Enhanced electronic mail delivery system

• US 7,663,652 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Morris Reese
• Original Assignee: Morris Reese
• Inventors: Reese, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US09/564,666
• Time in Patent Office: 3,576 Days
• Field of Search: 305/733, 305/751, 305/762, 305/765, 305/744, 305/740, 305/804, 305/808, 709/203, 709/206, 709/205, 709/204
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The method is implemented using a control program shown in FIG. 1 running on a host-based or a Local Area Network server which receives incoming electronic mail (e-mail) messages over a network, which is connected at least periodically to a Wide Area Network or Internet, and stores the e-mail messages in a recipient'"'"'s private mail box. The server is responsive to a send list signal from the recipient for sending a summary list of brief headers of the e-mail messages to the recipient so that the recipient can select a specific e-mail message to read. The recipient selects the specific e-mail message to read by sending a selection signal to the server which then makes a decision to determine whether the recipient is an opt-in customer who has given approval to receive e-mail messages with advertisements introduced within the e-mail messages. Assuming that the recipient is an opt-in customer, the server selects from the e-mail messages the specific e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient, selects from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in the selected e-mail message header and which is aligned with the personal interests of the recipient, and sends the selected e-mail message to the recipient and introduces the selected advertisement within the selected e-mail message as it is sent to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for transferring to a recipient'"'"'s electronic mail (e-mail) receiving device an e-mail message and inserting an advertisement into the e-mail message as it is transferred to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a server servicing the recipient e-mail messages from a network, which is connected at least periodically to a Wide Area Network or Internet, and storing said received e-mail messages in the recipient'"'"'s private mail box;

(b) the server, in response to receiving a send list from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to view a summary list of brief headers of said stored e-mail messages in said private mail box, transferring the summary list of brief headers of said stored e-mail messages to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device; and

(c) the server, in response to receiving a selection signal from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to read a specific one of said e-mail messages stored in said private mail box, selecting from said stored e-mail messages an e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, selecting from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in said selected e-mail message header and which is aligned with the recipient'"'"'s personal interests, and transferring said selected e-mail message to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and inserting said selected advertisement into said selected e-mail message as it is transferred to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device for reading, printing, text-to-speech and/or storing.

2. A method for downloading an electronic mail (e-mail) message to a recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and inserting an advertisement into said e-mail message as it is downloaded to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, at a server servicing the recipient, e-mail messages over a network and storing said received e-mail messages in a private mail box of the recipient;

(b) the server, in response to receiving a send list signal from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to see brief headers of said stored e-mail messages, downloading said brief headers of said stored e-mail messages to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device; and

(c) the server, in response to receiving a selection signal from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to read one of said stored e-mail messages, selecting from said stored e-mail messages a specific e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, selecting from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in said selected e-mail message header and which is relevant to the recipient personal interests, and downloading said selected e-mail message to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and inserting said selected advertisement within said e-mail message as it is downloaded to said e-mail receiving device for reading, printing, text-to-speech and/or storing.

3. A method for transferring an electronic mail (e-mail) message to a recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and introducing an advertisement within said e-mail message as it is transferred to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a server servicing the recipient e-mail messages from a network and storing said received e-mail messages in the recipient'"'"'s private mail box;

(b) the server, in response to receiving a send list signal from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to view brief headers of said stored e-mail messages, transferring said brief headers of said stored e-mail messages to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device;

(c) the server, in response to receiving a selection signal from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to read a specific one of said stored e-mail messages, determining whether the recipient is an opt-in customer; and

(d) the server selecting from said stored e-mail messages a specific e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, selecting from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in said selected e-mail message header and which is aligned with the recipient personal interests, and transferring said selected e-mail message to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and introducing said selected advertisement within said e-mail message as it is transferred to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device if it is determined that the recipient is an opt-in customer.

4. A method for downloading an electronic mail (e-mail) message to a recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and inserting an advertisement into said e-mail message as it is downloaded to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a server servicing the recipient an e-mail message from a network and storing said received e-mail message in the recipient'"'"'s private mail box, said server automatically downloading a brief header of said received e-mail message to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device;

(b) said server determining whether a selection signal has been received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to read a specific e-mail message in said private mail box;

(c) said server determining whether the recipient is an opt-in customer if the selection signal has been received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device; and

(d) said server selecting from said private mail box storage queve the specific e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device, selecting from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in said selected e-mail message header and which is relevant to the recipient personal interests, and downloading said selected e-mail message to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device and inserting said selected advertisement into said e-mail message as it is downloaded to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device if the recipient is an opt-in customer.

5. An enhanced electronic mail (e-mail) system, comprising:

(a) a network which is connected at least periodically to a Wide Area Network or Internet;

(b) a server having means for receiving from the network e-mail messages addressed to a selected recipient;

(c) the server having means for storing said received e-mail messages in an addressable private mail box having the recipient'"'"'s name associated therewith;

(d) the server having means for downloading a summary list of brief headers of said stored e-mail messages to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail receiving device if a send list signal has been received from said e-mail receiving device indicating that the recipient wishes to view said brief headers of said stored e-mail messages;

(e) the server having means for determining whether a selection signal has been received from said e-mail receiving device of the recipient indicating that a specific e-mail message relating to the selection signal is to be selected from said stored e-mail messages;

(f) the server having means for determining whether the recipient is an opt-in customer if the selection signal has been received from said e-mail receiving device; and

(g) the server having means for selecting from said stored e-mail messages the specific e-mail message relating to said received selection signal, selecting from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient'"'"'s name in said selected e-mail message header and which is aligned with the recipient personal interests, and downloading said selected e-mail message to said e-mail receiving device of the recipient and inserting said selected advertisement into said selected e-mail message as it is downloaded to said e-mail receiving device if the recipient is an opt-in customer.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the network is a wireless network.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the network is a wired network.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the network is a paging network.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the network is a satellite network.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the associate database archives a plurality of advertisements that are aligned with personal interests of corresponding recipients.

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a personal computer.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a computer terminal.

13. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a wireless telephone.

14. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a wired telephone.

15. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a printer.

16. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a pager.

17. The system according to claim 5, wherein the network is a cable television network.

18. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a television set.

19. The system according to claim 5, wherein said e-mail receiving device is a fax machine.

20. The system according to claim 5, wherein said server is a host-based server model.

21. The system according to claim 5, wherein said server is a Local Area Network server model.