Electronic return messages with non-textual information

• US 8,682,987 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: DeLaCruz, Cedric G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US12/852,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A method for providing electronic mail return receipts with video of the electronic mail recipient is disclosed. The electronic mail recipient opens an electronic mail message which initiates recording of the electronic mail recipient. The recording may be terminated when the recipient closes the electronic mail or minimizes the electronic mail message window. Recording may also end after a predetermined amount of time after the electronic mail message is opened.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to detecting that a user of a computing device has opened a message from a sender, the computing device causing a recording of the user to be initiated, wherein the message is accessed within an electronic messaging application, and wherein the recording includes non-textual information; and

the computing device causing a return message to be sent to the sender, wherein the return message includes at least a portion of the non-textual information included in the recording.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-textual information in the recording includes video information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording is audio-only.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to review the recording before causing the return message to be sent to the sender.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing the user an option to re-record the recording.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing the user an option to cancel the sending of the return message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising ending the recording upon detecting when the user is no longer accessing the message.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations including:

in response to a user of the computing device viewing a message from a sender, automatically initiating a recording of the user, wherein the message is accessed within an electronic messaging application, and wherein the recording includes non-textual information; and

sending a return message to the sender, wherein the return message includes at least a portion of the non-textual information included in the recording.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the electronic messaging application is an e-mail application, and wherein the instructions are executable to implement an add-in to the e-mail application.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the recording is included as an attachment to an email to the sender.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the recording is included as a link to a file stored remotely.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the sending the return message to the sender comprises sending the return message via the Internet.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to, in response to detecting that a user has opened a message from a sender, cause a recording of the user to be initiated, wherein the message is accessed within an electronic messaging application, and wherein the recording includes non-textual information;

wherein the processor is further configured to cause a return message to be sent to the sender, and wherein the return message includes at least a portion of the non-textual information included in the recording.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the message comprises an e-mail, and the return message comprises an email return receipt.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to prohibit unauthorized recording.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the prohibiting unauthorized recording comprises providing a prompt to the user prior to the recording.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises a personal computer.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the recording is an audio visual recording.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least a portion of the recording comprises a user reaction to the message.