Multiple and multi-part message methods and systems for handling electronic message content for electronic communications devices

• US 8,407,296 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartBrief, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SmartBrief, Inc.
• Inventors: Mully, Zachariah
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US11/860,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,010 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

Multiple and multi-part message methods and systems for handling electronic message content for electronic communications devices are presented. An exemplary method for handling electronic message content for an electronic communications device includes: receiving a first electronic message that includes default message content at the communications device; receiving a second electronic message that includes alternate message content at the communications device; determining at the communications device whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content; and if the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content, automatically providing the alternate message content of the second received message instead of the default message content of the first received message, in response to a user using the communications device to open the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or in response to the user using the communications device to open the second received message.

Claims

1. A method for handling electronic message content for an electronic communications device, comprising:

receiving a first electronic message that includes default message content at the communications device;

determining at the communications device whether the first received message indicates availability of alternate message content;

receiving a second electronic message that includes alternate message content at the communications device; and

when the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content, preventing the display of the first received message and automatically providing the alternate message content of the second received message instead of the default message content of the first received message, in response to a user using the communications device to open the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or in response to the user using the communications device to open the second received message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content comprises:

determining whether the first received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content comprises:

determining whether the first received message includes a predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content comprises:

determining whether the first received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider and, when the first received message was transmitted by the predetermined default content provider, determining whether the first received message includes the predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically providing the alternate message content of the second received message instead of the default message content of the first received message comprises:

no longer providing the alternate message content, in response to the user using the communications device to close the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or to close the second received message.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the default message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of the default communications device and 2) level of service associated with the electronic messaging service, and wherein the alternate message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of an alternate communications device and 2) an alternate level of service associated with the electronic messaging service.

6. A method for handling electronic message content for an electronic communications device, comprising:

receiving at the communications device an electronic message that includes a first part comprising default message content and a second part comprising information for generating alternate message content;

processing at the communications device the second part of the received message to generate the alternate message content; and

preventing the display of the default message content and automatically providing the alternate message content instead of the default message content, in response to a user using the communications device to open the received message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the electronic message comprises:

determining at the communications device whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content by determining whether the first part of the received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the electronic message comprises:

determining at the communications device whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content by determining whether the first part of the received message includes a predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content comprises:

determining whether the first part of the received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider and, when the first part of the received message was transmitted by the predetermined default content provider, determining whether the first part of the received message includes the predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message content.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of automatically providing the alternate message content instead of the default message content comprises:

no longer providing the alternate message content, in response to the user using the communications device to close the received message.

11. A physical recording medium on which the method of claim 6 is recorded as a program code that can be executed by a processing device.

12. A system for handling electronic message content over a communications network, comprising:

a content provider configured to transmit a first electronic message that includes default message content and a second electronic message that includes alternate message content over the communications network; and

an electronic communications device configured to receive the first electronic message that includes the default message content and the second electronic message that includes the alternate message content over the communications network, wherein the electronic communications device comprises a client agent configured to determine whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content, and

wherein the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content, the client agent is configured to intercept the first received message and automatically provide the alternate message content of the second received message instead of the default message content of the first received message, in response to a user using the electronic communications device to open the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or in response to the user using the electronic communications device to open the second received message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first received message includes a predefined element indicating the availability of the alternate message content.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider and, when the first received message was transmitted by the predetermined default content provider, based on whether the first received message includes the predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message content.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the client agent is configured to no longer provide the alternate message content, in response to the user using the communications device to close the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or to close the second received message.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the content provider comprises:

a default content provider configured to transmit the first message that includes the default message content over the communications network; and

an alternate content provider configured to transmit the second message that includes the alternate message content over the communications network.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein the default message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of the default communications device and 2) level of service associated with the electronic messaging service, and wherein the alternate message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of an alternate communications device and 2) an alternate level of service associated with the electronic messaging service.

18. A system for handling electronic message content over a communications network, comprising:

a content provider configured to transmit an electronic message that includes a first part comprising default message content and a second part comprising information for generating alternate message content; and

an electronic communications device configured to receive the electronic message that includes the first and second parts over the communications network, wherein the electronic communications device comprises a client agent configured to process the second part of the received message to generate the alternate message content and to prevent the generation of the default message content and automatically provide the alternate message content instead of the default message content, in response to a user using the electronic communications device to open the received message.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first part of the received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first part of the received message includes a predefined element indicating the availability of the alternate message content.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the client agent is configured to determine whether the first part of the received message indicates availability of the alternate message content based on whether the first part of the received message was transmitted by a predetermined default content provider and, when the first part of the received message was transmitted by the predetermined default content provider, based on whether the first part of the received message includes the predefined element indicating availability of the alternate message content.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the client agent is configured to no longer provide the alternate message content, in response to the user using the communications device to close the received message.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the content provider comprises:

a default content provider configured to transmit the first part of the message that includes the default message content over the communications network; and

an alternate content provider configured to transmit the second part of the message that includes the alternate message content over the communications network.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the default message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of the default communications device and 2) level of service associated with the electronic messaging service, and wherein the alternate message content is adapted for at least one of 1) functionality of an alternate communications device and 2) an alternate level of service associated with the electronic messaging service.