System and method for distributing electronic information

• US 7,246,106 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red Paper LLC
• Original Assignee: Red Paper LLC
• Inventors: Gaynor, Michael G., Waterbury, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, HELENE R
• Application Number:
  US10/612,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 705/1, 705/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for distributing a plurality of electronic articles is provided. Articles are received from a plurality of users and stored retrievably in memory. A request is received for the purchase of an article from one of a plurality of users. An electronic funding account associated with the one of a plurality of users is debited, and the article is transmitted to the one of the plurality of users.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a plurality of digital article files for a price within a micro-price range, comprising the steps of:

providing for receiving at a central computer first author information from a first client computer for establishing a first author account associated with and utilizing the first author information, the first author account having a first author account value, and the first author account having a first author identifier for at least logging into the central computer from the first client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a first digital article file from the first client computer, the first digital article file comprising a first digital article, wherein the first digital article file is associated with the first author identifier;

providing for receiving at the central computer a first digital article micro-price within the micro-price range from the first client computer for establishing a first price to charge buyers for the first digital article;

providing for storing the first digital article file in a memory associated with the central computer, the first digital article file being retrievable from the memory;

providing for receiving at the central computer second author information from a second client computer for establishing a second author account associated with and utilizing the second author information, the second author account having a second author account value, and the second author account having a second author identifier for at least logging into the central computer from the second client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a second digital article file from the second client computer, the second digital article file comprising a second digital article, wherein the second digital article file is associated with the second author identifier;

providing for receiving at the central computer a second digital article micro-price within the micro-price range from the second client computer for establishing a second price to charge buyers for the second digital article;

providing for storing the second digital article file in a memory associated with the central computer, the second digital article file being retrievable from the memory;

providing for receiving at the central computer first buyer information from a third client computer for establishing a first buyer account associated with and utilizing the first buyer information, the first buyer account having a first buyer account value, and the first buyer account having a first buyer identifier for at least logging into the central computer from the third client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a first buyer payment for increasing the first buyer account value from the third client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a request for the purchase of the first digital article file from the third client computer;

providing for debiting the first buyer account by decreasing the first buyer account value an amount relating to the first digital article micro-price;

providing for crediting the first author account by increasing the first author account value an amount relating to the first digital article micro-price;

providing for transmitting the first digital article file to the third client computer in response to the request for the purchase of the first digital;

providing for receiving at the central computer second buyer information from a fourth client computer for establishing a second buyer account associated with and utilizing the second buyer information, the second buyer account having a second buyer account value, and the second buyer account having a second buyer identifier for at least logging into the central computer from the fourth client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a second buyer payment for increasing the second buyer account value from the fourth client computer;

providing for receiving at the central computer a request for the purchase of the second digital article from the fourth client computer;

providing for debiting the second buyer account by decreasing the second buyer account value an amount relating to the second digital article micro-price;

providing for crediting the second author account by increasing the second author account value an amount relating to the second digital article micro-price; and

,

providing for transmitting the second digital article file to the fourth client computer in response to the request for the purchase of the second digital article.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises an index of the digital article files stored in the memory.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

providing for searching the index to locate one of the digital article files based on at least one of type, subject matter, author name, submitter name, title, date, and/or rating.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for receiving a revised version of one of the digital article files from one of the plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of providing for receiving the first and second digital article files comprises the step of:

providing for receiving a summary of the first and second digital article files from first and second authors of the first and second digital articles, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for generating a summary of the first and second digital article files.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for classifying each of the first and second digital article files received from first and second authors, respectively, based on at least one of type, subject matter, submitter name, title, author name, date, and/or rating.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of classifying comprises:

providing for determining the type of the first and second digital article files.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

providing for transmitting summaries of the first and second digital article files to first and second users, respectively, the summaries sorted by at least one of type, subject matter, submitter name, title, author name, date, and/or rating.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

providing for establishing the price of the first and second digital article files.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

providing for allowing the price of the first and second digital article files to only be set within a predefined micro-price range by an author and/or submitter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing for establishing the price of the first and second digital article files comprises the step of:

providing for determining the price based on at least length, date, author, subject matter, and/or type.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for preventing the purchase of the first and second digital article files by the first and/or second buyers if the first and/or second buyers, respectively, does not have an established electronic funding account.

14. The method claim 1, wherein the step of providing for transmitting the first and second digital article files to the first and second buyers, respectively, each comprises providing for at least displaying the first and second digital article files on a Web site, electronically mailing the first and second digital article files, and/or providing the first and second digital article files for download.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for notifying the first and second authors of the first and second digital article files, respectively, that the first and second digital article files, respectively, have been purchased.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing for notifying comprises providing for at least displaying purchase information on a Web site and/or electronically mailing purchase information to the first and second buyers.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second digital article files has at least one of a type, a subject matter, an author name, a submitter name, a title, and/or a date, further comprising the step of:

providing for ranking the first and second digital article files according to at least one of type, subject matter, author name, submitter name, title, and/or date.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

providing for calculating a first rating for the first digital article file based on the number of times the first digital article file has been purchased;

and,

providing for calculating a second rating for the second digital article file based on the number of times the second digital article file has been purchased.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps of providing for calculating the first and second ratings are each based on buyer ratings received from a plurality of buyers.