Method, apparatus and system for marketing, delivering, and collecting payment for information
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method implemented in an email application program, the method comprising:
- the email application program receiving an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information;
the email application program displaying a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list;
the email application program receiving a request to access the inaccessible portion of information in the electronic mail message;
in response to receiving the request, the email application program communicating with a central database to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information; and
the email application program displaying the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information.
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Abstract
A method, apparatus and system for marketing, delivering, and collecting payment for information is described. In one embodiment, the invention is a method of providing electronic mail for payment. The invention includes sending an electronic mail message including provided information and a price to a customer, the provided information having an inaccessible portion of information. The invention further includes transferring a payment from the customer, and rendering the inaccessible portion of information accessible to the customer.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A method implemented in an email application program, the method comprising:
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the email application program receiving an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information; the email application program displaying a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list; the email application program receiving a request to access the inaccessible portion of information in the electronic mail message; in response to receiving the request, the email application program communicating with a central database to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information; and the email application program displaying the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system to implement an email application program, the system comprising:
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a first logic block of the email application program to receive an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information, and to display a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list; a second logic block of the email application program coupled to the first logic block to communicate with a central database to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information, in response to the email application program receiving a request to access the inaccessible portion of information; and a third logic block of the email application program display the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus to implement an email application program, the apparatus comprising:
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means for the email application program receiving an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information; means for the email application program displaying a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list; means for the email application program receiving a request to access the inaccessible portion of information in the electronic mail message; means for the email application program communicating with a central database, in response to receiving the request, to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information; and means for the email application program displaying the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions, the instructions causing the processor to perform a method implemented in an email application program, the method comprising:
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the email application program receiving an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information; the email application program displaying a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list; the email application program receiving a request to access the inaccessible portion of information in the electronic mail message; in response to receiving the request, the email application program communicating with a central database to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information; and the email application program displaying the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A system, comprising:
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a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a network connection coupled to the processor; wherein the processor is configured to operate an email application program which; receives an electronic mail message sent to a customer, the electronic mail message including an inaccessible portion of information and a price to access the inaccessible portion of information; displays a list of received messages, with each message displayed in the list showing a field for a subject of a corresponding message in the list and a separate field for a price to access an inaccessible portion of the corresponding message in the list; receives a request to access the inaccessible portion of information in the electronic mail message; in response to the request, communicates with a central database to charge a pre-established user account pre-associated with the customer, according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information; and displays the inaccessible portion of information to the customer, in response to completion of charging the pre-established user account of the customer according to the price to access the inaccessible portion of information. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification