EBOOK MANAGEMENT AND FULFILLMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140032374A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Follett School Solutions, Inc. (Follett School Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Follett School Solutions, Inc. (Follett School Solutions, LLC)
• Inventors: Pfister, Anthony R.
• Application Number:
  US14/014,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for indexing and providing electronic publications in a networked computing environment. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide an ebook distribution engine that has a database for storing and managing data, including: ebook data from a plurality of ebook vendors; curriculum data for a plurality of schools; and fulfillment data including ebook purchase information for individual students at each of the plurality schools; a back office manager having an interface into the database for managing the curriculum data; a publication manager for importing ebook data from the plurality of ebook vendors into the database; and a fulfillment system that effectuates purchase and delivery of ebooks from the ebook vendors to the students.

Claims

1. An ebook distribution engine, comprising:

a database for storing and managing data, including;

ebook data from a plurality of ebook vendors;

curriculum data for a plurality of schools; and

fulfillment data including ebook purchase information for individual students at each of the plurality schools;

a back office manager having an interface into the database for managing the curriculum data;

a publication manager for importing ebook data from the plurality of ebook vendors into the database; and

a fulfillment system that effectuates purchase and delivery of ebooks from the ebook vendors to the students.

2. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the ebook data includes title, pricing, availability, ISBN data, and platform specific identifiers.

3. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the curriculum data includes publications required for different courses offered at each of the plurality of schools.

4. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the fulfillment data includes student identifiers, purchase histories, and purchase codes.

5. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the back office manager allows a user to manage curriculum data for a specific school with which the user is affiliated.

6. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the publication manager includes a plurality of import modules for interfacing with different ebook vendors.

7. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the publication manager maps an ISBN identifier for a title to a plurality of platform specific identifiers for which the title is available as an ebook.

8. The ebook distribution engine of claim 1, wherein the fulfillment system allows a student to access ebooks for an associated curriculum from different vendors on a client computing device running a student interface.

9. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed by a computer system having a processor and memory, provides an ebook distribution engine, the computer program product comprising:

a database for storing and managing data, including;

ebook data from a plurality of ebook vendors;

curriculum data for a plurality of schools; and

fulfillment data including ebook purchase information for individual students at each of the plurality schools;

program code that provides an interface into the database for managing the curriculum data;

program code for importing ebook data from the plurality of ebook vendors into the database; and

program code that effectuates purchase and delivery of ebooks from the ebook vendors to the students.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the ebook data includes title, pricing, availability, ISBN data, and platform specific identifiers.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the curriculum data includes publications required for different courses offered at each of the plurality of schools.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the fulfillment data includes student identifiers, purchase histories, and purchase codes.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the curriculum data can be managed for a specific school with which a user is affiliated.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program code for importing ebook data includes a plurality of import modules for interfacing with different ebook vendors.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program code that effectuates purchase and delivery of ebooks allows a student to access ebooks for an associated curriculum from different vendors on a client computing device running a student interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program code for importing ebook data maps an ISBN identifier for a title to a plurality of platform specific identifiers for which the title is available as an ebook.

17. A fulfillment system for distributing ebooks, comprising:

a computing system having a memory and processor;

a database for storing and managing ebook data from a plurality of ebook vendors;

an on-line store that outputs a list of selected ebooks available from the plurality of ebook vendors and that collects payment data to initiate ebook purchases from the plurality of ebook vendors;

a code retrieval system that obtains purchase codes from the plurality of ebook vendors in response to collected payment data and that stores the purchase codes along with a user id in the database; and

an auto-fulfill system that automatically submits purchase codes to the set of ebook vendors to obtain access to purchased ebooks for an associated user id.

18. The fulfillment system of claim 17, wherein the list of selected ebooks is determined by a curriculum generated by a back office manager.

19. A computerized method for distributing ebooks, comprising:

providing a computer database for storing and managing ebook data from a plurality of ebook vendors;

outputting a list of selected ebooks available from the plurality of ebook vendors to a user interface on a remote computing device;

collecting payment data from the user interface to initiate ebook purchases from the plurality of ebook vendors;

obtaining purchase codes from the plurality of ebook vendors in response to collected payment data and storing the purchase codes along with a user id in the database; and

automatically submitting purchase codes to the plurality of ebook vendors to obtain electronic access to purchased ebooks for an associated user id.

20. The computerized method of claim 19, wherein the list of selected ebooks is determined by a curriculum stored in the database.

21. The computerized method of claim 20, wherein the curriculum is created via a second user interface.