IP Library Granted Patent US 9,413,698
Granted Patent B2
US 9,413,698 · App. 14/293,442 · Granted Aug 9, 2016

System and method for email pre-delivery

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,413,698
App. No.
14/293,442
Granted
Aug 9, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for automatically pre-delivering messages such as emails that satisfy a certain criteria. Upon a received email satisfying certain criteria conforming to a pattern, an appropriate rule is triggered which pre-delivers an email(s) to other appropriate inboxes. The pre-delivered emails are marked with a display flag and a time-to-live (TTL) flag. The display flag masks the pre-delivered email. The display flag results in the pre-delivered email being hidden until the sending user actually executes the send/forward action. At that time, the display flag is toggled so that the pre-delivered email is instantly displayed in the recipient's inbox. The TTL flag set enables pre-delivered emails to have a life-span, such that in cases where the user chooses not to forward/send the email, they auto-destruct after a period of time.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a first email addressed to an inbox associated with a user;

analyzing, via the computing device, information associated with the first email, said analysis comprising comparing said email information with pattern information associated with said user;

creating, via the computing device, a second email for delivery from said user to a second user, said second email comprising a first display value dictating display in an inbox of said second user, said creation based upon said comparison of said email information and said pattern information, said second user identified as a recipient within said pattern information;

delivering, via the computing device, said second email to said inbox of the second user with said first display value, said delivery comprises communicating the second email to said second user with said first display value that prevents visible display of said second email in the inbox of the second user;

receiving, at the computing device, an indication from said user to deliver a message comprising said second email to said second user; and

communicating, over a network, a second display value associated with said delivered second email to the inbox of said second user, said second display value facilitating visible display of said previously delivered second email in the inbox of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said indication comprises a delivery action performed by the first user corresponding to the second email.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second email is based on said first email.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pattern information comprises a type of action said user performs in response to receiving a type of email, said type of action based upon behavior of said first user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pattern information identifies at least one recipient the user identifies as an addressee of the second email in response to receiving said first email.

6. The method of claim 1 , said second email further comprising a time-to-live (TTL) value, said TTL value dictating a time period said second email is available for visible display prior to receiving said indication.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

monitoring said TTL value, wherein upon said time period expiring before said indication is received, said second email is automatically deleted.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating an offset from said second email, said offset comprising first user generated information, wherein communication of said second display value triggers the visible display of said second email with said offset.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said delivery of said second email occurs during an off-peak time, said off-peak time comprising a time period during which email traffic is at or below a network threshold of activity.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device, performs a method comprising:

receiving a first email addressed to an inbox associated with a user;

analyzing information associated with the first email, said analysis comprising comparing said email information with pattern information associated with said user;

creating a second email for delivery from said user to a second user, said second email comprising a first display value dictating display in an inbox of said second user, said creation based upon said comparison of said email information and said pattern information, said second user identified as a recipient within said pattern information;

delivering said second email to said inbox of the second user, said delivery comprises communicating the second email to said second user without visibly displaying said second email in the inbox of the second user;

receiving an indication from said user to deliver said second email to said second user, said indication comprises a delivery action performed by the first user corresponding to the second email; and

communicating, over a network, a second display value associated with said second email to the inbox of said second user, said second display value facilitating visible display of said second email in the inbox of the second user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein said second email is based on said first email.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein said pattern information comprises a type of action said user performs in response to receiving a type of email, said pattern information identifies at least one recipient said user identifies as an addressee in response to receiving said first email.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , said second email further comprising a time-to-live (TTL) value, said TTL value dictating a time period said second email is available for visible display prior to receiving said indication.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

monitoring said TTL value, wherein upon said time period expiring before said indication is received, said second email is automatically deleted.

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

communicating an offset from said second email, said offset comprising first user generated information, wherein communication of said second display value triggers the visible display of said second email with said offset.

16. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising:

memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing said computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a first message addressed to an inbox associated with a user;

analyzing information associated with the first message, said analysis comprising comparing said message information with pattern information associated with said user;

creating a second message for delivery from said user to a second user, said second message comprising a first display value dictating display in an inbox of said second user, said creation based upon said comparison of said message information and said pattern information, said second user identified as a recipient within said pattern information;

delivering said second message to said inbox of the second user, said delivery comprises communicating the second message to said second user without visibly displaying said second message in the inbox of the second user;

receiving an indication from said user to deliver said second message to said second user, said indication comprises a delivery action performed by the first user corresponding to the second message; and

communicating, over a network, a second display value associated with said second message to the inbox of said second user, said second display value facilitating visible display of said second message in the inbox of the second user.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said second message further comprises a time-to-live (TTL) value, said TTL value dictating a time period said second message is available for visible display prior to receiving said indication, wherein said system further comprises:

monitoring said TTL value, wherein upon said time period expiring before said indication is received, said second message is automatically deleted.

Assignments (6)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061571/0773 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: YAHOO AD TECH LLC (FORMERLY VERIZON MEDIA INC.)
To: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
Reel/Frame 058982/0282 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 054258/0635 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2018
From: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 045240/0310 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2017
From: YAHOO! INC.
To: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 042963/0211 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2014
From: BHAGWAN, VARUN
To: YAHOO! INC.
Reel/Frame 033009/0129 →