Method and apparatus for distribution of electronic media

• US 20050193346A1
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marlin Software, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Marlin Company (Appspace, Inc.)
• Inventors: LaFreniere, Edward, Kenna, Frank III
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for distribution of electronic media replace the display of printed employee communications with a method and apparatus for distribution of electronic media. In a typical embodiment of the invention, electronic media replaces the posters and printed materials and the conventional bulletin board is replaced by an electronic display. Maintaining the employee communications in electronic form from creation to display significantly reduces and cost while dramatically improving the flexibility of an employee communications program.

Claims

1. A method of distributing electronic media to subscribers for display at remote subscriber locations, said method comprising:

(a) creating a plurality of employee communication collections each containing a plurality of electronic employee communications comprising text and graphics arranged to convey a message from the subscriber pertinent to a subscriber'"'"'s business;

(b) posting said employee communication collections on a server connected to the Internet;

(c) initiating a subscription service for electronic delivery of selected employee communication collections to a subscriber;

(d) permitting subscriber access to said server over the Internet, said access allowing the subscriber to;

(i) view one or more of said selected employee communication collections; and

(ii) alter the content of said one or more selected employee communication collections by;

(1) adding or deleting particular electronic employee communications;

(2) modifying the content of one or more of said electronic employee communications; and

/or

(3) creating a new electronic employee communication for inclusion in said one or more selected employee communication collections;

(e) delivering said selected employee communication collections over the Internet to one or more remote subscriber locations designated by the subscriber; and

(f) displaying said selected employee communication collections on one or more electronic displays designated by the subscriber.

2. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein said step of permitting subscriber access to said server comprises:

identifying each subscriber and limiting said identified subscriber'"'"'s access to said selected employee communication collections as a function of the identified subscriber.

3. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, comprising:

designating a default employee communications collection for each subscriber;

delivering said default employee communication collection over the Internet in the absence of subscriber access to said server for a pre-determined time interval; and

displaying said default employee communications collection on one or more electronic displays designated by the subscriber.

4. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein at least one said electronic display comprises a plurality of sections for displaying different electronic employee communications and said step of displaying comprises:

simultaneously displaying a subset of said plurality of electronic employee communications on at least one of said one or more electronic displays.

5. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 4, comprising:

selecting a time duration for display of electronic employee communications on each of said plurality of sections.

6. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 4, comprising:

selecting a different time duration for display of electronic employee communications on each of said plurality of sections.

7. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein said step of displaying comprises:

changing the electronic employee communication displayed on said screen according to a pre-determined time sequence.

8. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 7, wherein said access allows the subscriber to change said pre-determined time sequence.

9. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, comprising:

continuously displaying contemporaneous information on said screen.

10. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, comprising:

receiving criteria from said subscriber for use in said step of creating; and

organizing said electronic employee communications into said employee communication collections according to said criteria.

11. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein said step of permitting includes identifying said subscriber and said method comprises:

limiting access by said identified subscriber to employee communication collections organized according to criteria gathered from said identified subscriber.

12. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein if said subscriber does not access said server to produce a customized employee communication collection for a pre-established time interval, said method comprises:

delivering a default employee communication collection to said remote subscriber location; and

displaying said default employee communication collection on the one or more electronic displays designated by the subscriber.

13. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 10, comprising:

employing said criteria to generate a default employee communications collection if said subscriber does not access said web site for a pre-established period of time;

delivering said default employee communications collection to said remote subscriber location; and

displaying said default employee communications collection on the one or more electronic displays designated by the subscriber.

14. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein said step of displaying comprises:

displaying news information on a portion of said screen contemporaneously with at least one electronic employee communication.

15. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, comprising:

incorporating a client server into at least one of said one or more electronic displays; and

configuring the subscriber server to poll said server to prompt said step of delivering.

16. The method of distributing electronic media of claim 1, wherein said step of delivering comprises periodically polling said server from said remote subscriber location;

and downloading updated employee communication collections at the remote subscriber location; and

said step of displaying comprises displaying said updated employee communication collections on one or more electronic displays designated by the subscriber.