METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED INFORMATION ACCORDING TO A USER'S PROFILE
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing an individual user with customized information is described. The user provides the system with the user'"'"'s preferences. The system compares each user'"'"'s preferences to a database to provide the user with notification via an e-mail newsletter sent over a computer network. The newsletter is individually prepared for each user by dynamically populating the newsletter with the necessary information as the newsletter is being sent to the individual. Thus, there is no need to first prepare the newsletter, store it, send it, and delete it. This approach reduces the need for more equipment as the number of needed newsletters increases.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1-33. -33. (canceled)
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34. A computer-implemented method of preparing and sending an electronic newsletter message prepared for each individual of a plurality of individuals, the method comprising:
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retrieving a profile associated with a first individual; identifying a newsletter template in the retrieved profile, said newsletter template having one or more variable fields each to be provided with data as a function of information in the retrieved profile; identifying an e-mail address in the retrieved profile; establishing a connection with a mail server associated with the identified e-mail address; sending the newsletter template to the mail server, and, if, as the newsletter template is being sent to the mail server, a variable field is encountered, providing data for the variable field as a function of information in the retrieved profile and sending the provided data in the place of the variable field; and continuing to send the newsletter template, wherein the newsletter template with its one or more variable fields each completed with provided data is sent to the identified e-mail address; and wherein no version of the newsletter template with one or more variable fields completed is stored other than on the mail server. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A system for preparing and sending an electronic newsletter message prepared for each individual of a plurality of individuals, the system comprising:
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means for retrieving a profile associated with a first individual; for identifying a newsletter template in the retrieved profile, said newsletter template having one or more variable fields each to be provided with data as a function of information in the retrieved profile; means for identifying an e-mail address in the retrieved profile; means for establishing a connection with a mail server associated with the identified e-mail address; means for sending the newsletter template to the mail server, and, if, as the newsletter template is being sent to the mail server, a variable field is encountered, providing data for the variable field as a function of information in the retrieved profile and sending the provided data in the place of the variable field; and means for continuing to send the newsletter template, wherein the newsletter template with its one or more variable fields each completed with provided data is sent to the identified e-mail address; and wherein no version of the newsletter template with one or more variable fields completed is stored on the system other than on the mail server. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; computer program instructions on the computer-readable medium, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by a computer, direct the computer to perform a method of preparing and sending an electronic newsletter message prepared for each individual of a plurality of individuals, the method comprising; retrieving a profile associated with a first individual; identifying a newsletter template in the retrieved profile, said newsletter template having one or more variable fields each to be provided with data as a function of information in the retrieved profile; identifying an e-mail address in the retrieved profile; establishing a connection with a mail server associated with the identified e-mail address; sending the newsletter template to the mail server, and, if, as the newsletter template is being sent to the mail server, a variable field is encountered, providing data for the variable field as a function of information in the retrieved profile and sending the provided data in the place of the variable field; and continuing to send the newsletter template, wherein the newsletter template with its one or more variable fields each completed with provided data is sent to the identified e-mail address; and wherein no version of the newsletter template with one or more variable fields completed is stored other than on the mail server. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification