Electronic publishing and delivery

• US 20050091109A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griebenow, L. Joy, Lenger, Kim, Howard, Dale S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and system for distributing an electronic publication allows the distribution of customized publications, including customized advertising, customized content, or both. In accordance with the method for distributing an electronic publication, an electronic publication is retrieved from storage. The electronic publication is delivered to the consumer by electronically sending the electronic publication to the consumer'"'"'s electronic mail address. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the electronic publication may include customized advertising. A consumer profile associated with the consumer is stored in a database and comprises a plurality of profile data items. A database of content items and advertising items is created, including at least some targeted advertising items. Each targeted advertising is associated with an inclusion criterion wherein a decision as to whether the inclusion criterion for a particular advertisement has been met depends upon the value of one or more profile data items. The electronic publication is created and comprises some content items and at least one targeted advertising item. The targeted advertising item is included because the inclusion criterion for that targeted advertising item has been met.

Claims

1. A method for customizing advertising in an electronic publication, comprising:

storing a consumer profile in a database, the consumer profile being associated with a consumer and including a plurality of profile data items;

creating a database of content items and advertising items, including at least some targeted advertising items, each targeted advertising item being associated with an inclusion criterion, wherein a decision as to whether the inclusion criterion for a particular advertising item has been met depends upon a value of one or more profile data items; and

creating an electronic publication for a particular consumer, the electronic publication including at least some of the content items and at least one targeted advertising item where the inclusion criterion for that targeted advertising item has been met, and excluding from the electronic publication a targeted advertising item for which the inclusion criterion has been met but which is in excess of a maximum advertising allowance for the electronic publication; and

presenting the electronic publication to the particular consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile data items include demographic items reflecting demographic data about the consumer;

wherein the profile data items include personal items reflecting personal data about the consumer; and

wherein the inclusion criterion for a targeted advertising item may depend upon the value of a demographic item, a personal item, or both a demographic item and a personal item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic publication further includes at least one advertising item that is not a targeted advertising item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an order for the electronic publication from the consumer;

prompting the consumer, in response to the order, for information about the consumer;

receiving the information from the consumer; and

creating the consumer profile using the information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an order for the electronic publication from the consumer;

retrieving the consumer'"'"'s consumer profile in response to the order;

prompting the consumer for changes in the consumer'"'"'s consumer profile;

receiving changes from the consumer; and

updating the consumer profile based upon the changes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic publication comprises a plurality of pages and a targeted advertising item appears on at least one of the pages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

giving a user of the electronic publication the option to order a product or service advertised in an advertising item;

electronically ordering the product or service in response to input by the user of the electronic publication.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the electronic publication to a predetermined location associated with the consumer'"'"'s computer.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic publication is delivered to the consumer in a compressed format.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing the targeted advertising items, and carrying out said step of creating the electronic publication by adding to the electronic publication targeted advertising items for which the inclusion criteria is met in an order corresponding to the prioritization of the targeted advertising items, until the electronic publication contains the maximum advertising allowance.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic publication further comprises data associated with at least some of the content items to allow control of the export of at least some of the content items on an item by item basis.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A method for customizing advertising in an electronic publication comprising:

creating an electronic publication which includes at least one advertising item;

designating the advertising item as suppressible or not suppressible by a user of the electronic publication; and

presenting the advertising item to a user of the electronic publication, unless the advertising item is designated as suppressible and the user has enabled suppression.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. A method for advertising in an electronic publication, comprising:

creating an electronic publication which includes at least one content item and at least one advertising item;

permitting a user to access the electronic publication;

presenting the advertising item to the user of the electronic publication after the passage of a predetermined amount of time during which the electronic publication has been in use; and

maintaining information about the amount of time which the user spends reading the electronic publication during each access thereto, and setting the predetermined amount of time as a function of such information.

26. A method for customizing advertising in an electronic publication, comprising:

creating an electronic publication which includes a plurality of content items and at least one advertising item;

permitting a user to access the electronic publication; and

presenting the advertising item to the user of the electronic publication in response to the access of a specific content item, wherein said presenting step is carried out by presenting the advertising item to the user in response to the access by the user of a predetermined part of the specific content item.