System and method for one touch e-mail reply

• US 6,915,332 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Zdepski, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Application Number:
  US09/288,475
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 345/739, 345/752, 345/764, 345/810, 345/758, 345/845, 725 37- 43, 725131-132, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention relates to a simplified electronic message response, such as an electronic mail (e-mail) response. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sender may send an electronic message, such as an e-mail, that includes a main message and one or more options. The receiver may select any of the options, for example, by pressing a number on a remote control that corresponds to an option. Once an option has been selected, information related to the selected option, such as text explaining the selected option to the user, may be presented. The user can then indicate a desire to transmit the selected option. A reply e-mail is automatically generated and sent to the original sender, such as the advertiser.

Claims

1. A-method for responding to an e-mail message comprising:

receiving an e-mail message created by an original sender;

determining whether the received e-mail message corresponds to a one-touch e-mail message type, wherein the one-touch e-mail type is created by the original sender according to a first format including;

a first demarcation which identifies said received e-mail message as a one-touch e-mail message type, wherein the first demarcation indicates one or more options follow the first demarcation; and

for each of said one or more options;

a begin short option indicator;

a long option text; and

an end short option indictor;

a second demarcation which indicates an end of said one or more options; and

a main message; and

wherein said determining comprises;

parsing the received e-mail message prior to displaying the received e-mail message; and

detecting whether the received e-mail message types from non-one-touch e-mail messages types;

processing the received e-mail message in response to determining the received e-mail message corresponds to a one-touch e-mail type, wherein said processing comprises;

identifying within the received e-mail message a main message and one or more option indicator demarcations, each of said option indicator demarcations corresponding to a selectable option;

displaying the main message;

displaying for each of the one or more option indicator demarcations a corresponding first text which is included within the received e-mail message, wherein said first text describes a corresponding option;

displaying a second text in response to detecting the selection of a first option which corresponds to a first option indictor demarcation of said one or more option indicator demarcations, wherein the second text is included within the received e-mail message and further describes the first option; and

automatically generating a reply message to the original sender which identifies the first option, in response to input from a user;

displaying the received e-mail message without performing said processing, in response to determining the e-mail message does not correspond to a one-touch e-mail type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one touch e-mail type is created by the original sender to include a main message and one or more user selectable options, each of the user selectable options including:

a first text which describes a corresponding option; and

a second text which further describes the corresponding option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically assigning a number to each of the one or more user selectable options included within the received e-mail message, and wherein each of the one or more user selectable options are displayed along with a number which has been assigned to the corresponding option.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-mail message is received via an interactive television system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one option is selected by using a television remote control device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein subsequent to displaying the received e-mail message according to the first format on a receiving device of a user, the method further comprises disabling text input by the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in response to detecting said first option is selected, the method further comprises displaying a message to the user indicative of a single input from the user which will generate and send a reply message to the sender, said reply message including an identification of the first option and the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reply message is automatically generated and sent responsive to a single indication received from a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received e-mail message corresponds to an advertisement for a product or service, and wherein said reply message indicates an interest in the product or service by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected option is identified in a header of the reply message.

11. A system for responding to an electronic message comprising:

a processor configured to;

detect a received e-mail message;

determine whether the receive e-mail corresponds to a one-touch e-mail message type;

wherein the one-touch e-mail message type is created by the original sender according to a first format, said first format including;

a first demarcation which identifies said received e-mail message as a one-touch email message type, wherein the first demarcation indicates one or more options follow the first demarcation; and

for each of said one or more options;

a begin short option indicator;

a long option text; and

an end short option indicator;

a second demarcation which indicates an end of said one or more options; and

a main message; and

wherein determining whether said received e-mail message corresponds to a one-touch e-mail message type by;

parsing the received e-mail message prior to displaying the received e-mail message; and

detecting whether the received e-mail message includes a demarcation which distinguishes one-touch e-mail message types from non-one-touch messages types;

process-received e-mail message in response to determining said message corresponds to a one-touch e-mail message type, said process comprising;

identifying within the received e-mail message a main message and one or more option indicator demarcation, each of said one or more option indicator demarcations corresponding to a user selectable option;

displaying the main message;

displaying for each of the one or more option indicator demarcations a corresponding first text which is included within the received e-mail message, wherein said first text describes a corresponding option;

displaying a second text in response to detecting the selection of a first option which corresponds to a first option indicator demarcation of said one or more option indicator demarcations, wherein the second text is included within the received e-mail message and further describes the first option; and

automatically generating a reply message to the original sender which identifies the first option, in response to input from a user;

display the received e-mail message without performing said process, in response to determining the e-mail message does not correspond to a one touch e-mail type;

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide instructions to the processor.

12. A computer program product for responding to an electronic message, said computer program product comprising a computer readable medium wherein the computer readable medium is selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM, floppy disk, tape, flash memory, system memory, and hard drive;

and wherein the computer readable medium including program instructions executable to;

detect a received e-mail message from an original sender;

determine whether the received e-mail message corresponds to one-touch e-mail message type, wherein the one-touch e-mail type is created by the original sender according to a first format, said first format including;

a first demarcation which identifies said received e-mail message as a one-touch e-mail message type, wherein the first demarcation indicates one or more options follow the first demarcation; and

for each of said one or more options;

a begin short option indicator;

a long option text; and

an end short option indicator;

a second demarcation which indicates an end of said one or more options, and a main message; and

wherein said determining further comprises;

parse the received e-mail message prior to displaying the received e-mail message; and

detect whether the received e-mail message includes a demarcation which distinguishes one-touch e-mail message types from non-one touch e-mail message types;

process the receive e-mail message, in response to determining the received e-mail message corresponds to a on-touch e-mail type, wherein said process comprises;

identifying within the received e-mail message a main message and one or more option indicator demarcations, each of said option indicator demarcations corresponding to a user selectable option;

displaying the main message;

displaying for each of the one or more option indicator demarcations a corresponding first text which is included within the received e-mail message, wherein said first text describes a corresponding option;

display a second text in response to detecting a selection of a first option which corresponds to a first option indicator demarcation of said one or more option indicator demarcations, wherein the second text is included within the received e-mail message and further describes the first option; and

automatically generate a reply message to the original sender which identifies the first option, in response to input from a user;

display the received e-mail message without performing said process, in response to determining the e-mail message does not correspond to a one-touch e-mail type.