Facility for distributing and providing access to electronic mail message attachments
US6839741B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jan 4, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99939
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A facility stores attachments for electronic mail messages so that the messages may be transmitted to the intended recipients without the attachments. The recipients may then review and/or download the attachments by contacting the facility. This facility is especially useful in instances wherein the attachments are large. The facility eliminates the need to store multiple copies of the attachment throughout a system; thus consuming a great deal of memory space. In addition, the facility prevents the recipient from extensive delays that are often associated with downloading email messages that contain large attachments via a dial-up connection with a low transmission rate. The facility may be realized as a server and may be a web server so as to provide access to the attachments via an IP network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.