E-mail messaging system and method for enhanced rich media delivery

• US 8,312,093 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dell Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kelly A. Wanser, Scott T. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Scott T., Wanser, Kelly A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/416,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-206, 709217-219, 709/229, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A multi-user e-mail messaging system is described that is interfaced through the Internet and includes a first user group sharing a first server, which first server is interfaced to the Internet. In this system, after an e-mail message has been originated by an originating user of the first user group, the e-mail message is directed onto an e-mail enhancement path, and additional content is added to the e-mail message using the e-mail enhancement path to produce an enhanced e-mail message. Thereafter, the enhanced e-mail message from the e-mail enhancement path to the intended recipient. In one feature, the path taken by an incoming e-mail message is different from an outgoing path taken by an e-mail message sent from the first user group. The outgoing path defined to the intended recipient includes the enhancement path.

Claims

1. A computer program arrangement in a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a multi-user e-mail messaging system interfaced through the Internet and including at least a first user group sharing at least a first server, which first server is, in turn, interfaced to the Internet such that any user of the first user group may compose an e-mail message for transfer to an intended recipient selected as at least one of another user in the first user group and a remote user interfaced to the Internet by a connection other than said first server, said e-mail message including a header section, which contains information regarding the originating user and the intended recipient, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

first instructions for directing the e-mail message onto an e-mail enhancement path, after said e-mail message has been composed and sent via a standard messaging protocol by an originating user of the first user group, and configured for (i) receiving the e-mail message at said first server, (ii) altering the e-mail message including separating and modifying the header section in a predetermined way by inactivating said information regarding the originating user and intended recipient contained in the header section, and adding an alternate header section containing active information regarding an alternate sender and an alternate message recipient, and (iii) directing the altered e-mail message to a second server located on the e-mail enhancement path;

second instructions for adding additional rich media content to said e-mail message using the e-mail enhancement path to produce an enhanced e-mail message; and

third instructions for directing the enhanced e-mail message from the e-mail enhancement path to the intended recipient.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said second instructions are further configured for said inactivating by adding a predetermined prefix to the originating user and intended recipient information contained in the header section such that said information is inactivated.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said second instructions are further configured to add said additional rich media content by specifying said second server as the alternate message recipient.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said third instructions are further configured to direct the enhanced message to the intended recipient by

deleting the alternate header section, and

reactivating the originating user and intended recipient information contained in the header section of the e-mail message.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second computer-executable instructions further include adding a predetermined prefix to the originating user and intended recipient information contained in the header section such that said information is inactivated.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the second computer-executable instructions for adding additional rich media content include specifying said second server as the alternate message recipient.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the third computer-executable instructions for directing the enhanced e-mail message include:

deleting the alternate header section, and

reactivating the originating user and intended recipient information contained in the header section of the e-mail message.

5. A system for use in a multi-user e-mail messaging system interfaced through the Internet and including at least a first user group sharing at least a first server, which first server is, in turn, interfaced to the Internet such that any user of the first user group may compose an e-mail message for transfer to an intended recipient selected as at least one of another user in the first user group and a remote user interfaced to the Internet by a connection other than said first server, said e-mail message including a header section, which contains information regarding an originating user and the intended recipient, the system comprising:

computer hardware including at least one computer processor; and

computer-readable storage comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer hardware to perform operations defined by the plurality of computer-executable instructions, the plurality of computer-executable instructions including;

first computer-executable instructions for directing the e-mail message onto an e-mail enhancement path after said e-mail message has been composed and sent via a standard messaging protocol by an originating user of the first user group, the first computer-executable instructions including;

receiving the e-mail message at said first server;

altering the e-mail message including separating and modifying the header section in a predetermined way by inactivating said information regarding the originating user and intended recipient contained in the header section, and adding an alternate header section containing active information regarding an alternate sender and an alternate message recipient; and

directing the altered e-mail message to a second server located on the e-mail enhancement path;

second computer-executable instructions for adding additional rich media content to said e-mail message using the e-mail enhancement path to produce an enhanced e-mail message; and

third computer-executable instructions for directing the enhanced e-mail message from the e-mail enhancement path to the intended recipient.

9. A system for use in a multi-user e-mail messaging system interfaced through the Internet, the system comprising:

computer hardware including at least one computer processor; and

computer-readable storage comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer hardware to perform operations defined by the computer-executable instructions, computer-executable instructions including;

receiving an e-mail message at a first server;

altering the e-mail message to produce an altered e-mail message;

directing the altered e-mail message to a second server located on an e-mail enhancement path;

adding additional rich media content to said altered e-mail message using the e-mail enhancement path to produce an enhanced e-mail message; and

directing the enhanced e-mail message from the e-mail enhancement path to an intended recipient.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein at least a first user group shares at least the first server interfaced to the Internet such that any user of the first user group may compose the e-mail message for transfer to the intended recipient selected as at least one of another user in the first user group and a remote user interfaced to the Internet by a connection other than said first server, said e-mail message including a header section containing information regarding an originating user and the intended recipient.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein adding additional rich media content includes specifying a second server as an alternate message recipient.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein directing the altered e-mail message occurs after said e-mail message has been composed and sent via a standard messaging protocol by an originating user of a first user group.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein altering the e-mail message includes:

separating and modifying a header section; and

adding an alternate header section containing active information regarding an alternate sender and an alternate message recipient.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein separating and modifying the header section includes inactivating information regarding an originating user and an intended recipient contained in the header section.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein directing the enhanced message to the intended recipient includes:

deleting the alternate header section; and

reactivating the information regarding the originating user and the intended recipient contained in the header section of the e-mail message.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein adding additional rich media content includes inactivating by adding a prefix to an originating user and intended recipient information contained in a header section such that said information is inactivated.