Method and apparatus for configuring electronic mail for delivery of electronic services

• US 7,752,275 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US11/292,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/201, 709/219, 709/204, 709/203, 709/207, 709/205, 709/27, 709/26, 705/27, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

An event manager is disclosed for sending services through an email communication. The event manager provides a template through which a user may select an available service that he wishes to send as an attachment to an email. The event manager enables the user to attach electronic services such as an audio file, a video file, a gift certificate, or a money transfer, among others, to an email message and package it with items such as wallpaper or background music, among others, to send to another email user.

Claims

1. A method for providing services by email comprising:

a computer opening a graphical interface for composing an email message, wherein the graphical interface provides a series of templates used in composing the email message for which a respective template prompts a user to supply information to be used to complete a requisite component of the email message, the series of templates comprising at least one of a template for composing email message text;

a template for selecting an attachment for the email message;

a template for selecting one or more recipients of the email message; and

a template for identifying which of the recipients are to receive an attachment as part of the email message;

the computer receiving a request to access a template of services from the series of templates provided by the graphical interface;

in response to the request, the computer displaying a template of services available to be attached to the email message, the template of services including a service for purchasing a media file from a store and attaching the purchased media file as an attachment to the email message;

the computer receiving a selection of a service from the template of services to be attached to the email message;

request payment for the service attached to the email message;

accepting payment for the services attached to the email message, wherein the payment is supplied as part of the information that is required by a template of the series of templates to compose the email message;

the computer attaching the selected service to the email message; and

the computer sending the email message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is sending an electronic product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the product is packaged with at least one of a gift card, wallpaper, and background music.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the product is at least one of money, a gift certificate, an audio file, a video file, a photograph, and a graphic file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the template is provided in at least one of an email client and a web-based environment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating a particular user; and

referencing a profile of the particular user to determine services available for the particular user.

7. The method of claim 1, further including making available certain one of the services to a particular user in the template.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the email message on a server whereby the message can be used as a sub-template.

9. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of providing services by email comprising:

logic for opening a graphical interface for composing an email message, wherein the graphical interface provides a series of templates used in composing the email message for which a respective template prompts a user to supply information to be used to complete a requisite component of the email message, the series of templates comprising at least one of a template for composing email message text;

a template for selecting an attachment for the email message;

a template for selecting one or more recipients of the email message; and

a template for identifying which of the recipients are to receive an attachment as part of the email message;

logic for receiving a request to access a template of services from the series of templates provided by the graphical interface;

logic for, in response to the request, displaying a template of services available to be attached to the email message, the template of services including a service for purchasing a media file from a store and attaching the purchased media file as an attachment to the email message;

logic for receiving a selection of a service from the template of services to be attached to the email message;

logic for requesting payment for the service attached to the email message;

logic for accepting payment for the services attached to the email message, wherein the payment is supplied as part of the information that is required by a template of the series of templates to compose the email message;

logic for attaching the selected service to the email message and sending the email message.

10. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 9, wherein the service is sending an electronic product.

11. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 10, wherein the product is packaged with at least one of a gift card, wallpaper, and background music.

12. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 10, wherein the product is at least one of money, a gift certificate, an audio file, a video file, a photograph, and a graphic file.

13. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 9, wherein the template is provided in at least one of an email client and a web-based environment.

14. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 9, further comprising:

logic for authorizing a particular user; and

logic for referencing a profile of the particular user to determine services available for the particular user.

15. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 9, including the services available for a particular user in the template.

16. A computer readable storage medium with logic embedded therein for performing a method of claim 9, further comprising saving the email message on a server whereby the message can be used as a sub-template.