Method and apparatus for a virtual mail house system
First Claim
1. An wide area network based direct mail system comprising:
- a host server accessible via a wide area network having an executable direct mail system application residing thereon where when executed is operable to upload and download data to and from a contact database and a campaign library responsive to a user input where said database and library are communicable with said server; and
a campaign development user interface function generated when the direct mail system application is executed and accessible over the wide area network where said campaign development user interface is operable to receive and execute inputs directing the direct mail system application to create a mail campaign by downloading and assembling a set of contact addresses from the contact database and associating the set with a campaign mailer downloaded from the campaign library responsive to the user inputs and providing the mail campaign via the wide area network to a fulfillment printer and mail house.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a Virtual Mail House System that is an Internet-based management of direct mail campaigns from creation through completion that enables real time status reporting for customers. It entails online storage of Databases (a list of addresses to which physical mailers are sent), an online Library (a list of either predefined or user-uploaded documents), a process for creating, managing and tracking the campaign that also maintains a complete history of all activities for both the customer and each record in the database, and fulfillment management and acknowledgement system. The system also provides online contact management which includes the function of maintaining a contact history. When utilizing the present virtual mail house system a user can create a contact database, create a mail campaign, and manage and track the campaign from beginning to end.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An wide area network based direct mail system comprising:
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a host server accessible via a wide area network having an executable direct mail system application residing thereon where when executed is operable to upload and download data to and from a contact database and a campaign library responsive to a user input where said database and library are communicable with said server; and
a campaign development user interface function generated when the direct mail system application is executed and accessible over the wide area network where said campaign development user interface is operable to receive and execute inputs directing the direct mail system application to create a mail campaign by downloading and assembling a set of contact addresses from the contact database and associating the set with a campaign mailer downloaded from the campaign library responsive to the user inputs and providing the mail campaign via the wide area network to a fulfillment printer and mail house. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for performing a wide area network based mailer distribution process comprising the steps of:
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providing a host server accessible via a wide area network and executing a mail house distribution application residing thereon operable to upload and download data to and from a contact database and a campaign library responsive to a user input where said database and library are communicable with said server; and
generating a campaign development user interface function generated when the direct mail system application is executed that is accessible over the wide area network where said campaign development user interface is operable to receive and execute inputs directing the direct mail system application to create a mail campaign by downloading and assembling a set of contact addresses from the contact database and associating the set with a campaign mailer downloaded from the campaign library responsive to the user inputs and providing the mail campaign via the wide area network to a fulfillment printer and mail house. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wide area network based user interface for mailer distribution comprising;
a campaign development user interface function accessible over a wide area network where said user interface is operable to receive and upload over the wide area network contact address data to a contact database and receive and upload campaign mailer documents to a campaign mailer library and is further operable to receive and execute inputs to create a mail campaign by downloading and assembling a set of contact addresses from the database and associating the set with a campaign mailer from the library responsive to the inputs and providing the mail campaign via the wide area network to a fulfillment printer and mail house. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification