Investor relations event notification system and method

• US 6,574,630 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Refinitiv US Organization, LLC (Refinitiv US Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CCBN.com, Inc. (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Coran, Robert M., Augustine, Andrew W., Adler, Robert I.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOULES, JACK M
• Application Number:
  US09/639,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/513, 705/8, 705/36, 705/35, 709/204, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An information release notification is provided using an event manager, reports, information notification messages, an investor events database, and a personal computing device. The personal computing device and event manager are preferably implemented in a client-server architecture providing electronic messaging and web pages over an electronic network such as the Internet. The events manager receives new information releases from an external information service over the network. Information releases are stored in the investor events database and reviewed by the events manager for the occurrence of identifier symbols that uniquely correspond to a particular organization. The investor events database also includes information interest lists to associate notified users with a particular identifier symbol. When the event manager detects an identifier symbol contained on an information interest list, the event manager automatically transmits a converted information notification message to the personal computing devices of each interested user.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting information release notifications comprising:

receiving a plurality of new information releases containing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) formatted information from an external information service via an electronic network;

associating one or more notified users with a particular-one of a plurality of identifier symbols, each one of said identifier symbols uniquely corresponding to a particular organization, and each one of said new information releases including at least one of said identifier symbols;

converting the contents of one of said information releases containing at least one of said identifier symbols to form an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text formatted information notification message; and

transmitting said information notification message to the personal computing device of each one of said notified users associated with said at least one of said identifier symbols.

2. An automated events scheduling and notification system comprising:

an events manager capable of electronically receiving from an external information service a plurality of new information releases containing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) formatted information, each of said information releases including an identifier symbol uniquely corresponding to a particular organization;

said events manager communicating with said information service using an electronic network;

at least one personal computing device, said personal computing device associated with a particular notified user, and said personal computing device communicating with said events manager using an electronic network;

a database for storing said information releases, said database operably coupled to said events manager, and said database including a plurality of information interest lists;

each of said information interest lists associating one or more of said notified users with a particular one of said identifier symbols;

said events manager capable of detecting the presence of each and any of said identifier symbols contained in one of said information releases;

said events manager capable of converting the contents of said information release to form an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text formatted information notification message; and

said events manager capable of transmitting said information notification message to the personal computing device associated with each of said notified users associated with said detected identifier symbol.

3. The automated events scheduling and notification system of claim 2 in which said information notification-message is provided in conformance with the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP).

4. An automated events scheduling and notification system comprising:

an events manager;

said events manager including receiving means for receiving from an external information service a plurality of new information releases containing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) formatted information, each of said information releases including an identifier symbol uniquely corresponding to a particular organization;

at least one personal computing device, said personal computing device associated with a particular notified user, and said personal computing device communicating with said events manager using an electronic network;

storage means operably coupled to said events manager for storing said information releases, said storage means including a computer-readable medium programmed to associate one or more of said notified users with a particular one of said identifier symbols;

said events manager including a computer-readable medium programmed to;

(1) detect the presence of each and any of said identifier symbols contained in one of said information releases; and

(2) convert the contents of said information release to form an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text formatted information notification message; and

said events manager including transmission means for transmitting said information notification message to the personal computing device associated with each of said notified users associated with said detected identifier symbol.

5. An automated events scheduling and information notification system comprising:

an events manager;

a plurality of personal computing devices operably coupled to said events manager for transmitting and receiving electronic messages to and from users of the system using an electronic network;

a database for storing events information and a plurality of watchlists that associate users with at least one organization;

said database operably coupled to a database server;

said events manager operably coupled to said database server and further comprising means for accessing said database via said database server;

said events manager being capable of receiving new event scheduling information or requests for reports submitted by one of a plurality of users, producing a plurality of event reports using event information contained in said database and said watchlists, and electronically transmitting said event reports to selected users;

said events manager capable of automatically transmitting said event reports to a plurality of event addressees comprising users associated with said organization associated with said new event as determined by said database;

said events manager capable of electronically receiving from an external information service a plurality of new information releases containing information formatted in accordance with the HyperText Markup Language (HTML), each of said information releases including an identifier symbol uniquely corresponding to a particular organization;

said events manager communicating with said information service using an electronic network;

said database capable of storing said information releases, said database including a plurality of information interest lists;

each of said information interest lists associating one or more notified users with a particular one of said identifier symbols;

said events manager capable of detecting the presence of each and any of said identifier symbols contained in one of said information releases;

said events manager capable of converting the contents of said information releases to form an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text formatted information notification message; and

said events manager capable of transmitting said information notification message to the personal computing device associated with each of said notified users associated with said detected identifier symbol.

6. A method of collecting and disseminating notifications of events and information releases using an electronic network comprising the steps of:

receiving scheduling information for a new event from a user via an electronic message over an electronic network;

storing said new event scheduling information in a database;

associating, in said database, each said stored event information with an organization, and each organization with one or more of said users;

generating a report describing said stored event;

transmitting said report via an electronic message using an electronic network to a plurality of users associated with said organization associated with said event as determined by said database;

receiving a plurality of new information releases containing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) formatted information from an external information service via an electronic network;

storing said new information releases in said database;

associating one or more notified users with a particular one of a plurality of identifier symbols, each one of said identifier symbols uniquely corresponding to a particular organization, and each one of said new information releases including at least one of-said identifier symbols;

detecting the presence of each and any of said identifier symbols contained in one of said information releases;

converting the contents of one of said information releases containing at least one of said identifier symbols to form a American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text formatted information notification message; and

transmitting said information notification message to the personal computing device of each one of said notified users associated with said detected identifier symbols.