Electronic mail system for displaying advertisement at local computer ...

United States Patent [w]

Shaw et al.

[54] ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM FOR

DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENT AT LOCAL
COMPUTER RECEIVED FROM REMOTE
SYSTEM WHILE THE LOCAL COMPUTER
IS OFF-LINE THE REMOTE SYSTEM

[75] Inventors: David E. Shaw; Charles E. Ardai;

Brian D. Marsh, all of New York;
Mark A. Moraes, Forest Hills; Dana
B. Rudolph, West Hempstead; Jon D.
Mc Auliffe, New York, all of N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Juno Online Services, L.P., New York, N.Y.

[21] Appl. No.: 636,739

[22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1996

[51] Int. CI. G06F 13/00

[52] U.S. CI 395/200.47

[58] Field of Search 395/200.01, 200.02,

395/200.03, 200.05, 200.09, 200.12, 200.16, 609, 610, 615, 200.33, 200.47, 200.48, 200.49, 200.32, 200.36; 348/10, 12, 13;

379/96, 201, 142, 216

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US005809242A [ii] Patent Number: 5,809,242 [45] Date of Patent: Sep. 15, 1998

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9624213 8/1996 WIPO .

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Primary Examiner—Moustafa M. Meky
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Kenyon & Kenyon

[57] ABSTRACT

A system for providing scheduled messages to a remote user in a batch oriented system. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user creates and/or reads electronic mail locally. While the user creates the electronic mail, a message is displayed to the user on a portion of the local monitor, the message preferably changing in accordance with a local display schedule and stored on a local storage device. The message is preferably targeted to the particular user. When the user is ready to transmit the e-mail created and/or receive e-mail addressed to him, the user's local client establishes a connection via a modem with a remote e-mail server system. The remote e-mail server system not only receives the e-mail transmitted by the user and/or transmits e-mail addressed to the user, but also updates the user's local messages in accordance with a distribution schedule. After the e-mail and message updates are transmitted, the user's local client computer is disconnected from the remote e-mail server system.

52 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets

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