Patent ID: 7386520
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for dynamically allocating a cost to an e-mail, the method comprising steps of: forwarding by a first user, who is a member of an email group, said e-mail to a market engine for allocating a cost to said e-mail; determining by said market engine the cost of said e-mail based upon intrinsic and extrinsic criteria, wherein the intrinsic and extrinsic criteria are defined by taking into consideration four parameters: positions of said first user and second users in a hierarchy of the email group; size of said email; subject of said email; subject of said email and device type for mail delivery; and wherein said extrinsic criteria is used for adjusting said intrinsic criteria for each parameter; submitting the cost of said e-mail to said first user for agreement by said first user; forwarding by said market engine said e-mail to the second user in response to said agreement by the first user, wherein said second user is a member of the email group; updating a credit account associated with said first user; running said market engine as a central market engine including a user credit database which contains the credit accounts of all users and which is accessed by said central market engine when said market engine has to determine the cost of said e-mail; and maintaining the credit account of each user in a credit database at a client device associated with said user, wherein said step of maintaining said credit account included in the credit database of said central market engine and the credit database at the client device associated with each user further includes the step of providing for said user a number of credit points at some specific periods.