Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing electronic subscriptions

• US 7,831,707 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Bardsley, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US11/497,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing electronic subscriptions are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes monitoring, at an electronic subscription client, receipt of one or more subscription messages associated with an electronic subscription. Interaction with the electronic subscription client by a client may be monitored to determine a viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages. Further, a prompt with a control configured for unsubscribing the user from receiving a future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription may be presented based on the determined viewing frequency.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic subscriptions, the method comprising:

monitoring, at an electronic subscription client, receipt of one or more subscription messages associated with an electronic subscription;

monitoring interaction with the electronic subscription client by a user to determine a viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages; and

presenting, based on the determined viewing frequency, a prompt with a control configured for unsubscribing the user from receiving a future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring receipt of one or more subscription messages includes monitoring receipt of one or more subscription messages at an electronic subscription client comprising one of an e-mail client, a real simple syndication (RSS)-based client, a media-based client, a photoshare client, and a personalized web page subscription client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring interaction with the electronic subscription client by a user includes comparing the viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages to a viewing frequency threshold, and wherein presenting a prompt with a control includes presenting the prompt with the control based on the comparison of the viewing frequency to the viewing frequency threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring interaction with the electronic subscription client by a user includes determining a number of the received subscription messages, and determining a number of the received subscription messages acted upon by the user and wherein presenting a prompt with the control includes presenting a prompt with a control based on a relationship between the number of received subscription messages and the number of received subscription messages acted upon by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising determining a process for unsubscribing the user from receiving the future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a process for unsubscribing includes identifying unsubscribe information in the one or more subscription messages, and wherein the method further comprises configuring the control for unsubscribing the user from receiving the future subscription message based on the unsubscribe information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a process for unsubscribing includes determining one of an address, a uniform resource identifier (URI), and a link associated, With the electronic subscription, and wherein the method further comprises configuring the control to unsubscribe the user from receiving the future subscription message by at least one of accessing a resource and sending a message using the address, the URI, or the link.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a process for unsubscribing includes identifying text in the one or more subscription messages indicating information for unsubscribing.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying text includes identifying at least one of subscribe, mailing list, and unsubscribe.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a process for unsubscribing includes determining a URI in an RSS reading list associated with the electronic subscription, and wherein the method further comprises configuring the control to remove the URI from the RSS reading list.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising unsubscribing the user from receiving the future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription in response to receiving an input responsive to the prompt.

12. A system for managing electronic subscriptions, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an electronic subscription message monitor configured to monitor, at an electronic subscription client, receipt of one or more subscription messages associated with an electronic subscription;

an interaction monitor configured to monitor interaction with the electronic subscription client by a user to determine a viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages; and

an unsubscribe function configured to present, based on the determined viewing frequency, a prompt with a control configured for unsubscribing the user from receiving a future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the electronic subscription message monitor is configured to monitor receipt of one or more subscription messages at an electronic subscription client comprising one of an e-mail client, a real simple syndication (RSS)-based client, a media-based client, a photoshare client, and a personalized web page subscription client.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the interaction monitor is configured to compare the viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages to a viewing frequency threshold, and wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to present the prompt with the control based on the comparison of the viewing frequency to the viewing frequency threshold.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the interaction monitor is configured to determine a number of the received subscription messages, and configured to determine a number of the received subscription messages acted upon by the user, and wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to present a prompt with a control based on a relationship between the number of received subscription messages and the number of received subscription messages acted upon by the user.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to determine a process for unsubscribing the user from receiving the future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to identify unsubscribe information in the one or more subscription messages, and wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to configure the control for unsubscribing the user from receiving the future subscription message based on the unsubscribe information.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to determine one of an address, a uniform resource identifier (URI), and a link associated with the electronic subscription, and wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to configure the control to unsubscribe the user from receiving the future subscription message by at least one of accessing a resource and sending a message using the address, the URI, or the link.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to identify text in the one or more subscription messages indicating information for unsubscribing.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to identify at least one of subscribe, mailing list, and unsubscribe.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to determine a URI in an RSS reading list associated with the electronic subscription, and wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to configure the control to remove the URI from the RSS reading list.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the unsubscribe function is configured to unsubscribe the user from receiving the future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription in response to receiving an input responsive to the prompt.

23. A hardware computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

monitoring, at an electronic subscription client, receipt of one or more subscription messages associated with an electronic subscription;

monitoring interaction with the electronic subscription client by a user to determine a viewing frequency of the one or more received subscription messages; and

presenting, based on the determined viewing frequency, a prompt with a control configured for unsubscribing the user from receiving a future subscription message associated with the electronic subscription.