Rapid specification and electronic delivery of customized product information

• US 7,917,485 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gill, Balraj, Reneau, Robert, Gibson, Phil, Citajaya, William, Perry, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison; Jay A
• Application Number:
  US11/239,833
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A sender, such as a sales representative, may create a customized product notice message directly from a web site that is then sent to one or more customers. The customized product notice message may contain information, such as URL links, that relate to the product. The product notice message may also be customized to include items such as the sender'"'"'s company logo and the like. When the user opens the product notice message a tracking message is automatically sent to the user who created the message. The user'"'"'s activity relating to the content of the message that may be tracked is stored within a data store. This activity data may then be delivered to the sender at predetermined times.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating and delivering a product notice message, comprising:

identifying a user accessing a web page that identifies at least one product;

displaying a product notice option on the web page to the user, wherein the product notice option provides an option to create a customized product notice message for the at least one product;

determining when the product notice option is selected, and in response to the selection;

determining at least one addressee for the product notice message, wherein the product notice message includes information about the at least one product;

customizing the product notice message to include traceable information, wherein the traceable information includes a link to information about the at least product such that, when the at least one addressee accesses the link, a record that the at least one addressee accessed the link is transmitted;

sending the product notice message to the at least one addressee; and

notifying the user when the product notice message is opened by the at least one addressee using a tracking message, wherein the tracking message comprises a list of all addressees who have accessed the link within a specified time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the user and displaying the product notice option to the user comprises displaying the product notice option after determining that the user is an authorized user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the user is an authorized user comprises determining that the user is an authorized seller of the at least one product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the product notice option comprises displaying a product notice icon on the web page.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a preview of the product notice message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the product notice message is opened by the at least one addressee and sending the tracking message to the user in response.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the traceable information within the product notice message is accessed and sending an activity message to the user that indicates an activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining when the traceable information within the product notice message is accessed and sending the activity message comprises storing the activity relating to the traceable information such that information about the activity may be accessed at a later time.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for generating and delivering a product notice message, comprising wherein the computer executable instructions comprise instructions for:

determining when a user accessing a web page is an authorized user allowed to customize a product notice message that includes information about a product;

displaying a product notice option when the user is authorized;

determining when the product notice option is selected, and in response to the selection;

receiving information identifying at least one addressee for the product notice message;

customizing the product notice message to include traceable information and a message and information about the product, wherein the traceable information includes at least one link such that when the at least one addressee accesses the link, a record that the at least one addressee accessed the link is transmitted;

sending the product notice message to the at least one addressee; and

sending a tracking message to the user when the product notice message is opened by the at least one addressee, wherein the tracking message comprises a list of all addressees who have accessed the link within a specified time.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for displaying the product notice option comprise instructions for only displaying the product notice option to the user after determining that the user is an authorized user.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for determining when the user is an authorized user comprises instructions for examining a cookie that is associated with the user.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions for displaying the product notice option comprise instructions for displaying a product notice icon on the web page.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for providing a preview of the product notice message to the user.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for determining when the product notice message is accessed by the at least one addressee and sending the tracking message to the user.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions for determining when the traceable information within the product notice message is accessed and sending an activity message to the user that indicates an activity at specified times.

16. An apparatus for rapid specification and electronic delivery of information, comprising:

a network connection device operative to connect to a network and a client computing device;

a data store that is configured to store activity that relates to accessing information that is associated with a product notice message; and

an application that is configured to;

display a product notice option on a web page in association with a product when a user is authorized to customize the product notice message;

determine when the product notice option is selected, and in response to the selection;

receive options from the authorized user to configure the product notice message, wherein the options include traceable information that is included within the product notice message and information about the product selected by the authorized user, wherein the traceable information includes a link to information about the product such that, when at least one addressee accesses the link, a record that the at least one addressee accessed the link is transmitted;

send the product notice message to the at least one addressee; and

send a tracking message to the authorized user, wherein the tracking message comprises a list of all addressees who have accessed the link within a specified time.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application is configured to determine when the user is authorized accessing a cookie on a client computing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application is further configured to determine when the product notice message is accessed by the at least one addressee and a to send the tracking message in response.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application is further configured to send an activity message to the authorized user that indicates an activity that is associated with the product notice message.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the application is further configured to determine when the link within the product notice message is selected.