Message delivery system and method

• US 10,298,532 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiir, Tanel, Karner, Kaido, Kasesalu, Priit, Kosemae, Mati, Laur, Aarne, Karu, Mihkel, Suursoho, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Karen C
• Application Number:
  US15/692,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 709231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of delivering messages to a user of a user terminal executing a communication client and connected to a packet-based communication network, includes receiving a message at the communication client from the communication network, the message comprising a content portion and a control portion, wherein the content portion comprises information intended for display to the user of the user terminal, and storing the message in a data store at the user terminal. The communication client reads the control portion and extracts data defining a trigger event and a condition. The communication client is monitored to determine whether the communication client state corresponds to the trigger event. Responsive to the communication client state corresponding to the trigger event, the communication client determines whether the condition is met. In the case that the condition is met, the content portion of the message is displayed in the communication client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user terminal, a message comprising a content portion and a control portion, the control portion comprising data defining a condition and a trigger event that causes the condition to be checked, the content portion comprising information configured to be displayed at the user terminal when the trigger event occurs if the condition is satisfied, the control portion identifying the trigger event as an event that is to occur at the user terminal before the condition is to be checked;

extracting the data defining the trigger event and the condition from the control portion of the message;

subsequent to receiving the message, monitoring the user terminal to detect occurrence of the trigger event;

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the trigger event, determining whether the condition is satisfied;

responsive to determining that the condition is satisfied, displaying the information in a user interface at the user terminal, the user interface including a selectable option that is selectable to reconfigure an attribute of a communication client on the user terminal; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection of the selectable option, causing the attribute of the communication client to be reconfigured.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the condition comprises one or more parameters and one or more respective required values, and wherein the determining whether the condition is satisfied comprises reading, for each of the one or more parameters, a current value of the parameter in the user terminal and comparing the current value to the respective required value.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is a display count for the message and the respective required value defines a maximum number of times the message should be displayed.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is a time interval parameter and the respective required value defines a start time and an end time for displaying the message.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting, prior to the receiving, a request for messages over a communication network.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the request for messages comprises an identifier of messages stored at the user terminal.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the request for messages comprises at least one of a version number for a communication client executed on the user terminal and an identifier of an operating system executed on the user terminal.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message is received at the user terminal in a bundle comprising a plurality of messages.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the displayed information comprises a selectable control configured to cause display of further information.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the further information is obtained from a communication network.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the selectable control is a hyperlink comprising a network address of the further information.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, extracting, monitoring, determining, and displaying are performed by a voice over internet protocol communication client executing on the user terminal.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the voice over internet protocol communication client is a peer-to-peer communication client.

14. A computer-readable storage memory comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processors, implements a communication client, the communication client configured to perform a method comprising:

receiving a message comprising a content portion and a control portion, the control portion comprising data defining a condition and a trigger event that causes the condition to be checked, the content portion comprising information configured to be displayed at a user terminal when the trigger event occurs if the condition is satisfied, the control portion identifying the trigger event as an event that is to occur at the user terminal before the condition is to be checked;

extracting the data defining the trigger event and the condition from the control portion of message;

subsequent to receiving the message, monitoring the communication client to detect occurrence of the trigger event;

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the trigger event, determining whether the condition is satisfied;

responsive to determining that the condition is satisfied, displaying the information in a user interface of the communication client, the user interface including a selectable option that is selectable to reconfigure an attribute of the communication client; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection of the selectable option, causing the attribute of the communication client to be reconfigured.

15. A user terminal according to claim 14, wherein the communication client is further configured to transmit a request for messages over a packet-based communication network, and the request for messages comprises an identifier of messages stored at the user terminal.

16. A user terminal according to claim 14, wherein the communication client is further configured to transmit a request for messages over a packet-based communication network, and the request for messages comprises at least one of a version number for the communication client and an identifier of an operating system executed on the user terminal.

17. A user terminal connected to a packet-based communication network, the user terminal comprising:

a data store;

a display; and

a processor configured to execute a software program comprising a communication client, the communication client configured to cause display of a user interface on the display to enable user interaction with the communication client, the communication client further configured to;

receive a message comprising a content portion and a control portion, the control portion comprising data defining a condition and a trigger event that causes the condition to be checked, the content portion comprising information configured to be displayed at the user terminal when the trigger event occurs if the condition is satisfied, the control portion identifying the trigger event as an event that is to occur at the user terminal before the condition is to be checked;

extract the data defining the trigger event and the condition from the control portion of the message;

subsequent to receiving the message, monitor the communication client to detect occurrence of the trigger event;

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the trigger event, determine whether the condition is satisfied;

responsive to determining that the condition is satisfied, display the information in the user interface, the user interface including a selectable option that is selectable to reconfigure an attribute of a communication client on the user terminal; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection of the selectable option, causing the attribute of the communication client to be reconfigured.

18. A user terminal according to claim 17, wherein the communication client is further configured to transmit a request for messages over the packet-based communication network.

19. A user terminal according to claim 18, wherein the request for messages comprises an identifier of messages stored at the user terminal.

20. A user terminal according to claim 18 wherein the request for messages comprises at least one of a version number for the communication client and an identifier of an operating system executed on the user terminal.