Techniques for providing add-on services for an email system
First Claim
1. A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email message transferred via a distributed computer network, comprising:
- receiving via said distributed computer network said email message at a destination email system, wherein said destination email system comprises an email server through which said email message is received;
ascertaining from said email message whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services;
forwarding at least a first portion of said email message to an add-on service system via said distributed computer network,performing, using said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services responsive to said first portion of said email message, wherein at least one of said add-on services includes a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email into a voice message, andforwarding the voice message to a voice mail system, when a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email message into a voice message occurs.
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Abstract
A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email transferred via a distributed computer network. The method includes receiving via the distributed computer network the email at an add-on service system. The method further includes ascertaining from the email whether a recipient of the email subscribes to at least one of the add-on services. If the recipient subscribes to the at least one of the add-on services, the method includes forming a post add-on service email, which includes performing, using the add-on service system, the at least one of the add-on services on at least a first portion of the email. Furthermore, the method includes forwarding the post add-on service email, after the performing, to the email system, thereby rendering the post add-on service email accessible to the recipient through the email system.
49 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email message transferred via a distributed computer network, comprising:
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receiving via said distributed computer network said email message at a destination email system, wherein said destination email system comprises an email server through which said email message is received; ascertaining from said email message whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services; forwarding at least a first portion of said email message to an add-on service system via said distributed computer network, performing, using said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services responsive to said first portion of said email message, wherein at least one of said add-on services includes a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email into a voice message, and forwarding the voice message to a voice mail system, when a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email message into a voice message occurs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20)
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9. A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email message transferred via a distributed computer network, comprising:
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receiving via said distributed computer network said email message at an email server of a destination email system; ascertaining from said email message whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services; and forwarding at least a first portion of said email message to an add-on service system via said distributed computer network, said first portion of said email including an identity of said recipient of said email message, and performing, using said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services responsive to at least a first portion of said email message, wherein at least one of said add-on services includes a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email into facsimile media. - View Dependent Claims (10, 21, 22)
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11. A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email message transferred via a distributed computer network, comprising:
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receiving via said distributed computer network said email message at an email server of said add-on service system, said email message including both an identity of said add-on service system and an identity of a recipient'"'"'s destination email system servicing an intended recipient of said email message; ascertaining from said email message whether a recipient of said email message subscribes to at least one of said add-on services, wherein at least one of said add-on services includes a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email into a voice message; forming a post add-on service email message, said forming including performing, using said add-on service system, at least one of said add-on services on at least a first portion of said email message; and forwarding said post add-on service email message, after said forming step, to said destination email system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 23, 24)
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14. An add-on service system configured to provide add-on services to email messages transferred via a distributed computer network, said add-on service system being configured to be coupled to destination email system through said distributed computer network, said add-on service system comprising:
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a first server configured to receive from said destination email system an email message that requires the performance of at least one of said add-on services; a first logic module, operatively coupled to receive said email message from said first server, for performing said at least one of said add-on services on said email message, thereby forming a post add-on service email message, wherein at least one of said add-on services includes a media conversion service that converts at least a portion of text of said email into a voice message; and a second server, operatively coupled to receive said post add-on service email from said second logic module, said second server being configured to forward said post add-on service email message back to said email system, thereby rendering said post add-on service email message accessible to a recipient of said email message, wherein the voice message is forwarded to a voice mail system when the add-on service converts at least a portion of the text of said email message into a voice message. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 25)
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Specification