System and method for sending electronic messages based on time zone information
AssigneeOblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
InventorsRobert Pous, Thomas Fisher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method and system for sending an electronic message from a sender to an intended recipient based on a time zone of the intended recipient. The time zone of the intended recipient is determined based on, for example, an Internet e-mail domain name. Based on the time zone information of the intended recipient one or more rules, the message is scheduled to be sent at an appropriate time.
Claims6
A method for sending an electronic Internet e-mail message from a sender to an intended recipient based on a time zone of the intended recipient, comprising the steps of:
- determining the time zone of the intended recipient based on a geographically based domain name of an Internet e-mail address of the intended recipient;
- determining, by a message scheduling mechanism, a scheduled send time based on a predetermined rule related to the time zone of the intended recipient;
- determining a local time of the sender;
- comparing the local time of the sender with the scheduled send time;
- delaying until the local time is equal to the scheduled send time;
- and
- transferring the electronic message to the intended recipient at the scheduled send time.
A system for sending an electronic Internet e-mail message from a sender to an intended recipient based on a time zone of the intended recipient, comprising:
- means for determining the time zone of the intended recipient based on a geographically based domain name of an Internet e-mail address of the intended recipient;
- means for determining, by a message scheduling mechanism, a scheduled send time based on a predetermined rule related to the time zone of the intended recipient;
- means for determining a local time of the sender;
- means for comparing the local time of the sender with the scheduled send time;
- means for delaying until the local time is equal to the scheduled send time;
- and
- means for transferring the electronic message to the intended recipient at the scheduled send time.
A system for sending an electronic Internet e-mail message from a sender to an intended recipient based on a time zone of the intended recipient, comprising:
- a processor;
- a computer readable storage medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement:
- a time zone determination mechanism configured to determine the time zone of the intended recipient based on a geographically based domain name of an Internet e-mail address of the intended recipient;
- a message scheduling mechanism configured to determine a scheduled send time based on a predetermined rule related to the time zone of the intended recipient;
- a clock mechanism configured to determine a local time of the sender;
- and
- a message transfer mechanism configured to transfer the electronic message to the intended recipient at the scheduled send time.
A method for sending an electronic Internet e-mail message from a sender to an intended recipient based on a time zone of the intended recipient, comprising the steps of:
- determining the time zone of the intended recipient based on a geographically based domain name of an Internet e-mail address of the intended recipient;
- determining, by a message scheduling mechanism, a scheduled send time based on a predetermined rule related to the time zone of the intended recipient;
- determining a local time of the sender;
- comparing the local time of the sender with the scheduled time;
- delaying for a time period related to a difference between the local time of the sender and the local time at the time zone of the intended recipient;
- and
- transferring the electronic message to the intended recipient at the scheduled send time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.