Methods for paid placement of promotional e-mail messages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10897448-B2
Application number	US-201916723272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A method includes accessing, by a server computer, a plurality of electronic mail messages. The method also includes identifying, by the server computer, at least one of the electronic mail messages as a promoted electronic mail message. The method further includes outputting, for display at a client computing device, an electronic mail interface wherein the promoted electronic mail message is represented in a first position of a display order and a remainder of the electronic mail messages are represented subsequent to the promoted electronic mail message in the display order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing dynamic interfaces to display prioritized electronic communications differently from other electronic communications, the method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system, via a communications network, a request from a client device to access an account of electronic messages associated with the client device, the computer system including one or more computer servers communicatively coupled to the client device via the communications network;
accessing, by the computer system, a plurality of electronic messages associated with the account of electronic messages;
identifying, by the computer system, from the plurality of electronic messages associated with the account of electronic messages, a first electronic message that belongs to a predefined category of electronic messages, the predefined category of electronic messages including electronic messages eligible for prioritization by the computer system, each electronic message of the predefined category generated for distribution to a plurality of accounts of electronic messages selected in accordance with a predefined selection policy; and
providing, by the computer system, a user interface including the plurality of electronic messages, the user interface causing the first electronic message to be displayed according to a first set of display parameters defined by the computing system, the first set of display parameters including i) displaying a visual indicator indicating that the first electronic message belongs to the predefined category of messages ii) representing the first electronic message in a first position of a display order and representing other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages subsequent to the first electronic message in the display order, iii) representing the first electronic message in a visual format different from the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages, or iv) representing the first electronic message in a dedicated area of the user interface different than a message index area within which the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages are displayed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein representing the first electronic message in a first position of a display order and representing other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages subsequent to the first electronic message in the display order includes subjecting the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages to a display order rule whereas the first electronic message is not subject to the display order rule.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the display order rule is a chronological rule.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a list view with the first electronic message represented by a prioritized list item and the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages represented by standard list items.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the prioritized list item appears vertically above the standard list items.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user interface utilizes a first graphical style for the prioritized list item and a second graphical style for the standard list items.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account of electronic messages is an electronic mail or message account and the plurality of electronic messages include electronic mail messages or electronic messages.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying that the first electronic message belongs to the predefined category of electronic messages based on information identifying the content provider of the first electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying that the first electronic message belongs to the predefined category of electronic messages based on information in the first electronic message indicative of the predefined category of electronic messages.

10. An electronic system for providing dynamic interfaces to display prioritized communications differently from other communications, the electronic system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer code instructions stored thereon, the computer code instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
receive, via a communications network, a request from a client device to access an account of electronic messages associated with the client device;
access a plurality of electronic messages associated with the account of electronic messages;
identify, from the plurality of electronic messages associated with the account of electronic messages, a first electronic message that belongs to a predefined category of electronic messages, the predefined category of electronic messages including electronic messages eligible for prioritization by the computer system, each electronic message of the predefined category generated for distribution to a plurality of accounts of electronic messages selected in accordance with a predefined selection policy; and
provide a user interface including the plurality of electronic messages, the user interface causing the first electronic message to be displayed according to a first set of display parameters defined by the computing system, the first set of display parameters including i) displaying a visual indicator indicating that the first electronic message belongs to the predefined category of messages ii) representing the first electronic message in a first position of a display order and representing other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages subsequent to the first electronic message in the display order, iii) representing the first electronic message in a visual format different from the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages, or iv) representing the first electronic message in a dedicated area of the user interface different than a message index area within which the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages are displayed.

11. The electronic system of claim 10 , wherein representing the first electronic message in a first position of a display order and representing other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages subsequent to the first electronic message in the display order includes subjecting the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages to a display order rule whereas the first electronic message is not subject to the display order rule.

12. The electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the display order rule is a chronological rule.

13. The electronic system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface includes a list view with the first electronic message represented by a prioritized list item and the other electronic messages of the plurality of electronic messages represented by standard list items.

14. The electronic system of claim 13 , wherein the prioritized list item appears vertically above the standard list items.

15. The electronic system of claim 13 , wherein the user interface utilizes a first graphical style for the prioritized list item and a second graphical style for the standard list items.

16. The electronic system of claim 10 , wherein the account of electronic messages is an electronic mail or message account and the plurality of electronic messages include electronic mail messages or electronic messages.

17. The electronic system of claim 10 , wherein the computer code instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to identify that the f

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Rothman Aaron Nathaniel
• Jindal Deepak
• Gawley Thompson Alexander Ivor
• Oestlien Christian
• Kapadia Stacey

Classifications

• H04L51/226 Primary

  Delivery according to priorities · CPC title

• H04L51/224

  providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages · CPC title

• H04L51/24

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/26 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic