Presentation information formed according to the method of claim 1.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises causing an alert corresponding to a notification to be sent to a user device of the user.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message window is presented upon receipt of a request from the user.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the message window is a pop-up window.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the message window is provided upon the user accessing a particular web site.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the presentation information includes at least one link for accessing at least a portion of the event information via a network.

12. A system, comprising:

detecting means for detecting one or more online events in response to one or more commands from a user of a plurality of network sites;

accumulating means coupled to the detecting means for accumulating event information corresponding to the online events; and

presenting means coupled to the accumulating means for presenting presentation information to a user corresponding to the event information, the presentation information comprising a summary of the event information organized according to relationships between the user and the plurality of network sites, the presentation information being presented in a message window while the user is accessing the network utilizing a browser application.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the detecting comprises receiving an email change or status notification that includes an email address corresponding to the user and one or more of the network sites.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the detecting comprises:

monitoring user activity at the one or more network sites; and

responding to a transaction user activity by generating and forwarding for accumulation a corresponding transaction notification.

15. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the presenting comprises causing an alert corresponding to a notification to be sent to a user device of the user.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the message window is presented upon receipt of a request from the user.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the message window is a pop-up window.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the detecting means, the accumulating means and presenting means reside locally with the user.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

detecting one or more online events in response to one or more commands from a user of a plurality of network sites;

accumulating event information corresponding to the online events; and

presenting presentation information to a user corresponding to the event information, the presentation information comprising a summary of the event information organized according to relationships between the user and the plurality of network sites, the presentation information being presented in a message window while the user is accessing the network utilizing a browser application.

20. A method comprising:

monitoring via the network accounts of a user on one or more web sites to detect status changes in the user accounts, the status changes including at least one of;

receipt of a message directed to the user, transactions conducted on behalf of the user, charges incurred by the user, rewards given to the user, and expiration of a subscription; and

presenting information to the user that simultaneously summarizes the detected status changes according to the user accounts while the user is accessing the network via a browser window, the information being presented in a window separate from the browser window, the information including at least one link for accessing the one or more user accounts via the network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the monitoring and the presenting are performed by an application local to the user.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the monitoring and the presenting are performed by an application coupled to the network and remote from the user.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the status changes include:

receipt of one or more message directed to the user, one or more transactions conducted on behalf of the user, one or more charges incurred by the user, one or more rewards given to the user, and expiration of one or more subscriptions.