System and method for digital content processing and distribution

• US 6,898,601 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phochron Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Phochron Incorporated
• Inventors: Fremberg, Michael, Wallis, Paul Bernard, Amado, Manoel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S.
• Application Number:
  US10/444,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104.1, 715/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A publication system, method and apparatus simplifies end-to-end planning, building and printing of publications. The present invention allows a publication'"'"'s audience and other third parties to submit content while allowing producers to collaboratively manipulate, proof and print the publication. The present invention provides in part a planning and budgeting tool that assists the producers in the initial stages of publication. The present invention can further provide a tool for custom publication development and loyalty marketing. In one embodiment, the invention can accept advertisement submissions electronically, and can afford advertisers the opportunity to receive exposure to potential consumers electronically during production.

Claims

1. A system for content processing and publication, comprising:

a planning component enabling at least one member of a first user type from a first client device to establish at least one publication parameter for a content publication and at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from at least one member of a second user type, said at least one publication parameter being constrained by a budget pricing tool, said budget pricing tool allowing said first user type member to establish an available financial budget and calculate an actual cost for said content publication, said budget pricing tool further associating a price with said at least one parameter;

a development component enabling said at least one second user type member to upload content to a server from a second client device, said server storing said content, said development component further enabling said at least one first user type member to retrieve said uploaded content for use in said publication as constrained by said at least one parameter;

a proofing component enabling said at least one first user type member to render at least a portion of said publication for viewing electronically via a client device; and

a publication component for producing said publication.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one publication parameter is a parameter taken from the group consisting of:

publication size, portion of publication in color, publication sections, page layout specifications, electronic file types, color space assignment, page assignment, assignment deadline.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second user type is taken from the group consisting of:

image content provider, photo processor, printer, text content provider, advertising content provider, graphics content provider, and page layout template content provider.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one criteria is based on identification of said second user type as at least one of:

publication consumer, publication subject, publication content provider, publication advertiser, publication producer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one criteria is based on content type constraints.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said development component includes a content management component for receiving, viewing, editing, organizing, describing and searching content.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said development component can receive content in a plurality of electronic file types, and further wherein said proofing component can render said publication in Portable Document Format (PDF) or Encapsulated Postscript (EPS).

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said development component can receive text content and convert said text content to plain text, said development component further being capable of receiving image content, storing said image content, and converting said image content into a low resolution image.

9. The system of claims 8 wherein said low resolution image is in RGB (red, green, blue) color space.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said development component further converts said plain text and said graphics into a vectorized graphics format.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said proofing component converts said vectorized graphics format and said low resolution image into Portable Document Format (PDF) or Encapsulated Postscript (EPS).

12. The system of claim 1 further including an ordering component whereby said system can receive and process an order to purchase said publication.

13. The system of claim 1 further including an access control component whereby said at least one first user type member can allow access to retrieve said content for said publication to at least one additional first user type member.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said development component allows a plurality of members of said first user type to collaborate and manipulate said stored content at the same time.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said content is stored in units of individual pages and wherein at most one of said plurality of members can manipulate said stored content for an individual page at a given time.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said publication component can prepare files for said publication to be printed directly using at least one of the processes consisting of:

(a) convening from digital format to film, film-to-plate and using a traditional printing press;

(b) converting from digital format to plate and using a traditional printing press;

(c) converting from digital format to print with a digital printing press.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said publication component can produce said publication based on at least one production parameter taken from the group of parameters consisting of:

type of publication, pricing and service requirements.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said publication component can produce said publication in a physical form, said form being from the group consisting of:

hardbound publication, softbound publication, physical digital storage medium.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said publication component can produce said publication in electronic form.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said publication component can further distribute said publication.

21. A method for content processing and publication, comprising:

providing a planning component enabling at least one member of a first user type using a first client device to establish at least one publication parameter and at least one publication production constraint for a content publication and further allowing said at least one first user type member to establish at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from at least one member of a second user type;

providing a development component enabling said at least one second use type member to upload at least image content to a server using a second client device, said server storing said content, said development component further enabling said at least one first user type member to retrieve said uploaded content for use in said publication as constrained by said at least one parameter and manipulate said content as constrained by said at least one publication production constraint, said development component capable of assembling said content in a vectorized graphics format;

providing a proofing component enabling said at least one first user type member to render at least a portion of said publication for viewing electronically via a client device; and

providing a publication component for receiving approval of said proof from said first user type member, whereby said publication component can assemble said content associated with said proof into a format which can be directly processed by a raster image processing component, thereby producing said publication without the manual use of a pre-press tool.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one publication parameter is a parameter taken from the group consisting of:

publication size, portion of publication in color, publication sections, page layout specifications, electronic file types, color space assignment, page assignment, assignment deadline.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said second user type is taken from the group consisting of:

image content provider, photo processor, printer, text content provider, advertising content provider, graphics content provider, and page layout template content provider.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one criteria is based on identification of said second user type as at least one of:

publication consumer, publication subject, publication content provider, publication advertiser, publication producer.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one criteria is based on content type constraints.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said development component allows a plurality of members of said first user type to collaborate and manipulate said stored content at the same time.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said content is stored in units of in individual pages, and wherein at most one of said plurality of members can manipulate said stored content for an individual page at a given time.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer instruction carrier, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of processing and publishing content, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a planning component enabling at least one member of a first user type using a first client device to establish at least one publication parameter and at least one publication production constraint for a content publication and further allowing said at least one first user type member to establish at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from at least one member of a second user type;

providing a development component enabling said at least one second user type member to upload at least image content to a server using a second client device, said server storing said content, said development component further enabling said at least one first user type member to retrieve said uploaded content for use in said publication as constrained by said at least one parameter and manipulate said content as constrained by said at least one publication production constraint, said development component capable of assembling said content in a vectorized graphics format;

providing a proofing component enabling said at least one first user type member to render at least a portion of said publication for viewing electronically via a client device; and

providing a publication component for receiving approval of said proof from said first user type member, whereby said publication component can assemble said content associated with said proof into a format which can be directly processed by a raster image processing component, thereby producing said publication without the manual use of a pre-press tool.

