Messaging system

• US 7,958,196 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sparkline Digital LLC
• Original Assignee: OTOwest, LLC
• Inventors: Malone, David, Cahill, Timothy, Coughlan, Michael, Fortune, John, Stafford, Gabrielle
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US12/192,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/203, 705 144- 1467, 705/14.72, 705/14.73
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A messaging system comprises a server which registers clients (users) and stores uploaded contact data in contacts databases. The contact databases have meta data including profile attributes indicating the subject matter profiles of the contacts. A content manager receives content items such as collateral parts and message text and stores them in content databases, also with meta data having profile attributes. When a client requests a message to be sent to a contact, the content manager automatically identifies relevant content items according to the profile attributes, and a messaging engine sends a message with a wrapper having links to these content items. When the contact responds, a response management function captures response data and instructs a build engine to build content from the identified items. The content is then sent to the contact.

Claims

1. A messaging system comprising a messaging engine for operating under user instructions to generate and transmit messages addressed to recipient contacts;

characterized in that the system comprises a server comprising;

a client interface state machine comprising;

means for allowing access by a plurality of users of registered clients;

a client manager state machine comprising;

means for maintaining a database of registered clients;

a content manager state machine comprising;

means for receiving content items uploaded from users, and

means for storing said content in a content database;

a messaging engine state machine comprising;

means for generating and sending a message with links to selected content items in the content database,

means for receiving a message generated by a user locally using an external messaging application, and

means for parsing said message and generating a message having a wrapper with links to content of the content database according to the parsing;

a response management function state machine comprising;

means for monitoring a response from a recipient contact using said links, wherein the response management function state machine is configured to automatically capture and record each action that the recipient contact takes in the message, and

means for sending built content to the responding recipient contact; and

a build function state machine comprising;

means for building content for the responding recipient contact according to links used by the responding recipient contact to respond.

2. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content manager state machine further comprises:

means for storing profile attributes for content items, and for selecting content items according to said attributes.

3. A messaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the profile attributes are included in meta data.

4. A messaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the server further comprises a contacts manager state machine comprising:

means for managing a contacts database of contacts uploaded by users, in which contacts are associated with the users and with profile attributes.

5. A messaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the content manager state machine further comprises:

means for selecting content items by matching profile attributes of a contact with profile attributes of the content items.

6. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content items comprise:

content collateral parts and

message text uploaded by users.

7. A messaging system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content manager state machine further comprises:

means for managing a database of templates, in which each template is a group of identifiers of collateral parts and message text for re-use by a user.

8. A messaging system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content manager state machine further comprises:

means for managing a database of wrappers, in which each wrapper comprises links to selected content items.

9. A messaging system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content manager state machine further comprises:

means for grouping content items at the levels of a user organization, a user group written on organization, and individual users.

10. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the messaging engine state machine further comprises;

means for generating each link in a manner whereby it is unique to the message, and

the response management function state machine further comprises;

means for monitoring said links to identify the responding recipient contacts.

11. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server further comprises:

a response reporting function state machine comprising;

means for generating management reports using data captured by the response management function.

12. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the messaging engine state machine further comprises:

means for allowing a user to directly enter content to a message without previously uploading it to the content manager.

13. A messaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the messaging engine state machine further comprises:

means for parsing a header for content in the received message, and for using said header to identify relevant content in the content database.