Converting a text-based email message to an email message including image-based fonts
View Patent ↗An email message is analyzed to identify sections of characters having a common formatting characteristic. Sets of character images are generated for the characters in each section. An analyzed e-mail message is converted from a rich text format to a platform-independent format that specifies the structure of the e-mail message. A set of replacement instructions is generated for use at a message destination. The platform-independent format, the character image sets and the replacement instructions are all transmitted to the destination. At the destination, the message is rendered by using the replacement instructions to replace each character in the message with one of the character images in the character image sets. The message can be displayed at the destination system with the same fonts and font attributes used originally used in creating the message, regardless whether those fonts exist on the destination system.
1. An email message generator comprising:
a receiving component for receiving message data for generating an email message to be addressed to a user at a destination system;
an analysis component for analyzing the received message data to identify one or more sections of the received message data, each section consisting of characters having the same formatting characteristic;
a converter component for converting the message data to a platform-independent format;
a generating component for generating
an image set comprising character images having a single formatting characteristic found in one or more of the identified sections of the message data, and
a set of replacement instructions for use at the destination system to render the message by replacing each character specified in the platform-independent format with a character image retrieved from one of the image sets; and
a transmitting component for sending said email message including said image set and set of replacement instructions to said destination system, wherein the analysis component further comprises a component for identifying a lowest common denominator of identified characters in the message data for use in generating character images by the generating component.
2. An email message generator according to claim 1 wherein the
analysis component further comprises a component for determining a number of blank spaces in the email message to be replaced with a generated blank image.
3. A method for generating an email message comprising:
receiving message data for generating an email message addressed to a user at a destination system;
analyzing the message data to identify one or more sections of the received message data, each section consisting of characters having the same formatting characteristic;
converting the message data to a platform-independent format;
generating an image set comprising character images having a single formatting characteristic found in one or more of the identified sections of the message data, and
generating a set of replacement instructions for use at the destination system to render the message by replacing each character specified in the platform-independent format with a character image retrieved from one of the image sets;
generating an email message addressed to said user at said destination system, said message comprising said message data in platform-independent format, said image set and said set of replacement instructions; and
identifying a lowest common denominator of identified characters in the message data for use in generating character images for said image set.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein analyzing the message data to identify one or more sections, each section consisting of characters having the same formatting characteristic further comprises determining a number of blank spaces in the email message for replacement with a generated blank image.
5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising transmitting the generated image set, the blank image, the set of replacement instructions and the platform-independent format to the destination system.
6. A computer program product for generating an email message, said computer program product comprising a computer usable memory having computer usable program code embodied therewith, said computer usable program code comprising:
computer usable program code configured to receive message data for generating an email message addressed to a user at a destination system;
computer usable program code configured to analyze the received message data to identify one or more sections of the received message data, each section consisting of characters having the same formatting characteristic;
computer usable program code configured to convert the message data to a platform-independent format;
computer usable program code configured to generate an image set comprising character images having a single formatting characteristic found in one or more of the identified sections,
computer usable program code configured to generate a set of replacement instructions for use at the destination system to render the message by replacing each character specified in the platform-independent format with a character image retrieved from one of the image sets; and
computer usable program code configured to identify a lowest common denominator of identified characters in the message data for use in generating character images.
7. A computer program product according to claim 6 wherein the computer usable program code configured to analyze the message data to identify one or more sections further comprises computer usable program code configured to determine a number of blank spaces in the email message for replacement with a generated blank image.
8. A computer program product according to claim 7 further comprising computer usable program code configured to transmit the generated image set, the blank image, the set of replacement instructions and the platform-independent format to the destination system.
9. An email message generator comprising a computer programmed to generate and transmit email messages over a data network, said email message generator comprising:
an analysis component for analyzing an outgoing email message in rich text format to identify one or more sections consisting of characters having a same formatting characteristic;
a converter component for converting the email message from said rich text format to a platform-independent format;
a generating component for generating
one or more character images for characters found in said outgoing email message, and
a set of replacement instructions for use at a destination system to render the email message by replacing characters specified in the platform-independent format with a corresponding character image from said character images; and
a transmitting component for transmitting said outgoing email message to said destination system along with said one or more character images and said set of replacement instructions, wherein the analysis component further comprises a component for identifying a lowest common denominator of identified characters in the message data for use in generating character images by the generating component.
10. The email message generator of claim 9 , wherein said platform-independent format is Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML).
11. A method of generating email messages with a computer programmed to generate and transmit email messages over a data network, said method comprising:
analyzing an outgoing email message in rich text format to identify one or more sections consisting of characters having a same formatting characteristic;
converting the email message from said rich text format to a platform-independent format;
generating
one or more character images for characters found in said outgoing email message, and
a set of replacement instructions for use at a destination system to render the email message by replacing characters specified in the platform-independent format with a corresponding character image from said character images;
transmitting said outgoing email message to said destination system along with said one or more character images and said set of replacement instructions; and
identifying a lowest common denominator of identified characters in the message data for use in generating character images for said image set.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said platform-independent format is Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML).
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, at said destination system, rendering said email message by selectively replacing at least one character in said message with a corresponding character image in accordance with said replacement instructions.
14. The email message generator of claim 9 , wherein each character image comprises formatting and stylization for a specific character such that multiple character images for a same character are generated if that character is to be presented in the email message with more than one formatting and stylization.
15. The email message generator of claim 9 , wherein the generating component is selectively activated for an outgoing email message by selection of an option in a menu of the email message generator.
16. The email message generator of claim 9 , wherein the set of replacement instructions instruct the destination system use a same character image to replace a same character at multiple locations within said email message.
17. The email message generator of claim 9 , wherein said converter component places an onload function in the outgoing email message that, when read by the destination system, causes the destination system to initiate rendering of said email message according to said set of replacement instructions.