Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2001-10-16
Winder, Patrice (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Demand based messaging
C709S217000, C709S218000, C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304897
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an E-mail software program enhancement, and, more particularly, an e-mail program capable of transmitting, opening and presenting a container having digital content (e.g. Visual images, audio) using embedded executable software.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional E-mail systems transmit textual messages from a sender to a receiver. It is also customary to send attachments with messages, the attachments containing files that the sender desires forwarding to the receiver.
Despite the vast usage of E-mail and E-mail systems, certain drawbacks still exist. Among these drawbacks include lack of privacy and verification of message receipt. While encryption systems exist that can provide for privacy and verification of message receipt, such encryption systems become tedious to properly use, and are, therefore, avoided in many circumstances due to the fact that they are difficult to use. Since typical E-mails are not secure in a heterogeneous environment and there is no verification of message receipt, E-mail messages are typically used only for low priority communications.
Furthermore, messages that are sent via one E-mail platform cannot be reliably transmitted to another E-mail platform and still ensure that different types of content appear as desired. For this and other reasons, E-mail messages typically lack interesting different types of content, such as visual images, audio, multimedia, and other functional attributes, such as, for instance, links to a sender's home page on the world wide web. Accordingly, since only text based content can be easily transmitted and received in a reliable manner, most E-mail transmissions tend to use textual content that looks similar, with attachments of files that are similarly uninteresting.
As a result, a more robust enhancement to conventional E-mail platforms is needed in order to reliably overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an E-mail message enhancement apparatus that allows for privacy and verification of message receipt.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an E-mail message enhancement apparatus that can be reliably transmitted from one E-mail platform to another E-mail platform.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an E-mail message enhancement apparatus that allows for the transmission, reception and layout of interesting different types of content.
The above objects of the present invention, among others, are provided by the present invention through the E-mail message enhancement apparatus which is preferably implemented through a sequence of program instructions and achieved as attachments to e-mail message. On the sender side, creation software implements a data format that allows for differing types of digital content. Furthermore, in addition to such content in the E-mail message, there is included attachments, header information, including the E-mail address of the sender, and recipient executable embedded software that ensures the recipient will be able to view contents and perform the functional attributes that make up the E-mail message.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the executable software that is transmitted as part of the E-mail message is written using Java programming language and contains a self-opening message feature, such that the container automatically opens and is initially viewed with all of the desired content appearing. Thereafter, depending upon the content originally included by the sender, and the action taken on the part of the recipient, different portions of the content and functional attributes are highlighted. Such content and functional attributes will be view able, regardless of the E-mail platform of the recipient, due to the inclusion of the executable software in the E-mail message itself that is transmitted.
Through the use of a data structure that allows for a plurality of component objects to be included in a single E-mail message, as well as a plurality of sub-component objects to be associated with each component object, an E-mail message having robust content and functional attributes can be achieved.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, the E-mail message that is transmitted has a plurality of component objects, with one of the component objects representing the front face of an envelope, and different other component objects including, but not limited to, recipient address, sender address, stamp, digital time stamp, and an envelope open attribute so that the E-mail message appears on the recipient's computer screen like an envelope. When the E-mail message is opened using the envelope open attribute, or subsequently closed, verification of message receipt is automatically forwarded back to the original sender. In a specific form of this embodiment, both sides of the envelope can be represented, with another component object representing the back side of the envelope and the envelope open attribute that allows for attachments or messages within the envelope to be viewed appearing on the back side of the envelope.
In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the E-mail message that is transmitted has a plurality of component objects, with one of the component objects representing the front face of a postcard, and different other component objects represented on the back face of the postcard being the recipient address, sender address, stamp, senders letter and digital time stamp.
Still furthermore, the size and shape of component objects can be varied as desired by the sender, overlap with each other and vary in number within a single E-mail message. Accordingly, the appearance of the E-mail message can be varied as desired by the sender.
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LandOfFree
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