System and method for opportunistic image sharing
US8606854B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 8, 2008 |
| Grant date | Dec 10, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 2, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L51/23
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for requesting data from another includes means for automatically appending a request for certain information to an outgoing message. In one embodiment, an e-mail editor provides the sender-user with an option for causing the email to include a request for missing or desired contact information, such as a picture. The appended request may be in the form of an added e-mail header, e.g. “I need your picture.” On the receiving side of the email, the incoming messages may be parsed for such requests. Any requests that are found in incoming email may be remembered by the receiving system using a dedicated data structure or some indications (e.g. flags) in an existing data structure. When email is composed on the receiving system, the “remembered” request information may be used to facilitate responses to pending requests. In this manner, email correspondents may opportunistically use their email traffic to maintain updated information regarding each other.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.