Methods and systems to manage and track the states of electronic media

• US 6,453,337 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MetricStream, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zaplet, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, Steven Richard, Axe, Brian, Hanson, Michael, Miller, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/760,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/328, 709/329
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Method and systems are described which can be used to track and manage the states of electronic media in a communications network. The electronic medium can be restored, archived, and used to create new electronic media. Moreover, the electronic medium can be superseded and deleted. Additionally, notification processes can be used to prioritize and emphasize certain portions of the electronic medium. Access to the electronic medium may also be blocked or limited to certain recipients of the medium.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating an electronic medium;

asynchronously dynamically updating and retrieving content for the electronic medium in response to input from one of at least one participant and an external source,

specifying a plurality of characteristics for notifying at least one participant interacting with the electronic medium using one or more notifications to the at least one participant;

determining a method for receiving the notifications; and

selecting one of tagging the electronic medium for inclusion within a digest to be delivered at a specified time, waiting for a time interval to elapse as specified by a participant, and determining whether a participant has viewed a previous notification;

closing interaction to the electronic medium; and

permitting viewing of one of the static content, dynamic content, a close rationale and close state indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification in response to asynchronously dynamically updating and retrieving content, and wherein sending a notification further comprises rendering a portion of the content to be different from other portions of the content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining a method for receiving the notifications further comprises one of sending a link to the electronic medium, sending an updated version of an electronic message referencing the electronic medium, and polling to indicate the sending of the notification.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

co-authoring an electronic form;

generating the electronic medium with content, only after accepting the electronic form at a server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of co-authoring the electronic form further comprises partially completing the electronic form and defining a co-authoring list to permit a plurality of authors to continue completing the electric form.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of co-authoring the electric form further comprises notifying one or more selected participants of the existence of an electronic form and sending a link to selected participants.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of blocking access to at least a portion of the content.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of blocking the access further comprises blocking access to one of a plurality of dynamic content and responses.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of closing interaction to the electronic medium further comprises notifying a plurality of participants of the closing of the electronic medium.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of re-opening interaction to the electronic medium.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of re-opening interaction to the electronic medium further comprises sending a link to at least one participant.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of re-opening interaction to the electronic medium further comprises notifying a plurality of participants of the re-opening of the electronic medium.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing at least one of the characteristics in a database.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising refreshing a view of the dynamic content of electronic medium to the at least one participant.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking one of responses and changes in content of the electronic medium.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising superseding the electronic medium by selecting a new electronic medium from a pre-defined list and generating a new electronic medium.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein superseding the electronic medium further comprises setting a state in a database indicating that the electronic medium is superseded.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising externalizing a state of the electronic medium by generating a page having the content rendered as static HTML.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising externalizing a state of the electronic medium by generating a definition and providing data representative of the content and rendering the content as XML.