System for determining user uniqueness in e-mail campaigns

• US 7,765,268 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cama, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US12/246,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20090019127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709217-218
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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

A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for determining user uniqueness in e-mail campaigns. An instruction set is placed in an e-mail to form a modified e-mail. The modified e-mail is sent to a server for a distribution list, wherein the instruction set is executed in response to the modified e-mail being opened, wherein the instruction set identifies a reader of the modified e-mail based on an e-mail address of the reader and sends information to a collection device about the modified e-mail and an identification of the reader that opened the modified e-mail.

Claims

1. A data processing system for determining user uniqueness in e-mail campaigns, comprising:

a bus,

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to compose an e-mail, wherein the e-mail comprises a section, wherein the section is expandable to present additional content associated with the section;

to place a first instruction set in an e-mail to form a modified e-mail, and to send the modified e-mail to a distribution list, wherein the first instruction set is executed in response to the modified e-mail being opened, wherein the instruction set identifies a reader of the modified e-mail based on an e-mail address of the reader and sends information to a collection device about the modified e-mail and an identification of the reader that opened the modified e-mail, and wherein the second instruction set is executed in response to the section being opened, wherein the second instruction set sends information associated with the section to the collection device, wherein the information associated with the section identifies a number of times the section is expanded within the modified e-mail.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the placing step is executed by calling an application program interface to place the instruction set in the e-mail to form the modified e-mail.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein information about the modified e-mail comprises at least one of a date the modified e-mail was opened, a time the modified e-mail was opened, a date the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a time the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a subject of the modified e-mail, a name of an associated campaign, a user name, a browser type, an e-mail client type, a level of the e-mail client, whether the reader used a replica mailbox database, whether the reader used a master mailbox database, an internet sub-domain, and a transmission control protocol over internet protocol address.

4. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the instruction set comprises at least one of hypertext markup language and extensible markup language.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to execute the instruction set in the modified e-mail when the modified e-mail is pre-viewed, wherein the instruction set sends information about the modified e-mail and the reader that previewed the modified e-mail to a collection device.

6. A recordable-type computer program product for determining user uniqueness in e-mail campaigns, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein;

computer usable program code configured to place an instruction set in an e-mail to form a modified e-mail; and

computer usable program code configured to compose an e-mail, wherein the e-mail comprises a section, wherein the section is expandable to present additional content associated with the section;

to place a first instruction set in the e-mail to form a modified e-mail;

to place a second instruction set in the modified e-mail; and

to send the modified e-mail to a distribution list, wherein the instruction set is executed in response to the modified e-mail being opened, wherein the instruction set identifies a reader of the modified e-mail based on an e-mail address of the reader and sends information to a collection device about the modified e-mail and an identification of the reader that opened the modified e-mail, and wherein the second instruction set is executed in response to the section being opened, wherein the second instruction set sends information associated with the section to the collection device, wherein the information associated with the section identifies a number of times the section is expanded within the modified e-mail.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the placing step is executed by calling an application program interface to place the instruction set in the e-mail to form the modified e-mail.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein information about the modified e-mail comprises at least one of a date the modified e-mail was opened, a time the modified e-mail was opened, a date the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a time the modified e-mail was pre-viewed, a subject of the modified e-mail, a name of an associated campaign, a user name, a browser type, an e-mail client type, a level of the e-mail client, whether the reader used a replica mailbox database, whether the reader used a master mailbox database, an internet sub-domain, and a transmission control protocol over internet protocol address.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instruction set comprises at least one of hypertext markup language and extensible markup language.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable program code is configured to execute the instruction set in the modified e-mail when the modified e-mail is pre-viewed, wherein the instruction set sends information about the modified e-mail and the reader that previewed the modified e-mail to a collection device.