Methods and apparatus for transmitting prioritized electronic mail messages

• US 20050091326A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, David Shan-Ming, Hsu, P. Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities

Abstract

A system allows users to send electronic mail messages having prioritized delivery. A server receives an electronic mail message that contains a specified priority or a specified time frame for delivery. The server determines a time frame for delivery and selects procedures to ensure delivery of the electronic mail message within the determined time frame. The server then provides the electronic mail message to the receiving account within the determined time frame.

Claims

1. A method for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, comprising:

receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for the email message;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within the indicated delivery time frame; and

selecting procedures sufficient for delivering the email message based on the determined requirements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for an email message comprises receiving a priority tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for an email message comprises receiving an email message that contains a priority level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for an email message comprises receiving an email that contains a specified delivery time frame.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the email message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising recording billing information for the email message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the billing information is based on the indicated delivery time frame.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.

8. In a system for sending and receiving email using an interactive receiver and having at least one sending account and at least one receiving account, a method for providing prioritized delivery, comprising:

receiving at a mail server an email message from the sending account;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within a specified time frame; and

selecting procedures to ensure that the email message can be delivered to the receiving account within the specified time frame based on the determined requirements.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining requirements for delivery of the email message comprises determining requirements for delivery of the email message based on a priority level contained within the email message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining requirements for delivery of the email message comprises determining requirements for delivery of the email message based on a time frame specified within the email message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting procedures to ensure that the email message can be delivered to the receiving account within the specified time frame comprises:

selecting at least one data path that has sufficient bandwidth to ensure delivery of the email message within the specified time frame; and

providing the email message to the receiving account within the specified time frame.

21. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures

12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, comprising:

at least one memory having program instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of;

receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for the email message;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within the indicated delivery time frame; and

selecting procedures sufficient for delivering the email message based on the determined requirements.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.

14. An apparatus for providing prioritized delivery of an email message from a sending account to a receive account, comprising:

at least one memory having program instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of;

receiving at a mail server an email message from the sending account;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within a specified time frame; and

selecting procedures to ensure that the email message can be delivered to the receiving account within the specified time frame based on the determined requirements.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.

15. (canceled)

16. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for the email message;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within the indicated delivery time frame; and

selecting procedures sufficient for delivering the email message based on the determined requirements.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, the computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, the method further comprising:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.

17. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for providing prioritized delivery of an email message from a sending account to a receiving account, the method comprising:

receiving at a mail server an email message from the sending account;

determining requirements for delivery of the email message within a specified time frame; and

selecting procedures to ensure that the email message can be delivered to the receiving account within the specified time frame based on the determined requirements.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, the method further comprising:

recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.

18. (canceled)

19. An apparatus for providing prioritized delivery of an email message, comprising:

means for receiving an indication of a delivery time frame for the email message;

means for determining requirements for delivery of the email message within the indicated delivery time frame; and

means for selecting procedures sufficient for delivering the email message based on the determined requirements.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for recording billing information having an associated billing rate for delivery of the email message, the billing rate being based on the selected procedures.