Method and apparatus for dissemination of rich media

• US 6,789,108 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TMX Interactive
• Original Assignee: TMX Interactive
• Inventors: McMillan, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/634,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/232, 709/250, 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for disseminating information, comprising the steps of: sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file, sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer and, supplying only the elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for disseminating information, comprising the steps of:

sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer with said sent electronic mail message; and

,

supplying based on said sensed capabilities only elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

supplying only the elements of the electronic mail message which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the bandwidth capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of e-mail program stored on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of browser program stored on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

assigning a unique identification number specific to the electronic mail message sent to the at least one recipient.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising the further step of:

storing the identification number for the electronic mail message in a database, so that the progress of the electronic mail message can be tracked.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical presentation file is a rich media file.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said rich media file includes full-motion video, animation or a combination thereof.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of supplying only the elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises:

preparing a plurality of graphical presentation programs, each program corresponding to an element of the graphical presentation file.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the step of supplying only the elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer further comprises:

packaging the plurality of graphical presentation programs.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the step of supplying only the elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer further comprises:

utilizing the plurality of graphical presentation programs to selectively provide different elements of the graphical presentation file to the at least one recipient.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

tracking the progress of the electronic mail message.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, comprising the further step of:

providing information about the progress of the electronic mail message to at least one computer.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

tracking the progress of the graphical presentation file.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, comprising the further step of:

providing information about the progress of the graphical presentation file to at least one computer.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

sensing the interests of the at least one recipient; and

,

altering the content of the electronic mail message based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

sensing the interests of the at least one recipient; and

,

altering the content of the graphical presentation file based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of web-based email platform that is being utilized by said recipient.

20. A computer system comprising:

at least one server computer; and

,

at least one user computer coupled to the at least one server through a network,

wherein the at least one server computer includes at least one program stored therein, said program performing the following steps;

sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer with the electronic mail message; and

,

supplying based on said sensed capabilities only elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein said program performs the further step of:

supplying only the elements of the electronic mail message which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

22. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the bandwidth capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

23. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of e-mail program stored on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

24. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of browser program stored on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

25. The computer system of claim 20, wherein said program performs the further step of:

assigning a unique identification number specific to the electronic mail message sent to the at least one recipient.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said program performs the further step of:

storing the identification number for the electronic mail message in a database, so that the progress of the electronic mail message can be tracked.

27. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the step of sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer comprises sensing the type of web-based email platform that is being used by said recipient.

28. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the graphical presentation file includes a rich media file.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein said rich media file includes full-motion video, animation or a combination thereof.

30. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a machine, the computer program comprising:

a first code segment for sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

a second code segment for sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer with the electronic mail message; and

,

a third code segment for supplying based on said sensed capabilities only elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

31. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave encoded with computer program code for causing a processor to disseminate information comprising:

a first code segment for sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

a second code segment for sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer with the electronic mail message; and

,

a third code segment for supplying based on the sensed capabilities only elements of the graphical presentation file which may be viewed on the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer.

32. A computer-implemented method for disseminating information, comprising the steps of:

sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

sensing the interests of the at least one recipient; and

,

altering the content of the electronic mail message based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, comprising the further step of:

altering the content of the graphical presentation file based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein the step of sensing the interests of the at least one recipient comprises:

providing a query to the at least one recipient; and

, utilizing a response to the query to sense the interests of the at least one recipient.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein the step of sensing the interests of the at least one recipient comprises:

determining if the at least one recipient has accessed the electronic mail message to sense the interests of the at least one recipient.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein the step of sensing the interests of the at least one recipient comprises:

determining if the at least one recipient has accessed the graphical presentation file to sense the interests of the at least one recipient.

37. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a machine, the computer program comprising:

a first code segment for sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

a second code segment for sensing the interests of at least one recipient; and

,

a third code segment for altering the content of the electronic mail message based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, the computer program further comprising:

a fourth code segment for altering the content of the graphical presentation file based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

39. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave encoded with computer program code for causing a processor to disseminate information comprising:

a first code segment for sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail being linked to a graphical presentation file;

a second code segment for sensing the interests of at least one recipient; and

,

a third code segment for altering the content of the electronic mail message based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

40. The computer data signal of claim 39, the computer program code further comprising:

a fourth code segment for altering the content of the graphical presentation file based on the sensed interests of the at least one recipient.

41. A computer-implemented method for disseminating information, comprising the steps of:

(a) sending an electronic mail message to at least one recipient, said electronic mail message being associated with a graphical presentation file at a content server, said graphical presentation file including a plurality of elements;

(b) sensing the capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer with the electronic mail message; and

,

supplying elements of the graphical presentation file to the recipient'"'"'s computer specific to the sensed capabilities of the at least one recipient'"'"'s computer, wherein a presentation of content to said user is optimized.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 41, wherein the graphical presentation file includes a rich media file comprising full-motion video, animation or a combination thereof.