Late loading rich media

• US 8,713,451 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kunz, Michael C., Barlin, David S., Bon, Joost, Holdsworth, Brian D., Schackwitz, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): IPAKCHI, MARYAM M
• Application Number:
  US12/428,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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

Abstract

Methods for delivering rich media content to a user within an email system via a dedicated media channel. An email system receives an email message associated with rich media content from a registered sender for delivery to a recipient. To improve the recipient'"'"'s viewing experience, the email system ensures that the rich media content is loaded in a rich media database before delivering the email message to the recipient. When the recipient reads the email message, the email system delivers the rich media content to the recipient from the rich media database via a dedicated media channel efficiently and at a low cost.

Claims

1. A method for providing rich media content to a user via an email system, comprising the steps of:

registering a sender of rich media content with the email system;

issuing a unique sender identifier to the sender;

receiving rich media content from the sender;

responsive to verifying the received rich media content is from the sender based on the issued unique sender identifier, the email system assigning a campaign ID to the rich media content, storing the received rich media content in a rich media database, and sending the campaign ID to the sender;

receiving an email message intended for delivery to the user;

determining whether the email message contains the campaign ID;

responsive to the email message containing the campaign ID,

the email system skipping checking of the email message for the unique sender identifier and delivering the email message to an email data store, and

responsive to receiving notification that the recipient has selected opening of the email message containing the campaign ID, delivering the email message from the email data store to a computer associated with the user and delivering the rich media content from the rich media database to the computer associated with the user via a dedicated media channel; and

responsive to the email message not containing the campaign ID,

the email system checking the email message for the unique sender identifier and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for linking to media content for display to the user,

responsive to the email message lacking the unique sender identifier, delivering the email message to the email data store, and responsive to receiving notification that the user has selected opening of the email message lacking the unique sender identifier, blocking delivery of the media content linked to the URL to the computer associated with the user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further including the step of:

displaying the rich media content in a body portion of the email message.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further including the steps of:

launching a user interface by a recipient computer, and

displaying the rich media content to the user in the user interface.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to the email message containing the unique sender identifier,

determining whether the media content linked with the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is stored in the rich media database and responsive to the media content linked with the URL not being stored in the rich media database, loading the media content linked with the URL into the rich media database;

delivering the email message to the email data store; and

responsive to receiving notification that the user has selected opening of the email message containing the unique sender identifier and the URL, delivering the email message from the email data store to the computer associated with the user and delivering the rich media content from the rich media database to the computer associated with the user via a dedicated media channel.

5. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to preform a method comprising:

registering a sender of rich media content with the email system;

issuing a unique sender identifier to the sender;

receiving rich media content from the sender;

responsive to verifying the received rich media content is from the sender based on the issued unique sender identifier, the email system assigning a campaign ID to the rich media content, storing the received rich media content in a rich media database, and sending the campaign ID to the sender;

receiving an email message intended for delivery to a user;

determining whether the email message contains the campaign ID;

responsive to the email message containing the campaign ID,

the email system skipping checking of the email message for the unique sender identifier and delivering the email message to an email data store, and

responsive to receiving notification that the recipient has selected opening of the email message containing the campaign ID, delivering the email message from the email data store to a computer associated with the user and delivering the rich media content from the rich media database to the computer associated with the user via a dedicated media channel; and

responsive to the email message not containing the campaign ID,

the email system checking the email message for the unique sender identifier and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for linking to media content for display to the user,

responsive to the email message lacking the unique sender identifier, delivering the email message to the email data store, and responsive to receiving notification that the user has selected opening of the email message lacking the unique sender identifier, blocking delivery of the media content linked to the URL to the computer associated with the user.

6. The one or more processor readable storage devices as recited in claim 5, further including the step of:

displaying the rich media content in a body portion of the electronic email message.

7. The one or more processor readable storage devices as recited in claim 5, further including the steps of:

launching a user interface by a recipient computer; and

displaying the rich media content to the user in the user interface.