Messaging system

• US 8,949,342 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ahopelto, Timo, Peppers, Donald, Friman, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Benoit, Esther
• Application Number:
  US12/075,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A method of selecting a recipient of a message on the basis of data identifying access to previously transmitted messages, wherein each said message includes content data for display within a display area of a receiving terminal and control data including data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display area. The method includes receiving content data having one of a plurality of different types for use in creating said message, accessing tracking data corresponding to a previously transmitted message containing content data of a given type, the tracking data being indicative of selection of said user selectable portion upon display thereof at said receiving terminal, and selecting a recipient of the message on the basis of the received content data and the tracking data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

sending, by a processor, a first message to a first recipient'"'"'s terminal, the first message including a first content selected from a database, the first content including;

data for display within a display of a receiving terminal, and

control data comprising data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display, wherein the control data, in response to selection thereof, is configured to cause the receiving terminal to formulate and transmit a response message to register selection of the user selectable portion, wherein the control data includes a ready-made response message that includes a source address, destination address and a content identifier that identifies the first content;

responsive to receipt of the response message comprising data indicative of selection of the user selectable portion within the display, modifying, by the processor, an access status of the transmitted message, wherein the access status indicates that the user selectable portion of the first message was selected by the first recipient;

identifying, by the processor, attributes of a second content, different than the first content;

querying, by the processor, the database to identify previously transmitted content items having similar attributes to the identified attributes of the second content;

determining, by the processor, that the second content shares at least a predetermined number of attributes with the first content;

inserting, by the processor, the second content into a second message; and

transmitting, by the processor, the second message to the first recipient.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the control data includes a set of instructions which can be processed by the receiving terminal.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions is a script.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the control data causes the receiving terminal to:

retrieve the content identifier from the message; and

create the response message having a message body including the retrieved content identifier ID.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving terminal operates in one of a plurality of modes in dependence on selection of the user selectable portion.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein a first mode comprises the receiving terminal sending the response message identifying the receiving terminal to the network location, and the access status of the message is updated at the network location.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the control data further comprise data identifying another network location, for use in formulating the response message.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying an access status of the transmission further comprises updating the access status so as to identify the receiving terminal from which the selection data has emanated.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the display data comprises image data and the user selectable portion is an integral part of the image data.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content is associated with an attribute.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein modifying the access status of the transmitted message includes updating the recipient record to include the attribute associated with the selected first content in the transmitted message.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second message includes content associated with the content of the first message.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

send a first message to a first recipient'"'"'s terminal, the first message including a first content selected from a database, the first content including;

data for display within a display of a receiving terminal, and

control data comprising data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display, wherein the control data, in response to selection thereof, is configured to cause the receiving terminal to formulate and transmit a response message to register selection of the user selectable portion, wherein the control data includes a ready-made response message that includes a source address, destination address and a content identifier that identifies the first content;

responsive to receipt of the response message comprising data indicative of selection of the user selectable portion within the display, modify an access status of the transmitted message, wherein the access status indicates that the user selectable portion of the first message was selected by the first recipient;

identify attributes of a second content, different than the first content;

query the database to identify previously transmitted content items having similar attributes to the identified attributes of the second content;

determine that the second content shares at least a predetermined number of attributes with the first content;

insert the second content into a second message; and

transmit the second message to the first recipient.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the control data includes a set of instructions which can be processed by the receiving terminal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions is a script.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the control data causes the receiving terminal to:

retrieve the content identifier from the message; and

create the response message having a message body including the retrieved content identifier ID.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the receiving terminal operates in one of a plurality of modes in dependence on selection of the user selectable portion.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a first mode comprises the receiving terminal sending the response message identifying the receiving terminal to the network location, and the access status of the message is updated at the network location.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the control data further comprise data identifying another network location, for use in formulating the response message.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein modifying an access status of the transmission further comprises updating the access status so as to identify the receiving terminal from which the selection data has emanated.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the display data comprises image data and the user selectable portion is an integral part of the image data.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the content is associated with an attribute.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein modifying the access status of the transmitted message includes updating the recipient record to include the attribute associated with the selected first content in the transmitted message.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the second message includes content associated with the content of the first message.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

send a first message to a first recipient'"'"'s terminal, the first message including a first content selected from a database, the first content including;

data for display within a display of a receiving terminal, and

control data comprising data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display, wherein the control data, in response to selection thereof, is configured to cause the receiving terminal to formulate and transmit a response message to register selection of the user selectable portion, wherein the control data includes a ready-made response message that includes a source address, destination address and a content identifier that identifies the first content;

responsive to receipt of the response message comprising data indicative of selection of the user selectable portion within the display, modify an access status of the transmitted message, wherein the access status indicates that the user selectable portion of the first message was selected by the first recipient;

identify attributes of a second content, different than the first content;

query the database to identify previously transmitted content items having similar attributes to the identified attributes of the second content;

determine that the second content shares at least a predetermined number of attributes with the first content;

insert the second content into a second message; and

transmit the second message to the first recipient.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the control data includes a set of instructions which can be processed by the receiving terminal.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the set of instructions is a script.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the control data causes the receiving terminal to:

retrieve the content identifier from the message; and

create the response message having a message body including the retrieved content identifier ID.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving terminal operates in one of a plurality of modes in dependence on selection of the user selectable portion.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein a first mode comprises the receiving terminal sending the response message identifying the receiving terminal to the network location, and the access status of the message is updated at the network location.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the control data further comprise data identifying another network location, for use in formulating the response message.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein modifying an access status of the transmission further comprises updating the access status so as to identify the receiving terminal from which the selection data has emanated.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the display data comprises image data and the user selectable portion is an integral part of the image data.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the content is associated with an attribute.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein modifying the access status of the transmitted message includes updating the recipient record to include the attribute associated with the selected first content in the transmitted message.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second message includes content associated with the content of the first message.