Methods for using the addressing, protocols and the infrastructure of email to support near real-time communication

Abstract

A method for transmitting time-based media across a network. The method involves receiving a message including time-based media intended for a recipient using a globally addressable email address associated with the recipient. Once the email address is defined, the method involves initiating a first DNS lookup of the globally addressable email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol. If the first lookup result is positive, the time-based media of the message is progressively and simultaneously transmitted to the recipient as the time-based media is being created using the ascertained delivery route and the near real-time communication protocol. If the first DNS lookup is negative, then a second DNS lookup is performed to determine if the email address receives an email service. If so, then the time-based media of the message is sent to the recipient in a file attached to an email. If both the first and second DNS lookups are negative, an error message indicating that the time-based media of the message is undeliverable is generated.

1 . A method for transmitting time-based media across a network, comprising:
 receiving from a sending user a message including time-based media intended for a recipient, the message addressed to the recipient using an email address identifying the recipient within a domain;   initiating a first DNS lookup of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the domain of the recipient provides a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a first delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the domain of the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol; and either:   if the first lookup result is positive, progressively transmitting over the network the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is being created using the first delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol; or   if the first DNS lookup result is negative, initiating a second DNS lookup of the email address associated with the recipient to determine if the domain of the recipient provides an email service for the email address and ascertaining an email delivery route to deliver an email to the recipient; and   if the second DNS lookup result is positive, further:   encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into a file;   attaching the file to an email after the time-based media associated with the message is complete; and   transmitting the email with the attachment to the recipient using the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating an error message indicating that the time based media of the message is undeliverable if the results of the first DNS lookup and the second DNS lookup are both negative. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time-based media included with the message is created and the email address associated with the recipient is defined on a communication device associated with the sending user of the message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing the first DNS lookup and progressively transmitting the time-based media to the recipient as the time-based media is created using a first communication device associated with the sending user of the message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising performing on the first communication device the second DNS lookup, the encapsulation of the time-based media into the file, the attachment of the file to the email and the emailing of the email. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the email address associated with the recipient and the message including the time-based media at a server associated with the sender and located on a network;   initiating the first DNS lookup at the server associated with the sender; and   if the results of the first DNS lookup are positive, progressively transmitting over the network along the first delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is received at the server.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein if the results of the first DNS lookup are negative:
 encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into the file at the server;   attaching the file to the email at the server, and   transmitting the email with the attachment from the server along the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating the message intended for the recipient on a first communication device associated with the sending user;   ascertaining if the first communication device is not connected to the network when the message is being created, wherein not connected is defined as the inability to transmit the time-based media associated with the message from the first communication device over the network;   progressively storing on the first communication device the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is being created; and   progressively transmitting the time-based media associated with the message from storage and over the network along the first delivery route and using the near real-time communication protocol after the first communication device connects to the network and the first DNS lookup result is positive, wherein connected to the network is defined as the ability transmit the time-based media associated with the message from the first communication device over the network.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating the message intended for the recipient on a first communication device associated with the sending user;   ascertaining if the first communication device is not connected to the network when the message is being created, wherein not connected is defined as the inability to transmit the time-based media associated with the message from the first communication device over the network;   progressively storing on the first communication device the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is being created; and   emailing the time-based media of the message in an email attachment when the first communication device reconnects to the network, wherein connected to the network is defined as the ability transmit the email over the network.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling the progressive and simultaneous rendering of the time-based media of the message on a communication device associated with the recipient as the time-based media is being progressively transmitted and delivered to the recipient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the time-based media included with the message in an out-box associated with the sending user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the near real-time communication protocol comprises one of the following: VoIP, SIP, RTP, Skype, progressive emails, any communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media in near real-time, or any combination thereof 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the near real-time communication protocol is a communication protocol that allows the communication of time-based media, but does not require the recipient to review the time-based media in a near real-time mode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 emailing a URL link to the recipient, the URL link defining a web page to access the time-based media of the message; and   serving the time-based media of the message when the web page is accessed by the recipient.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving on the network a reply message generated by the recipient using a communication device associated with the recipient; and   transmitting the reply message to the sending user over the network.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the reply message is generated using one of the following:
 (i) enabling the recipient to generate the reply message by entering an explicit reply command into the communication device used by the recipient; or   (ii) generating the reply message addressed to the sending user in response to the recipient creating time-based media in response to the message sent to the recipient, the email address of the sending user being extracted from the message received by the recipient.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time-based media included with the message is created and the message is addressed to the recipient by:
 defining the email address of the recipient using the communication device associated with the sending user;   implementing a “start” message function on the communication device associated with the sending user; and   creating the time-based media of the message on the communication device after implementing the start function.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message is addressed to the recipient by one of the following:
 (i) selecting the recipient from a list of contacts, the email address associated with the recipient being retrieved from a storage location in response to the selection;   (ii) manually entering the email address into a communication device associated with a sender of the message; or   (iii) implementing a reply function in response to a previous message sent by the recipient.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the message is addressed to the recipient by:
 creating a message header with at least one field designated for defining a recipient; and   inserting the email address associated with the recipient into the at least one field designated for defining the recipient.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising creating the message header and inserting the email address of the recipient on a communication device associated with the sending user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising creating the message header and inserting the email address on a server associated with the sending user and located on the network. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the email address of the recipient is a globally addressable email address. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first delivery route is to an inbox associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first delivery route includes one or more hops on the network. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising, for each of the one or more hops, the following:
 (i) performing the first DNS lookup of the email address associated with the recipient to ascertain the next hop; and   (ii) repeating (i) for each next hop until the time-based media of the message is delivered to the recipient.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein each of the one or more hops comprises one of the following:
 (i) a server to server hop;   (ii) a client to server hop; or   (iii) server to client hop.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the time-based media of the message at a server located on the network and associated with the recipient; and   forwarding the time-based media of the message from the server to a communication device associated with the recipient.   
     
     
         28 . A method for transmitting time-based media across a network, comprising:
 receiving a message including time-based media intended for a recipient, the message addressed to the recipient using a globally addressable email address associated with the recipient;   initiating a first DNS lookup of the globally addressable email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver over the network the time-based media of the message to the recipient using the near real-time communication protocol; and   if the first lookup result is positive, progressively and simultaneously transmitting over the network the time-based media of the message as the time-based media is being created using the delivery route ascertained by the first DNS lookup and using the near real-time communication protocol.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 ascertaining if the first DNS lookup result is negative;   initiating a second DNS lookup of the globally addressable email address associated with the recipient to determine if the recipient receives an email service using the globally addressable email address and ascertaining an email delivery route to deliver an email to the recipient; and   if the second DNS lookup result is positive, further:   encapsulating the time-based media associated with the message into a file; and   attaching the file to an email after the time-based media associated with the message is complete; and   transmitting the email with the attachment to the recipient using the email delivery route defined by the second lookup.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising generating an error message indicating that the time based media of the message is undeliverable if the results of the first DNS lookup and the second DNS lookup are both negative.