Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
  • G06Q10/10—Office automation; Time management
  • G06Q10/107—Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Definitions

• the invention relates to a system for composing and sending multimedia e-mails.
• the object of the invention is to create a system which can allow the recipient to receive multimedia e-mails with personal content of the sender while avoiding the listed drawbacks.
• This object is achieved by a system in which e-mails are stored on a central server so that they can be browsed by low function equipment so long as the user knows the necessary security information.
• This system has the additional advantage that the e-mail facility provides a draw to the central server. If the central server provides advertising or infomercial type information, users will be exposed to such information in making use of the e-mail facility.
• Some systems which allow users to compose postcards on a server are known. Examples are shown at http : //www . yahoo . com/Entertainment/Humor_Jokes_and_Fun/Greeting_Cards_on_www/ . Such systems are not true e-mail systems, because there is no personal multimedia content. The users are constrained to use canned multimedia content from the web site.
• Fig. 1 shows a network in which the invention can operate.
• Fig. 2 shows a user system.
• Fig. 3a shows a flow chart of the operation of the invention from the point of view of the server.
• Figs. 3b is a flowchart of the plug-in DLL and further expands box 307 of fig. 3a from the point of view of the user system or browser.
• Fig. 3c is a flowchart of the asset capture DLL.
• Fig. 4 shows more aspects of the user system.
• Figs. 5a-f show screen appearances of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a system which includes a network 101, such as the internet, a server 102, one user's system 103, and another user's system 104.
• a network 101 such as the internet
• server 102 the one user is going to be the sender of the multimedia e-mail message
• the other user is going to be the receiver of the multimedia e-mail message.
• Fig. 2 shows more detail of the one user's system 103.
• the system includes a network interface unit 201.
• a network interface unit can be any standard unit, such as a telephone modem, a cable modem, or an ethernet card.
• the system also includes a display device 202, which can be a TV monitor, computer monitor, LCD screen or other display.
• the composition unit can be any processor such as a PC or set top box.
• There is a user input device 204 such as a wired keyboard, a wireless keyboard, a touch sensitive component of the display, a telephone keypad, a TV remote control, or a voice recognition unit.
• Content for a multimedia e-mail message is to be acquired from content sources, such as a VCR 205, a video camera 206, a microphone or other audio equipment 207, a PC hard drive or CD-ROM 208, or a scanner 209.
• Fig. 3a shows a detailed flow chart of the operation of the system according to the invention from the point of view of the server.
• the user who wishes to create a multimedia e-mail, visits the web site.
• the user logs in or registers and is assigned a session i.d. and, if a new user, a user i.d.
• the user is shown an HTML page with command options.
• Fig. 5a shows the page of the preferred embodiment.
• Fig. 5b shows an asset selection page of the preferred embodiment. The selection is achieved by the user by clicking on a button on the user screen. This screen includes 4 buttons for text 501, audio 502, still photos 503, or video 504, respectively.
• plug-ins are standard extensions to web browsers.
• plug-ins are used to capture individual types of assets.
• the code is particular to the type of device which captures the asset.
• the plug-in to scan and digitize a photograph will use the industry standard TWAIN scanner library and specifications to interact with any TWAIN compliant scanning device.
• the plug-in for capturing audio and video will use standard Microsoft libraries, like MFC and /or Video for Window, on a PC.
• the plug-ins are preferably implemented as DLL's (Dynamic Link Libraries) according to the plug-in specification published by Netscape.
• FIG. 3b & c show two portions of the operation of box 307 from the point of view of the browser. The portion of Fig. 3b is the portion used by the browser to receive assets and send the captured assets to the server. Fig.
• Fig. 3b is known as the plug- in DLL.
• the software of Fig. 3b also creates interface screens for the user.
• the portion of Fig. 3c shows the software which interacts with the driver software and acquisition hardware, e.g. the video capture board, to capture the asset and save it on the local disk.
• the module of Fig. 3c is also called the asset capmre DLL.
• the functions of Fig. 3b and 3c could be combined by one of ordinary skill in the art to create a monolithic piece of software which performs both functions.
• Fig. 3b starts at 320 with the reception of parameters from the browser: session i.d.; user i.d.; window size; colors; etc.
• the plug-in DLL used in Fig.
• the software waits for user commands or messages from the asset capture DLL.
• the software determines whether it is time to start capmre. If so, at 326, the asset capture DLL is requested to capmre the asset and control is returned to 323.
• Fig. 3c shows operation of the asset capmre DLL.
• the asset capmre DLL is initialized.
• the asset capmre DLL waits from a request from the plug-in DLL, an error, or a timeout.
• it is tested whether there is a capmre request from the plug-in DLL. If so, a max timeout time is set at 352.
• the capmre device is requested to start capture at 351, and control returns to 341.
• plug-in is downloaded from the web server. Once the system has a plug-in, the plug-in needs to be loaded and run at 307. Capmred assets are then received from the user computer at 309 and the assets are added to the multimedia message at 310. The assets are transferred to the web server using standard 'Multipart forms' format.
• Read parameters passed by browser e.g. user i.d., session i.d., asset type
• Fig. 5c shows a screen as seen by the user when running the photo scanning plug-in in the preferred embodiment.
• Fig. 5d shows a screen as seen by the user when running the video recording plug-in.
• Fig. 5e shows a screen as seen by the user when running the audio recording plug-in.
• Fig. 5f shows a part of a finished letter as displayed in the preferred embodiment.
• the recipient When the recipient is notified of the message, the recipient needs to be given some identification of the message.
• the session i.d. and user i.d. are used to identify the message for the recipient. This serves as a kind of security, since only the recipient will know these i.d. 's. If additional security is desired, password access can be established for the messages or the messages can be scrambled.
• Fig. 4 shows more detail of the configuration of the software modules on the user system.
• the web server 102 is the same as in Fig. 2.
• the Figure also shows the web browser 401, the plug-in 402, and the asset capmre device 403.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Data Mining & Analysis (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Operations Research (AREA)
• Quality & Reliability (AREA)
• Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 1998
  • 1998-04-20 JP JP10529427A patent/JP2000512788A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1998-04-20 EP EP98912660A patent/EP0909420A3/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-04-20 WO PCT/IB1998/000594 patent/WO1998049631A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation

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