System and method for structured news release generation and distribution

• US 20020161770A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kolomoki Mounds LLC
• Original Assignee: Kolomoki Mounds LLC
• Inventors: Shapiro, Eileen C., Mintz, Steven J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of providing a news release to a user is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: providing access to the user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium; and structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including a headline, a summary, key points, and a network address.

Claims

1. A method of providing a news release to a user, the method comprising:

providing access to the user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium; and

structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising permitting selection and retrieval of the data provided to the user, according to user-specified search criteria, so that the user may select among a plurality of news release experiences.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the news release experiences include exposure to promotional information.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the experience of a news release includes providing content that has been selected, for at least one of the plurality of sections of the news release, from among a plurality of different possible choices of content for the at least one section of the news release, the selection based upon characteristics of a target audience of the news release.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the news release experience includes exposure to an advertisement relating to an information category identified based upon the user'"'"'s previous response, over the network, to at least one other advertisement.

6. A method of facilitating a transaction conducted, at least in part, electronically over a network, wherein the transaction takes place in a plurality of stages among a plurality of parties, at least one of the parties being a user, the method comprising:

providing to at least one party, in at least one stage of the transaction, an experience of a news release in accordance with the method of claim 1, the news release selected based upon the subject matter of the transaction.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the parties is a merchant.

8. A method of providing promotional information to a user over a network, the method comprising:

providing to the user over the network an experience of a news release in accordance with the method of claim 1,

the news release experience including exposure to promotional information and provided to the user only upon a determination that a selected marketing tier for the promotional information is of equal or higher hierarchical marketing tier level than a predetermined level,

the marketing tier for the promotional information selected from among a plurality of marketing tiers each characterized by a different hierarchical level of customization to user preferences.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the promotional information includes a promotional e-mail.

10. A method of conducting market research, the method comprising:

forming a profile of a user'"'"'s product preferences based upon the user'"'"'s choices of products from among a plurality of product options provided to the user as news release experiences in accordance with the method of claim 1.

11. A method of conducting market research, the method comprising:

forming a profile of a user'"'"'s preferences for services based upon the user'"'"'s choices of services from among a plurality of service options provided to the user as news release experiences in accordance with the method of claim 1.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising means for permitting selection and retrieval of the data provided to the user, according to user-specified search criteria, so that the user may select among a plurality of news release experiences.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the news release experiences include exposure to promotional information.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein the means for structuring the data provided to the user includes means for providing content that has been selected, for at least one of the plurality of sections of the news release, from among a plurality of different possible choices of content for the at least one section of the news release, the selection based upon characteristics of a target audience of the news release.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein the news release experience includes exposure to an advertisement relating to an information category identified based upon the user'"'"'s previous response, over the network, to at least one other advertisement.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the parties is a merchant.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the promotional information includes a promotional e-mail.

12. A system for providing a news release to a user, the system comprising:

means for providing access to the user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium; and

means for structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address.

17. A system for facilitating a transaction conducted, at least in part, electronically over a network, wherein the transaction takes place in a plurality of stages among a plurality of parties, at least one of the parties being a user, the system comprising:

means for providing access over a network to at least one party, in at least one stage of the transaction, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium; and

means for structuring the data provided to the at least one party over the network so that the party experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address,

the news release selected based upon the subject matter of the transaction.

19. A system for providing promotional information to a user over a network, the system comprising:

means for providing access to the user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium; and

means for structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address,

the news release experience including exposure to promotional information and provided to the user only upon a determination that a selected marketing tier for the promotional information is of equal or higher hierarchical marketing tier level than a predetermined level,

the marketing tier for the promotional information selected from among a plurality of marketing tiers each characterized by a different hierarchical level of customization to user preferences.

21. A system for conducting market research, the system comprising:

means for providing access to a user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium;

means for structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address; and

means for forming a profile of the user'"'"'s product preferences based upon the user'"'"'s choices of products from among a plurality of product options provided to the user as news release experiences.

22. A system for conducting market research, the system comprising:

means for providing access to a user, over a network, to data stored in a computer-readable digital storage medium;

means for structuring the data provided to the user over the network so that the user experiences a news release having a plurality of sections, the sections including;

(i) a headline;

(ii) a summary;

(iii) key points; and

(iv) a network address; and

means for forming a profile of the user'"'"'s service preferences based upon the user'"'"'s choices of services from among a plurality of service options provided to the user as news release experiences.