Abstract: To allow a video clip to be rendered within an e-mail, the video stream is converted into an animated image object (e.g. a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) object) and stored on a server system. An HTML image element/tag (<img . . . >) is created that references the animated image object at the server, for embedding in a conventional HTML-encoded e-mail message. When the receiving e-mail application processes the HTML encoding, the processing of the HTML image element causes the referenced animated image object to be downloaded and displayed, thereby automatically presenting a recreation of the video stream. To facilitate efficient transmission to the receiving device, the size of the animated image object is preferably optimized before transmission, the optimization including general optimization techniques, as well as optimizations based on the particular characteristics associated with the receiving device and/or the communications link to the receiving device.

Abstract: To allow a video clip to be rendered within an e-mail, the video stream is converted into an animated image object (e.g. a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) object) and stored on a server system. An HTML image element/tag (<img . . . >) is created that references the animated image object at the server, for embedding in a conventional HTML-encoded e-mail message. When the receiving e-mail application processes the HTML encoding, the processing of the HTML image element causes the referenced animated image object to be downloaded and displayed, thereby automatically presenting a recreation of the video stream. To facilitate efficient transmission to the receiving device, the size of the animated image object is preferably optimized before transmission, the optimization including general optimization techniques, as well as optimizations based on the particular characteristics associated with the receiving device and/or the communications link to the receiving device.

Abstract: To enable a user to rapidly scan to a desired frame of a video, multiple recordings of the video are provided, each at progressively better resolution. When the user is scanning for a frame, the lowest resolution recording is used to provide the display; when the user arrives at a desired frame, the higher resolution recordings are used. A subsequent user selection of a different frame causes the display of the higher resolution images to be interrupted, and the lowest resolution recording is used to provide an image corresponding to the different frame. The lesser resolution recordings may include a reduction in either spatial or temporal resolution, or both, and may include ‘motion blur’ that provides a visually ‘smoother’ continuous scan. Each higher resolution frame replaces the lower resolution frame that is displayed while waiting for the higher resolution frame to be downloaded.

Abstract: To allow a video clip to be rendered within an e-mail, the video stream is converted into an animated image object (e.g. a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) object) and stored on a server system. An HTML image element/tag (<img . . . >) is created that references the animated image object at the server, for embedding in a conventional HTML-encoded e-mail message. When the receiving e-mail application processes the HTML encoding, the processing of the HTML image element causes the referenced animated image object to be downloaded and displayed, thereby automatically presenting a recreation of the video stream. To facilitate efficient transmission to the receiving device, the size of the animated image object is preferably optimized before transmission, the optimization including general optimization techniques, as well as optimizations based on the particular characteristics associated with the receiving device and/or the communications link to the receiving device.

Abstract: Remote segmentation applied to a segmentation data mart allows a marketer to create a personalized email campaign for a selected segment of customers. Segmentation data is collected from a plurality of third party sources, imported and cleansed. The marketer may query a data mart with a user-defined rule created with parameters selected from fields available in the data mart. The marketer submits the query and is presented with a count with which the marketer may determine if the segment will be cost effective for the marketing campaign. If the count is acceptable, the query is saved. Later, when the marketer creates the email message for a particular campaign, s/he assigns the segment to the campaign. When the campaign is released, the query extracts email addresses currently meeting the criteria of the query and uses the addresses for distributing the email.