# US 2018/0024969 A1 · System and method for interactive email > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024969 A1 - Document ID: US20180024969A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/654,551 - Filed: 2017-07-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-24 - Inventors: Justin Khoo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024969A1 ## CPC - G06F 40/106: Display of layout of documents; Previewing - G06F 16/338: Presentation of query results - G06F 40/169: Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes - G06F 40/174: Form filling; Merging - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - H04L 51/063: Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content - H04L 51/18: Commands or executable codes - H04W 84/005: {Moving wireless networks} - G06F 16/9566: {URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system and method are disclosed for providing an enhanced email client having interactive content capabilities. The system includes a recipient email server for receiving emails from a sender email server and for receiving dynamic interactive content from a third party content service provider when it is determined that the email includes capabilities for displaying interactive content. The method includes steps of sanitizing a received email at a user's computing system, checking the sanitized email to determine if it contains interactive content, and retrieving the interactive content in the sanitized email without requiring the user to click out to a separate window or browser instance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for securely displaying interactive content in electronic mail (email), the method comprising the steps of: in an email client executing on a computing device including at least one processor: processing an email message received from a sending email server; determining if the received email message is an interactive email message containing interactive content, wherein said interactive content comprises one or more annotated elements and one or more interactive container elements; in the case where it is determined that the received email message is an interactive email message: displaying said one or more annotated links in response to a first interaction event between a user and a first selected annotated element from among the one or more annotated elements, said at least one processor executes instructions to: (a) retrieve interactive content from a content source; (b) place said retrieved interactive content within at least one of the one or more interactive container elements in said email; and (c) display the interactive content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said annotated element is an annotated link. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said annotated element is an annotated form. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said content sources is a hidden element within said email content. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said content source is a remote content source stored on a remote server coupled to said computing device over a network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sanitizing the retrieved interactive content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, where said sanitizing comprises removing web browser natively executable scripts including JavaScript from said email content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising validating and enabling the sanitized interactive content. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more annotated elements further contain at least one attribute referencing at least one of said one or more interactive container elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more annotated elements contain at least one URL referencing said remote content source. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieved interactive content is initially hidden from display and is thereafter made visible by said email client when said interactive content is successfully validated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of retrieving said interactive content from said remote content source further comprises: transmitting from said computing device one or more named variables to said remote content source, and receiving at said computing device instructions to modify values of named variables that processed and executed by the email client in said email. ### Claim 13 A system for securely displaying interactive content in electronic mail (email), the system comprising: in a network: a sending email server including an email sending application, a recipient email server an email receiving application capable of receiving electronic mail and/or instant messages, at least one recipient communication device including an email client application capable of receiving electronic mail and/or instant messages, a sender web server configured to process requests for content from said recipient email server and said at least one recipient communication device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one recipient communication device is one of a: a wireless personal digital assistant, a Web-enabled wireless telephone, a pager, cellular phone, modem equipped PDA. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the sender web server hosts a sender remote content service configured to accept requests transmitted from said email client application and return content to be populated in said interactive email. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the email server receiving application is a Message Transfer Agent (MTA). ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the email client application is a Message User Agent (MUA).