Method and apparatus for dynamically altering electronic content

• US 20040123247A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Optimost, LLC (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Optimost, LLC (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wachen, Mark, Lovette, Lance
• Application Number:
  US10/409,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20040123247A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method and apparatus for altering electronic content includes a template for assigning variables and values to a section of the content, a generator that creates the permutations of the content, a transmitter that provides the content to a requestor and a evaluator and optimizer that aids in selecting the most optimal permutation of the content.

Claims

1. A method for altering electronic content, comprising:

placing content within a template;

placing at least one or more variables within the template;

choosing a plurality of values for the variable; and

calculating permutations for the content based upon the values.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the permutations to a requester.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising the step of evaluating the permutations.

4. The method as in claim 3, further comprising optimizing the number of the permutations.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the step of optimizing comprises reducing the permutations to a new set of permutations.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the new set of permutations is derived from the step of evaluating the permutations.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the step of evaluating the permutations is based upon the best effectiveness.

8. The method as in claim 5, further comprising the step of transmitting one of the new sets.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising the evaluating the new set of permutations.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of variables cannot be equal.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of variables relate to one another.

12. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of selecting a covariable for the variable and choosing a value for the covariable.

13. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a peer variable for a master variable and choosing a value for the peer variable.

14. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a subvariable that is dependent on the master value and choosing a value for the subvariable.

15. The method as in claim 4, wherein fractional factorial design is used to optimize the permutations.

16. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of dynamically selecting a new permutation each time it is accessed.

17. An apparatus for altering electronic content, comprising:

means for placing content within a template;

means for placing at least one or more variables within the template;

means for choosing a plurality of values for the variable; and

means for calculating permutations for the content based upon the values.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising means for reducing the number of the permutations to a new set.

19. The apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising means for transmitting one of the new set.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising means for evaluating the new set of permutations.

21. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein the template is a control template.

22. The apparatus as in claim 17, wherein a plurality of the variables cannot be equal.

23. The apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the plurality of the variables relate to one another.

24. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising means for selecting a covariable for the variable and means for choosing a plurality of values for the covariable.

25. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising means for of selecting a peer variable for a master variable and choosing a value for the peer variable.

26. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising a means for dynamically selecting a new permutation each time it is accessed.

27. The apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising means for selecting a subvariable that is dependent on the master value and choosing a value for the subvariable.

28. A computer readable medium containing executable code for altering electronic content, comprising:

placing content within a template;

placing at least one or more variables within the template; and

calculating permutations for the content based upon the values.

29. The computer readable medium as in claim 28, further comprising the step of transmitting the permutations a single one at a time.

30. The computer readable medium as in claim 29 further comprising the step of evaluating the permutations.

31. The computer readable medium as in claim 30, further comprising reducing the number of the permutations to a new set.

32. The computer readable medium as in claim 31, further comprising the step of transmitting one of the new set.

33. The computer readable medium as in claim 32, further comprising the evaluating the new set of permutations.

34. The computer readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the template is a control template.

35. The computer readable medium in claim 28, wherein a plurality of variables cannot be equal.

36. The computer readable medium as in claim 35, wherein the plurality of variable relate to one another.

37. The computer readable medium as in claim 30, further comprising the steps of selecting a covariable for the variable and choosing a values for the covariable.

38. The computer readable medium as in claim 28, further comprising selecting a peer variable for a master variable and choosing a value for the peer variable.

39. The computer readable medium as in claim 28, further comprising dynamically selecting a new permutation each time it is accessed.

40. The computer readable medium as in claim 28, further comprising selecting a subvariable that is dependent on the master value and choosing a value for the subvariable.

41. An computer processing device for optimizing electronic content, comprising:

a memory location wherein the content is located;

a selector linked to the memory location, wherein the selector allows at least one or more variables to be placed within the content;

an identifier linked to the selector, wherein the identifier allows a plurality of values to be chosen for the variable;

a generator linked to the memory location, selector and the identifier, wherein the generator creates permutations for the content based upon the variable and the plurality of values;

a transmitter linked to the generator that transmits one of the permutations to a requestor; and

an evaluator linked to the generator linked to the generator.

42. The apparatus as in claim 41, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a request from the requester for access to the content.

43. The apparatus as in claim 41, further comprising an optimizer is linked to the generator and evaluates the permutations.

44. The apparatus as in claim 43, wherein the evaluation of the permutations is based on a content provider defined effectiveness measure.

45. The apparatus as in claim 43, wherein the optimizer reduces the number of the permutations available to the requestor.

46. An apparatus that organizes electronic content in preparation for dynamically altering the content, comprising:

a template that stores the content;

a variable assignor linked to the template;

a value assignor linked to the variable assignor.

47. The apparatus as in claim 46, further comprising a generator linked to the template.

48. A method for organizing electronic content in preparation for dynamically altering the content, comprising the step of:

storing the content in a template;

assigning a variable to the template; and

assigning a plurality a values to the variable.

49. The method as in claim 48, further comprising the step of generating permutations of the content based on the variable and values.

50. The method as on claim 48, wherein the variable is selected from the group consisting of a peer variable, covariable or a subvariable.