29. A target marketing tool, comprising:

a server for storing content for use in a content publication project, at least portion of said content received from at least one end purchaser of a publication to be developed through said project, said publication project having at least one stage of production, said server further storing programming for manipulating said stored content and producing said publication;

a first user interface for receiving advertising content during said at least one stage of production of said publication;

a second user interface for manipulating said stored content, said second user interface including a display that includes at least a first portion of said advertising content, wherein said at least a first portion of said advertising content is targeted to the content manipulator;

a third user interface for said at least one end purchaser to submit said portion of said content, said third user interface including a display that includes at least a second portion of said advertising content during submission of said content by said at least one end purchaser and prior to said content publication being produced, wherein said at least a second portion of said advertising content is targeted to the end purchaser; and

wherein said server can produce said publication to include at least a third portion of said advertising content, wherein said at least a third portion of said advertising content is targeted to the end purchaser.

30. The tool of claim 29 wherein said at least one production stage includes a development stage and a publication stage, and wherein said first user interface can receive a first advertising content submission for presentation on said second user interface during said development stage and a second advertising content submission for presentation on said publication during said publication stage.

31. An order fulfillment tool for fulfilling orders for a content publication, said content publication including content submitted by a user, comprising:

a server for storing content for use in said content publication;

a content publication tool operable by said server, said publication tool having a planning component, a development component and a publication component, said planning component enabling a producer to establish at least one publication parameter and at least one publication production constraint for a content publication and further allowing said at least one first user type member to establish at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from said user, said development component enabling said user to upload content to said server and further enabling said producer to retrieve said uploaded content for use in said publication as constrained by said at least one parameter and manipulate said content as constrained by said at least one publication production constraint, said development component capable of assembling said content in a vectorized graphics format, said publication component capable of receiving approval of a proof from said first user type member, whereby said publication component can assemble said content associated with said proof into a format which can be directly processed by a raster image processing component, thereby enabling production and printing of said publication without the manual use of a pre-press tool; and

an order processing component operable by said server to receive and process a content publication order.

32. The tool of claim 31 wherein said order is received from said user.

33. The tool of claim 31 wherein said received order is for a specified portion of said content publication.

34. The tool of claim 33 wherein said specified portion is determined by a budgeting tool.

35. The tool of claim 33 wherein said specified portion is specified according to a required number of pages of said publication.

36. The tool of claim 33 wherein said specified portion is specified according to a color selection.

37. The tool of claim 31 wherein said received content is advertising content, said advertising content being stored by said server according to programming for determining a target consumer for said advertising content, said development component including means for providing at least one area within said content publication for displaying targeted advertising content, said order processing component including means for receiving information pertinent to classifying said order as deriving from a target consumer group, said order processing component further including means for determining appropriate advertising content from said stored advertising content for insertion as said targeted advertising content into said at least one area of said produced publication, and means for inserting said targeted advertising content into said at least one area.

38. An automated printing system, comprising:

means for designing a content publication, said designing means enabling at least one member of a second user type as constrained by said at least one publication parameter, to establish at least one publication parameter and at least one publication production constraint for said content publication and further allowing said at least one first user type member to establish at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from at least one member of a second user type;

means for receiving content from said at least one second user type member;

means for developing said publication, said developing means including at least one user interface enabling a plurality of first user type members to collaborate in the development of said publication and manipulate said content as constrained by said at least one publication production constraint;

means for proofing said publication by enabling at least one member of said first user type to render at least a portion of said publication for viewing electronically via a client device; and

means for receiving approval of said portion of said publication from said first user type member, whereby said publication component can assemble said content associated with said portion of said publication into a format which can be directly processed by a raster image processing component, thereby producing said publication without the manual use of a pre-press tool.

39. A system for content processing and publication, comprising:

a planning component enabling at least one member of a first user type from a first client device to establish at least one publication parameter and at least one publication production constraint for a content publication, and further allowing said at least one first user type member to establish at least one criteria for receiving content contributions from at least one member of a second user type;

a development component enabling said at least one second user type member to upload at least image content to a server from a second client device, said server storing said content, said development component further enabling said at least one first user type member to retrieve said uploaded content for use in said publication as constrained by said at least one publication parameter and manipulate said content as constrained by said at least one production constraint, said development component capable of assembling said content in a vectorized graphics format;

a proofing component enabling said at least one first user type member to render at least a portion of said publication in the form of a proof for viewing electronically via a client device; and

a publication component for receiving approval of said proof from said first user type member, whereby said publication component can assemble said content associated with said proof into a format which can be directly processed by a raster image processing component, thereby producing said publication without the manual use of a pre-press tool.