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

Abstract

A method of progressively and simultaneously transmitting time-base media over a network to a recipient. The method involves addressing an email message to the recipient using an email address associated with the recipient. Once the email is addressed to the recipient, the method involves progressively and simultaneously transmitting to the recipient time-based media associated with the email message as the time-based media is being created along a delivery route discovered using the email address associated with the recipient. At the receiving end, the recipient may simultaneously render the time-based media of the email message as the time-based media of the message is delivered by removing any restrictions used by access protocols that require the media of the message be received in full before the media can be accessed by the recipient.

1 . A method of progressively and simultaneously transmitting time-base media over a network to a recipient, comprising:
 addressing an email message to the recipient using an email address associated with the recipient; and   progressively and simultaneously transmitting to the recipient time-based media associated with the email message as the time-based media is being created along a delivery route discovered using the email address associated with the recipient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing an email protocol session with an email server located on the network as soon as the email message is addressed using the email address associated with the recipient; and   progressively and simultaneously transmitting time-based media associated with the email message as the time-based media is created once the email protocol session with the email server is established.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising establishing the email protocol session with the email server before the creation of the time-based media of the email message is complete. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 progressively and simultaneously storing the time-based media associated with the email message as the time-based media is being created; and   progressively transmitting the time-based media from storage if the email protocol session is established after some or all of the time-based media of the email message is created.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising establishing the email protocol session using one of the following:
 (a) SMTP;   (b) Microsoft Exchange; or   (c) any proprietary email service.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 progressively and simultaneously delivering the time-based media of the email message to a communication device associated with the recipient; and   enabling the recipient to progressively and simultaneously render the time-based media of the email message at the communication device of the recipient as the time-based media is progressively delivered.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein enabling the recipient to progressively and simultaneously render the time-based media of the email message at the communication device of the recipient as the time-based media is progressively delivered further comprises:
 providing the recipient with an access protocol to access the time-based media of the email message at an email server on the network associated with the recipient, the access protocol modified to remove a restriction requiring the full size of the email message be known before the recipient may access the time-based media; and   enabling the recipient to access the time-based media as the time-based media is progressively delivered.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 delivering the time-based media of the email message at a communication device associated with the recipient;   enabling the storage of the time-based media of the email message at the communication device; and   providing the recipient with the option to review the time-based media of the email message at an arbitrary later time by retrieving the time-based media from storage.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein providing the recipient with the option to review the time-based media of the email message at an arbitrary later time comprises one of the following:
 (i) enabling the recipient to access the stored time-based media of the email message through a first email client running a phone or computer associated with the recipient;   (ii) enabling the recipient to access the stored time-based media of the email message through a second email client running on an email server on the network and accessible by the recipient; or   (iii) both (i) and (ii).   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein progressively and simultaneously transmitting time-based media associated with the email message along the delivery route further comprises progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time based media between one or more hops on the network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising for each of the one or more hops:
 (i) using a DNS lookup result of the email address of the recipient to define the route to the next hop on the network;   (ii) progressively and simultaneously transmitting the time-based media of the email to the next hop; and   (ii) repeating (i) and (ii) until the time-based media is simultaneously and progressively delivered to an email server on the network associated with the recipient.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating a start time/date with the email message. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising associating an end time/date with the email message. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising implementing an end function to explicitly define the end date/time of the email message. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising defining the end date/time of the email message by default a predetermined period of time after the creation of the time-based media associated with the email has ceased. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating the email message using an email client running on a communication device associated with a sender of the email message. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating the email message on an email client accessible by a sender of the email message. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising saving the email message in an outbox associated with the sender. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising saving the email message in an inbox associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         20 . 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 email message; and   serving the time-based media of the email message when the web page is accessed by the recipient.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving over the network a reply message generated by the recipient using a communication device associated with the recipient; and   transmitting the reply message to a sending user of the email message over the network.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , 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 in response to the recipient creating time-based media in reply to the email message sent to the recipient.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time-based media associated with the email message is created and the email 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.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the email 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 associated with the recipient into a communication device associated with a sender of the email message; or   (iii) implementing a reply function in response to a previous message sent by the recipient.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the email message is addressed to the recipient by:
 creating an email message header for the email message with at least one field designated for defining the recipient; and   inserting the email address associated with the recipient into the at least one field designated for defining the recipient.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising creating the email message header and inserting the email address of the recipient on a communication device associated with the sending user. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising creating the message header and inserting the email address on an email server associated with the sending user and located on the network. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the email address associated with the recipient is a globally addressable email address. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery route is to an inbox associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the delivery route includes one or more hops on the network. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising, for each of the one or more hops on the delivery route, the following:
 (i) using a DNS lookup result 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 email message is delivered to a server on the network associated with the recipient.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , 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.