E-mail communications system, method and program
First Claim
1. An Internet-based method of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to said Internet, the Internet-based method comprising the steps of:
- providing a web-based user interface for data input for said plurality of members, said user interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member, and at least one of demographic data and personal data regarding each said member;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including one or more data elements from the group including sponsor data, recipient member data, e-mail campaign data, and member action data;
preparing a listing of members from said data structure based upon criteria encompassed by said member data;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to members based upon said listing;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Internet-based method of communicating interacts with a plurality of members each having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility. The method of communicating, in one embodiment, includes a web-based user interface for data input of member data. The member data includes communications data (e-mail address) for each member, and demographic data or personal data regarding each member. The member data is organized to a data structure such as data base. An e-mail communication is prepared and a command sequence including a hyperlink to a first web site and referral communications data packet associated with the hyperlink is embedded in the e-mail. Upon actuation of the hyperlink by the member, the referral data packet is sent to a second web site. The referral data packet includes one or more data elements such as sponsor data, recipient member data, e-mail campaign data and sometimes action member data. The computer-based method of communicating prepares a list of members and broadcasts the communication to members based upon the list. A report is made of the receipt of referral communications data packet. The method of communicating can be enhanced to encompass a multi-modal method of communicating wherein some members have pagers, cellular telephones and/or land-line telephones. If some members do not respond to the initial e-mail communication, the computerized multi-modal method generates a digital version of an audio communication (to be presented over the cellular telephones and land-line telephones) and a paging message (to be presented to pagers) and to fax machines.
161 Citations
59 Claims
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1. An Internet-based method of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to said Internet, the Internet-based method comprising the steps of:
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providing a web-based user interface for data input for said plurality of members, said user interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member, and at least one of demographic data and personal data regarding each said member;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including one or more data elements from the group including sponsor data, recipient member data, e-mail campaign data, and member action data;
preparing a listing of members from said data structure based upon criteria encompassed by said member data;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to members based upon said listing;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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24. A multi-modal method of communicating of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having at least one computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to the Internet, and some members having respective pagers, cellular telephones and land-line telephones coupled via telecommunications networks to said Internet, the multi-modal method of communicating comprising the steps of:
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providing an interface for data input relating to said plurality of members, said interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member and, for said some members, includes a respective pager, cellular telephone number and land-line telephone number, if available for said some members;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including at least recipient member data and e-mail campaign data;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to said plurality of members;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet and logging the same into said data structure;
in the event that some members are non-responsive to said e-mail communications noted by an absence of receipt data in said data structure, creating a digital version of an audio communication, said audio communication adapted to be presented over said cellular telephones and land-line telephones to non-responsive members who have respective cellular telephones or land-line telephones;
for said some members who are non-responsive and have respective pagers, creating a paging message representing a request for a response, said paging message adapted to be presented via said respective pagers;
broadcasting said digital version of said audio message and said paging message via said Internet and said telecommunications networks to said non-responsive members;
providing a further interface for responsive data input from said non-responsive members; and
,logging response data into said data structure.
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40. A method of monitoring the effect of broadcast e-mail communications over the Internet to a plurality of members, each member having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility and an associated e-mail address adapted to be coupled to said Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including one or more data elements from the group including sponsor data, recipient member data, e-mail campaign data, and member action data;
sending said e-mail communication to one or more select members.
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41. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code for instructing a computer to establish an Internet-based method of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to said Internet, the code instructing the computer to operate as follows:
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providing a user interface for data input for said plurality of members, said user interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including one or more data elements from the group including sponsor data, addressor data, addressee data, and e-mail campaign data;
preparing a listing of members from said data structure;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to members based upon said listing;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet.
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42. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code for instructing a computer to establish an Internet-based method of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having a computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to said Internet, the code instructing the computer to operate as follows:
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providing a user interface for data input for said plurality of members, said user interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member, and at least one of demographic data and personal data regarding each said member;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including one or more data elements from the group including sponsor data, recipient member data, e-mail campaign data, and member action data;
preparing a listing of members from said data structure based upon criteria encompassed by said member data;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to members based upon said listing;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code for instructing a computer to establish a multi-modal method of communicating of communicating with a plurality of members, each member having at least one computer-based communications system with an e-mail facility adapted to be coupled to the Internet, and some members having respective pagers, cellular telephones and land-line telephones coupled via telecommunications networks to said Internet, the code instructing the computer to operate as follows:
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providing an interface for data input relating to said plurality of members, said interface accepting member data representing characteristics of said members, said member data at least including communications data, which includes a respective e-mail address for each member and, for said some members, includes a respective pager, cellular telephone number and land-line telephone number, if available for said some members;
organizing said member data into a data structure;
creating an e-mail communication;
embedding in said e-mail communication a hyperlink to a first web site and a referral communications data packet associated with said hyperlink such that, upon actuation of said hyperlink, said referral data packet is adapted to be sent to a second web site, said referral data packet including at least recipient member data and e-mail campaign data;
broadcasting said e-mail communication to said plurality of members;
reporting the receipt of said referral communications data packet and logging the same into said data structure;
in the event that some members are non-responsive to said e-mail communications noted by an absence of receipt data in said data structure, creating a digital version of an audio communication, said audio communication adapted to be presented over said cellular telephones and land-line telephones to non-responsive members who have respective a cellular telephone or land-line telephone;
for said some members who are non-responsive and have respective pagers, creating a paging message representing a request for a response, said paging message adapted to be presented via said respective pager to non-responsive members who have respective pagers;
broadcasting said digital version of said audio message and said paging message via said Internet and said telecommunications networks to said non-responsive members;
providing a further interface for responsive data input from said non-responsive members; and
,logging response data into said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification