Methods, systems, and computer program products for delivering time-sensitive content

• US 7,814,158 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US11/063,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A method for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient includes receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message. The rule set is extracted from the time-sensitive message. The rule set specifies a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message. The time-sensitive message is provided to the recipient based on the starting time. A determination is made if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time. An extension message is sent to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, comprising:

receiving the time-sensitive message by a server, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

extracting the rule set by the server, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient based on the starting time;

determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time, the extension message notifying the source of the time-sensitive message that the time-sensitive message will expire, the extension message providing information of fees for extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message;

wherein the time-sensitive message includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time;

extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message upon payment of a fee;

wherein the extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message is authorized by the source to allow the server to alter embedded header to change the expiration time of the time-sensitive message;

deleting the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time without the recipient accessing the time-sensitive message or archiving the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time without the recipient accessing the time-sensitive message;

wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on the server and the method further comprises providing time-sensitive content to the recipient by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message includes receiving an updated time-sensitive message including an updated expiration time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message includes altering the expiration time for the time-sensitive message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message is embedded in a header of time-sensitive message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-sensitive message is a time sensitive advertising message associated with time-sensitive advertising content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the extension message providing information for extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message includes fee information including a fee per time of extension of the expiration time.

7. A system for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a message server receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

a recipient device in communication with the message server;

the message server extracting the rule set, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

the message server determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient device based on the starting time;

the message server determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time, the extension message notifying the source of the time-sensitive message that the time-sensitive message will expire, the extension message providing information of fees for extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message;

the time-sensitive message further includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time;

wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on a server and the message server providing time-sensitive content to the recipient device by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server;

wherein the message server deletes the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time without the recipient accessing the time-sensitive message or archives the time-sensitive message upon reaching time-sensitive message;

wherein the message server extends the expiration time of the time-sensitive message upon payment of a fee and the authorization from the source allows the message server to alter the embedded header to change the expiration time of the time-sensitive message.

8. A computer program product for delivering a time-sensitive message to a recipient, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

receiving the time-sensitive message, the time-sensitive message having a rule set for delivering the time-sensitive message;

extracting the rule set, from the time-sensitive message, the rule set specifying a starting time and an expiration time for the time-sensitive message;

determining whether to provide the time-sensitive message to the recipient based on the starting time;

determining if a current time is within a threshold of the expiration time and sending an extension message to a source of the time-sensitive message if the current time is within a threshold of the expiration time, the extension message notifying the source of the time-sensitive message that the time-sensitive message will expire, the extension message providing information of fees for extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message;

wherein the time-sensitive message includes an identification of the time-sensitive message and the expiration time;

extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message upon payment of a fee;

wherein the extending the expiration time of the time-sensitive message is authorized by the source to allow the server to alter embedded header to change the expiration time of the time-sensitive message;

deleting the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time without the recipient accessing the time-sensitive message or archiving the time-sensitive message upon reaching the expiration time without the recipient accessing the time-sensitive message;

wherein the time-sensitive message includes a link to time-sensitive content on a server and the method further comprises providing time-sensitive content to the recipient by pulling the time-sensitive content from the server.