Using the addressing, protocols and the infrastructure of email to support real-time communication

• US 8,832,299 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, James T., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYARD, DJENANE M
• Application Number:
  US13/551,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/231, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Transmitting time-based media, intended for a recipient, as the media is created, across a network, using an email address associated with the recipient is disclosed. Once the email address is defined, a first DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient is immediately used to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol. If the first lookup result is positive, the time-based media of the message is progressively and simultaneously transmitted to the recipient as the time-based media is being created using the ascertained delivery route and the near real-time communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting time-based media across a network, comprising:

receiving from a sending user a message including time-based media intended for a recipient, the message addressed to the recipient using an email address identifying the recipient within a domain;

relying on a first DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the domain of the recipient provides a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a first delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the domain of the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol; and

either;

if the first lookup result is positive, progressively transmitting over the network the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is created using the first delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup result and using the near real-time communication protocol;

or

if the first DNS lookup result is negative, relying on a second DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the domain of the recipient provides an email service for the email address and ascertaining an email delivery route to deliver an email to the recipient; and

if the second DNS lookup result is positive, further;

encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into a file;

attaching the file to an email after the time-based media associated with the message is complete; and

transmitting the email with the attachment to the recipient using the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an error message indicating that the time based media of the message is undeliverable if the results of the first DNS lookup result and the second DNS lookup result are both negative.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based media included with the message is created and the email address associated with the recipient is defined on a communication device associated with the sending user of the message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising relying on the first DNS lookup result and progressively transmitting the time-based media to the recipient as the time-based media is created at a first communication device associated with the sending user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising relying on the second DNS lookup result, the encapsulation of the time-based media into the file, the attachment of the file to the email and the emailing of the email on the first communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the email address associated with the recipient and the message including the time-based media at a server located on the network;

relying on the first DNS lookup result at the server; and

if the results of the first DNS lookup are positive, progressively transmitting over the network along the first delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is received at the server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if the results of the first DNS lookup are negative:

encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into the file at the server;

attaching the file to the email at the server, and

transmitting the email with the attachment from the server along the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising progressively transmitting the time-based media as the time based media is received so that the recipient may render the time-based media of the message in near real-time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the time-based media of the message in an out-box associated with the sending user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the near real-time communication protocol comprises one of the following:

VoIP, SIP, RTP, Skype, progressive emails, any communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media in near real-time, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the near real-time communication protocol is a communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media, but does not require the recipient to review the time-based media in near real-time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emailing a URL link to the recipient, the URL link defining a web page to access the time-based media of the message; and

serving the time-based media of the message when the web page is accessed by the recipient.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving on the network a reply message generated by the recipient using a communication device associated with the recipient; and

transmitting the reply message to the sending user over the network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reply message is generated by one of the following:

(i) the recipient entering an explicit reply command into the communication device used by the recipient;

or

(ii) the recipient creating time-based media in response to the message sent to the recipient, the email address of the sending user being extracted from the message received by the recipient.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based media included with the message is created and the message is addressed to the recipient by enabling the sending user to:

define the email address of the recipient using the communication device associated with the sending user;

implement a “

start”

message function on the communication device associated with the sending user; and

create the time-based media of the message on the communication device after implementing the start function.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is addressed to the recipient by enabling the sending user to perform one of the following:

(i) selecting the recipient from a list of contacts, the email address associated with the recipient being retrieved from a storage location in response to the selection;

(ii) manually entering the email address into a communication device associated with the sender of the message;

or

(iii) implementing a reply function in response to a previous message sent by the recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the message is addressed to the recipient by enabling the sending user to:

create a message header with at least one field designated for defining a recipient; and

insert the email address associated with the recipient into the at least one field designated for defining the recipient.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling the sender user to create the message header and insert the email address of the recipient on a communication device associated with the sending user.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising creating the message header on a server located on the network and enabling the sending user to insert the email address into the message header by accessing the server.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the email address of the recipient is a globally addressable email address.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delivery route is to an inbox associated with the recipient.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delivery route includes one or more hops on the network.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, for each of the one or more hops, the following:

(i) relying on the first DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to ascertain the next hop; and

(ii) repeating (i) for each next hop until the time-based media of the message is delivered to the recipient.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the one or more hops comprises one of the following:

(i) a server to server hop;

(ii) a client to server hop;

or

(iii) server to client hop.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the time-based media of the message at a server located on the network and associated with the recipient; and

forwarding the time-based media of the message from the server to a communication device associated with the recipient.

26. A method for transmitting time-based media across a network, comprising:

progressively receiving a message including time-based media intended for a recipient as the media is created, the message addressed to the recipient using an email address associated with the recipient;

relying on a first DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver over the network the time-based media of the message to the recipient using the near real-time communication protocol; and

progressively transmitting over the network the time-based media of the message as the created time-based media is progressively received using the delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

ascertaining if the first DNS lookup result is negative;

relying on a second DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives an email service using the email address and ascertaining an email delivery route to deliver an email to the recipient; and

if the second DNS lookup result is positive, further;

encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into a file; and

attaching the file to an email after the time-based media associated with the message is complete; and

transmitting the email with the attachment to the recipient using the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating an error message indicating that the time based media of the message is undeliverable if the results of the first DNS lookup and the second DNS lookup are both negative.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the method is performed on one of the following:

(i) a server;

(ii) a computer;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a radio;

or

(v) any combination of (i) through (iv).

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer readable code configured to:

progressively receive a message including time-based media intended for a recipient as the media is created, the message addressed to the recipient using an email address associated with the recipient;

rely on a first DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver over the network the time-based media of the message to the recipient using the near real-time communication protocol; and

progressively transmit over the network the time-based media of the message as the created time-based media is progressively received using the delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the computer readable code is further configured to:

ascertain if the first DNS lookup result is negative;

rely on a second DNS lookup result of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives an email service using the email address and to ascertain an email delivery route to deliver an email to the recipient; and

if the second DNS lookup result is positive, further;

encapsulate the time-based media associated with the message into a file; and

attach the file to an email after the time-based media associated with the message is complete; and

transmit the email with the attachment to the recipient using the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the computer readable code is further configured to generate an error message indicating that the time based media of the message is undeliverable if the results of the first DNS lookup and the second DNS lookup are both negative.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein the computer application included in the non-transitory computer readable medium is intended to run on one of the following:

(i) a server;

(ii) a computer;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a radio;

or

(v) any combination of (i) through (iv).