SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIRTUAL EBOX MANAGEMENT

• US 20090024473A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Maury Friedman
• Original Assignee: Zumbox Incorporated
• Inventors: Friedman, Maury
• Application Number:
  US11/930,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing content to a plurality of users. The method of the present invention comprises generating an interactive coupon and transmitting said coupon to at least one electronic mailbox (eBox), said eBox corresponding to a geographical location. The method provides a graphical user interface to display said electronic mailbox and displays said coupon through said graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing content to a plurality of users, the method comprising:

generating an interactive coupon;

transmitting the coupon to at least one eBox, the eBox corresponding to a geographical location;

providing a graphical user interface to display said electronic mailbox on a client device;

storing an eBox identifier on said client device; and

displaying said coupon through said graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating an interactive coupon comprises providing a merchant interface for creating an interactive coupon or modifying an existing interactive coupon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating an interactive coupon comprises selecting at least one parameter controlling the use of said interactive coupon.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one parameter comprises a plurality of recipient eBoxes.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising validating a plurality of recipient eBoxes, said validating comprising:

temporarily adding an invalid eBox to an eBox database;

verifying an address associated with said temporary eBox;

saving a verified temporary eBox; and

removing an unverified temporary eBox.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring said coupon and updating at least one coupon parameter in response to said monitoring.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a graphical user interface further comprises providing a log-in page.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said log-in page comprises at least one input element associated with a geographical address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying said coupon further comprises storing an alphanumeric identifier on a displaying device.

10. The method claim 1 wherein displaying said coupon comprises displaying said coupon in accordance with a predefined display profile.

11. A system for providing content to a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a plurality of client devices coupled to a network;

a content server operative to transmit electronic coupons to said client devices and provide a graphical user interface for viewing said coupons, the graphical user interface operable to store an eBox identifier on a client device in response to viewing said coupons;

an eBox database coupled to said content server operative to maintain a relationship between an eBox and a geographical location; and

a marketing interface coupled to said content server operative to generate an interactive coupon.

12. The system of claim 11 generating an interactive coupon comprises creating an interactive coupon or modifying an existing interactive coupon.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein generating an interactive coupon comprises selecting at least one parameter controlling the use of said interactive coupon.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one parameter comprises a plurality of recipient eBoxes.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said content server is further operative to temporarily add an invalid eBox to the eBox database, verify an address associated with said temporary eBox, save a verified temporary eBox and remove an unverified temporary eBox.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising a yield management engine operative to monitor said coupon and update at least one coupon parameter in response to said monitoring.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein providing a graphical user interface further comprises providing a log-in page.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said log-in page comprises at least one input element associated with a geographical address.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying said coupon further comprises storing an alphanumeric identifier on a displaying device.

20. The system claim 11 wherein displaying said coupon comprises displaying said coupon in accordance with a predefined display profile

21. Computer readable media comprising program code for execution by a programmable processor that instructs the processor to perform a method for providing content to a plurality of users, the computer readable media comprising:

program code for generating an interactive coupon;

program code for transmitting the coupon to at least one eBox, the eBox corresponding to a geographical location;

program code for providing a graphical user interface to display said electronic mailbox on a client device;

program code for storing an eBox identifier on said client device; and

program code for displaying said coupon through said graphical user interface.

22. The computer readable media of claim 21 wherein the program code for generating an interactive coupon comprises program code for providing a merchant interface for creating an interactive coupon or modifying an existing interactive coupon.

23. The computer readable media of claim 21 wherein the program code for generating an interactive coupon comprises program code for selecting at least one parameter controlling the use of said interactive coupon.

24. The computer readable media of claim 23 wherein at least one parameter comprises a plurality of recipient eBoxes.

25. The computer readable media of claim 24 comprising program code for validating a plurality of recipient eBoxes, said validating comprising:

program code for temporarily adding an invalid eBox to an eBox database;

program code for verifying an address associated with said temporary eBox;

program code for saving a verified temporary eBox; and

program code for removing an unverified temporary eBox.