Method and system for remotely sensing the file formats processed by an E-mail client

• US 6,449,634 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zeta Global Corp. (Zeta Global Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Impact Incorporated (Liberty Latin America Ltd.)
• Inventors: Capiel, Gerardo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/240,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104.1, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention relates to the processing of E-mail messages over a telecommunications network. More particularly, the present invention relates to the detection and monitoring of file formats which can be processed and displayed at an E-mail client. Specific embodiments include, sending an E-mail message to the E-mail client, determining at the E-mail client a file format that the E-mail client can process and display, and indicating to the E-mail sensor server the file format that the E-mail client can process and display. Once the file format is determined, subsequent E-mail messages maybe of the same file format. The file format could be hyper text mark up language (HTML) statements or dynamic HTML(DHTML) statements or Java applets. The method may also include monitoring the status of the E-mail message received at the E-mail client.

Claims

1. A method for sending and tracking E-mail messages, said method comprising;

sending an E-mail message from an E-mail server to an E-mail client over a public network, said E-mail message including a first portion in a text format and a second portion that includes an image;

determining, at the E-mail client, whether the E-mail client can process and display said image included in said E-mail message;

if the E-mail client can process and display said image, indicating to the E-mail sensor server that the E-mail client can process and display said image and displaying the image on a display coupled to the E-mail client; and

if the E-mail client cannot process and display said image, displaying the text portion of the E-mail message on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image included in the second portion is a mark up language statement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the E-mail message includes a Java applet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating further comprises indicating to the E-mail sensor server if the E-mail client can execute a Java applet.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a second E-mail message containing a web page to the E-mail client, if the processing determines that the E-mail client can process and display a web page.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating to the E-mail sensor server comprises the E-mail client executing a HTML image tag comprising a call to an E-mail server sensor program.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the E-mail message is a multi-purpose internet mail extensions (MIME) compliant E-mail message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the E-mail message comprises an E-mail header comprising a multipart-altemative content-type field.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the text portion of the E-mail message comprises a plain text part and wherein the second portion further comprises a mark up language text part.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said plain text part and said mark up language text part are both advertisements for a same product.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said mark up language text part is an HTML statement.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said mark up language part is a DHTML statement.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said image is a 1×

1 pixel.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the E-mail message further comprises an HTML image tag.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the HTML image tag comprises a unique message identifier and the E-mail client'"'"'s Internet address.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring, with the E-mail server, the status of the E-mail message received at the E-mail client.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring the status comprises logging the date the E-mail message is first opened at the E-mail client in a database accessible to the E-mail server.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the monitoring the status comprises monitoring the total number of times the E-mail message is opened by the E-mail client and tracking said number in a database accessible to the E-mail server.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said image is a 1×

1 pixel.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the public network is the Internet.

21. A method for sending and tracking E-mail messages, said method comprising;

sending an E-mail message from an E-mail server to an E-mail client over a public network, said E-mail message including a mark up language text portion and an image tag, said image tag comprising an image, a unique message identifier and the E-mail client'"'"'s E-mail address;

receiving and opening said E-mail message at said E-mail client;

determining, at said E-mail client, whether the E-mail client can process and display said image;

if the E-mail client can process and display said image, sending a response to the E-mail server over the public network, said response including said unique message identifier and the E-mail client'"'"'s E-mail address;

receiving said response at said E-mail server; and

storing in a database accessible to the E-mail server an indication that said message was received and opened.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said storing step includes storing said unique message identifier and associating said identifier with said client'"'"'s E-mail address.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a response is generated from said E-mail client to said E-mail server each time said E-mail client opens said E-mail message and said storing step further comprises storing a count that tracks the number of times said E-mail client opens said E-mail message.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said response further comprises a type and version of an E-mail program executing on said E-mail client, and wherein said storing step further includes storing said type and version of said E-mail program in said database.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said mark up language text part is an HTML statement.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said mark up language part is a DHTML statement.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein said image in said image tag is an HTML statement.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein said image is a 1×

1 pixel.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the public network is the Internet.

30. A method for sending and tracking E-mail messages, said method comprising;

sending an E-mail message from an E-mail server to an E-mail client over a public network, said E-mail message including a mark up language text portion and a java object tag, said java object tag comprising a unique message identifier and the E-mail client'"'"'s E-mail address;

receiving and opening said E-mail message at said E-mail client;

determining, at said E-mail client, whether the E-mail client can process said java object tag;

if the E-mail client can process said java object tag, sending a response to the E-mail server over the public network, said response including said unique message identifier and the E-mail client'"'"'s E-mail address;

receiving said response at said E-mail server; and

storing in a database accessible to the E-mail server, said unique message identifier, the client'"'"'s E-mail address.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said mark up language text part is an HTML statement.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said mark up language part is a DHTML statement.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the public network is the Internet.