Geo-dynamic email lists

• US 9,043,414 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rachabathuni, Sailesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/324,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/207, 715/752, 715/753, 370/260
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A server computing device receives location data for a user. The server computing device determines a location of the user based on the location data. The server computing device then transmits emails addressed to an email list to an email address for the user based on determining that the location of the user device is associated with the email list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a server computing device, an email list associated with a location;

receiving, by the server computing device, location data for a first user;

determining, by the server computing device, whether the first user is at the location based on the location data;

receiving and storing an email message that is addressed to the email list;

transmitting, in a first transmission, the email message addressed to the email list to a first email address of the first user based on a determination that the first user is at the location;

setting, by the server computing device without user input, an expiration period for the email message, wherein the expiration period is set based on contents of the email message; and

responsive to identifying a second user who has entered the location after the first transmission and before the expiration period has expired, transmitting, in a second transmission, the email message to a second email address of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the first email address for the first user to the email list or removing the first email address for the first user from the email list based on whether the first user is at the location; and

transmitting the email message to the first user in response to determining that the email address for the first user has been added to the email list.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the email message based on the expiration period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the email list is a group email list having email addresses of a plurality of group members, the method further comprising:

determining group members who are at the location; and

in response to receiving an additional email message addressed to the email list, transmitting the additional email message to email addresses of those group members who are at the location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updated location data for a plurality of users, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users;

identifying at least one of an additional user who is at the location or an existing user who has left the location; and

modifying the email list by performing at least one of adding an additional email address for the additional user to the email list or removing an existing email address for the existing user from the email list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises at least one of global positioning system (GPS) data, cell tower triangulation data, internet protocol (IP) address data, security badge scan data, travel itinerary data or data provided by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving first location data having a first data type and second location data having a second type for the first user;

identifying a conflict between the first location data and the second location data;

prioritizing the first location data over the second location data based on the first data type and the second data type; and

using the first location data for the first user'"'"'s location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving new location data for an additional user who has entered the location;

prompting the additional user to select whether or not to be added to the email list; and

in response to receiving a request to add the additional user to the email list, adding an additional email address for the additional user to the email list.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving periodic location updates for the first user;

computing a speed of travel for the first user based on the periodic location updates; and

in response to determining that the speed exceeds a speed threshold, delaying sending of the email message to the first user until the first user slows down below the speed threshold.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, location data for a first user;

determining, by the processing device, a location of the first user based on the location data;

receiving and storing an email message that is addressed to an email list associated with a particular location;

transmitting, in a first transmission, the email message addressed to the email list to a first email address for the first user based on determining that the location of the first user corresponds to the particular location;

setting, by the processing device without user input, an expiration period for the email message, wherein the expiration period is set based on contents of the email message; and

responsive to identifying a second user who has entered the particular location after the first transmission and before the expiration period has expired, transmitting, in a second transmission, the email message to a second email address of the second user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

adding the first email address for the first user to the email list in response to determining that the location of the first user is associated with the email list.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

removing the first email address for the first user from an additional email list that is not associated with the location of the first user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the email list is a group email list having email addresses of a plurality of group members, and wherein the email list is associated with the particular location, the method further comprising:

determining group members who are at the particular location; and

in response to receiving an email message addressed to the email list, transmitting the email message to email addresses of those group members who are at the particular location.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving updated location data for a plurality of users, wherein the first user is one of the plurality of users;

identifying at least one of a particular user who is at the particular location or an existing user who has left the particular location; and

modifying the email list by performing at least one of adding a new email address for the particular user to the email list or removing an existing email address for the existing user from the email list.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the location data comprises at least one of data received from a mobile computing device, data received from a security system, data received from a travel server or data input by the user.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving new location data for an additional user who has entered the location;

prompting the additional user to select whether or not to be added to the email list; and

in response to receiving a request to add the additional user to the second email list, adding an additional email address for the additional user to the second email list.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving a new email message addressed to the email list;

receiving periodic location updates for the first user;

computing a speed of travel for the first user based on the periodic location updates; and

in response to determining that the speed exceeds a speed threshold, delaying sending of the email message to the first user until the first user slows down below the speed threshold.

18. A computing system comprising:

a memory to store instructions for an email server; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

generate a geo-dynamic email list associated with a location;

receive location data for a plurality of users;

identify a first of the plurality of users who is at the location based on the location data;

receive and store an email message that is addressed to the geo-dynamic email list;

transmit, in a first transmission, the email message addressed to the geo-dynamic email list to a first email address of the first user;

set, without user input and based on contents of the email message, an expiration period for the email message; and

responsive to identifying a second user who has entered the location after the first transmission and before the expiration period has expired, transmit, in a second transmission, the email message to a second email address of the second user.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

add the first email address for the first user to the geo-dynamic email list.

20. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive updated location data for the plurality of users;

identify at least one of an additional user who is at the location or an existing user who has left the location; and

modify the geo-dynamic email list by performing at least one of adding an additional email address for the additional user to the email list or removing an existing email address for the existing user from the email list.

21. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the location data comprises at least one of global positioning system (GPS) data, cell tower triangulation data, internet protocol (IP) address data, security badge scan data, travel itinerary data or user provided data.

22. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the geo-dynamic email list is a group email list having email addresses of a plurality of group members, the method further comprising:

determining group members who are at the location; and

in response to receiving an email message addressed to the geo-dynamic email list, transmitting the email message to email addresses of those group members who are at the location.