Claims
- 1. A method of communication, comprising:
receiving a communication including a file for transmission to a remote recipient; replacing the file with a representation of the file including controls for manipulating the file; retaining control of the file; and transmitting the communication to the recipient.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising after transmitting the communication:
manipulating the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein manipulating the file comprises:
any one or more of transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, reducing the file, and converting the file.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein retaining control of the file comprises:
retaining the file.
- 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to replacing the file:
creating the representation of the file.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein creating the representation of the file comprises:
selecting the controls in accordance with the type of the file.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the file is an image file and creating the representation comprises:
creating a thumbnail view of the image.
- 13. A method of communicating, comprising:
creating a communication; selecting a file; inserting a representation of the file in the communication, the representation including controls for manipulating the file; and transmitting the communication to a recipient.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising after transmitting the communication:
manipulating the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein manipulating the file comprises:
any one or more of transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, reducing the file, and converting the file.
- 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the controls are selected in accordance with the type of the file.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 22. A communication system, comprising:
a file library for selecting a file; a composer for creating a communication and inserting a representation of the file in the communication, the representation including controls for manipulating the file; and a communicator for transmitting the communication to a recipient.
- 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the file library comprises:
an file library for selecting a file from the group of files comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:
a file controller for manipulating the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller comprises:
a file controller for performing any one or more of transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, reducing the file, and converting the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 27. The system of claim 22, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 28. A communication system, comprising:
a server for receiving a communication including a file for transmission to a remote recipient; and a file controller for modifying the communication by replacing the file with a representation of the file including controls for manipulating the file, the controller further for storing the file, the server further for transmitting the modified communication to the recipient.
- 29. The system of claim 28, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 31. The system of claim 28, wherein the file controller further comprises:
a file controller for manipulating the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 32. The system of claim 31, wherein the file controller comprises:
a file controller for performing any one or more of transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, reducing the file, and converting the file in response to the recipient manipulating the file controls.
- 33. The system of claim 28, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
- 34. The system of claim 28, wherein the file controller comprises:
a file controller for creating the representation of the file.
- 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the controls are selected in accordance with the type of the file.
- 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the file is selected from the group comprising text files, image files, audio files, video files, and executable program files.
- 37. The system of claim 36, wherein the controls are selected from the group including transferring the file to the recipient, transferring a selected portion of the file to the recipient, converting the file, displaying the file, playing the file, executing the file, and opening the file.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of a copending United States patent application titled “Meta Content Distribution Network” filed on Mar. 26, 2002, serial no. not available, which claims the priority of provisional application serial no. 60/281,198 filed Apr. 3, 2001, serial no. 60/281,077 filed Apr. 3, 2001, and serial no. 60/281,078 filed Apr. 3, 2001 and which is also a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/439,482 filed Nov. 12, 1999, which claims the priority of provisional application serial no. 60/108,444 filed Nov. 13, 1998, serial no. 60/108,442 filed Nov. 13, 1998, and serial no. 60/108,229 filed Nov. 13, 1998, and which is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/422,215 filed Oct. 19, 1999, which claims the priority of provisional application serial no. 60/104,839 filed Oct. 19, 1998. This application further claims the priority of provisional application serial no. 60/352,948 filed Jan. 29, 2002.
Provisional Applications (5)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60108444 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
|
60108442 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
|
60108229 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
|
60104839 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
|
60352948 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09439482 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Child |
10139901 |
May 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09422215 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09439482 |
Nov 1999 |
US |