Real-time process for defining, processing and delivering a highly customized contact list over a network

• US 8,064,586 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeuStar Information Services, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Targus Information Corporation (Neustar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moore, George G., Shaffer, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US11/673,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 709/223
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

A real-time, interactive system and method of building a list of contact records, such as a mailing list, on a computer network based on selected criteria. A list specification is generated, which may include interactively specifying a geographically defined area for which a contact list is desired including receiving user input, and interactively selecting a product from a plurality of products and a threshold score for the product including receiving user input. The list specification may be transmitted over the computer network to a server where the contact list is built in real-time based on the list specification. If a set of characteristics of the contact list, such as number of records generated or cost, are approved by the user, the contact list is transmitted to a user-specified node on the computer network. The list specification may be stored in memory for reuse by a business, such as a chain of stores. This feature provides a way to easily regenerate new and updated contact lists at future dates for all or a subset of the stores by accessing updated source databases without having to re-specify the list every time a fresh list is required.

Claims

1. A computerized real-time, interactive method of building a list of contact records based on selected criteria, the method comprising:

obtaining a geographic area definition, a classification and a threshold value associated with the classification;

generating a search geography code list of geography codes based on the geographic area definition;

determining a selected set of records in a list database based on the geography codes in the search geography code list;

identifying a spatial coordinate and a socio-economic code corresponding to a sub-geography code for each record in the selected set of records;

identifying a classification score for each record in the selected set of records based on the socio-economic code;

determining identified records in the selected set of records based on a comparison of the classification score with the threshold value and if the spatial coordinate associated with the record is located within the geographic area definition;

providing a contact address corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records if a minimum user threshold number of records are identified;

providing selected append data corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records; and

transmitting to a user the append data corresponding to the identified records having contact addresses.

2. The method defined in claim 1, additionally comprising transmitting to a user the contact addresses for the records in the identified records having contact addresses.

3. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the append data includes at least one of the following:

contact name, classification score, distance, presence of child, age of child, estimated household income, ownership status, length of time at address, date of birth, gender, marital status, business name, SIC code, number of employees and sales.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein providing selected append data includes selecting at least one append data type from a list of displayed append data types.

5. The method defined in claim 1, additionally comprising providing a contact name and a secondary contact address corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records if a minimum user threshold number of records are identified.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein the secondary contact address comprises a telephone number.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the list database has a plurality of records and a least one record comprises a zip+6 code and a name code.

8. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic area definition comprises:

a desired location identifier; and

a radius.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic area definition comprises:

a desired address; and

a polygon around a location identified by the address.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein the polygon is displayed on a displayed map of the area identified by the address.

11. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic area definition comprises a standard geography type from a list of displayed geography types.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the geographic area definition further comprises a geography code or a name of a geographical entity.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein the geography code comprises a zip code.

14. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the classification is part of a list of displayed classifications.

15. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold value associated with the classification is part of a list of displayed threshold values.

16. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the list of contact records comprises a mailing list.

17. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the list of contact records comprises a plurality of records, and wherein one of the records includes at least one of the following:

physical address, electronic address, telephone number, facsimile number, Internet Protocol address, pager number, network address or universal resource locator.

18. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the geography codes are a hierarchical component of a zip code.

19. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the spatial coordinate comprises an interleaved latitude and longitude.

20. A real-time, interactive method of building a contact list based on selected criteria, the method comprising:

permitting a user to interactively generate a list specification in real-time, the list specification comprising a geographic area definition, a classification and a threshold value associated with the classification;

receiving the list specification over a network by a server having a memory; and

building a contact list on the server in real-time, based on the list specification, by

generating a search geography code list of geography codes based on the geographic area definition,

determining a selected set of records in a list database based on the geography codes in the search geography code list,

identifying a spatial coordinate and a socio-economic code corresponding to a sub-geography code for each record in the selected set of records,

identifying a classification score for each record in the selected set of records based on the socio-economic code,

determining identified records in the selected set of records based on a comparison of the classification score with the threshold value and if the spatial coordinate associated with the record is located within the geographic area definition,

providing a contact address corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records if a minimum user threshold number of records are identified,

providing selected append data corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records, and

transmitting to a user the append data corresponding to the identified records having contact addresses.

21. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the geographic area definition may be of any size and any shape.

22. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the list specification further comprises a product selected from a plurality of products and a threshold score for the product.

23. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the threshold score for the product is indicative of a predetermined level of consumption of the product.

24. The method defined in claim 20, wherein building the contact list on the server further includes receiving an approval of the number of records in the selected set of records.

25. The method defined in claim 24, further including receiving a selection of screening data from the user.

26. The method defined in claim 25, wherein generating the intermediate list determining the selected set of records includes applying the screening data.

27. The method defined in claim 25, further including receiving a selection of at least one screening data type from a list of screening data types.

28. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the append data includes at least one of the following:

age, gender, marital status, estimated income, property value, ownership status, length of time at address, education level, occupation, presence of child, and age of child.

29. The method defined in claim 20, wherein providing selected append data includes receiving a selection of selecting at least one append data type from a list of append data types.

30. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the list database is stored in random access memory.

31. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the contact list comprises contact addresses corresponding to each identified record and the append data corresponding to the identified records having contact addresses, the method further comprising transmitting the contact list to a first client machine.

32. The method defined in claim 31, wherein transmitting the contact list includes receiving an approval of a number of records in the contact list.

33. The method defined in claim 31, additionally comprising collecting information via a browser to generate the list specification.

34. The method defined in claim 33, wherein the browser collects the information at a second client machine.

35. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the first client machine and the second client machine are the same machine.

36. The method defined in claim 31, additionally comprising transmitting a message to electronic addresses listed in the contact list transmitted to the first client machine.

37. The method defined in claim 31, wherein the contact list is subject to one of the following restrictions:

read-only usage, one-time usage, or unlimited usage.

38. The method defined in claim 20, additionally comprising collecting information via an applet to generate the list specification.

39. The method defined in claim 20, further including:

receiving a desired address; and

receiving a radius from the desired address.

40. The method defined in claim 20, furthering including:

receiving a desired location; and

receiving a polygon around a location identified by the location identifier.

41. The method defined in claim 40, wherein receiving the polygon includes receiving a drawing of the polygon on a displayed map of the area identified by the address.

42. The method defined in claim 20, further including receiving a selection of a standard geography type from a list of standard geography types.

43. The method defined in claim 42, further including receiving a geography code or a name of a geographical entity.

44. The method defined in claim 43, wherein the geography code comprises a zip code.

45. The method defined in claim 42, wherein the standard geography type is selected from the list of standard geography types including zip codes, dominant marketing areas, cities, places, counties, states, telephone area codes, minor civil divisions, metropolitan statistical areas, legislative districts, voting districts and school districts.

46. The method defined in claim 20, further including:

receiving a selection of a product from a list of displayed products; and

receiving a threshold score associated with the product.

47. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the contact list comprises a plurality of records and one of the records of the contact list includes at least one of the following:

at least a partial name, physical address, electronic address, telephone number, facsimile number, pager number, or universal resource locator.

48. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the contact list comprises a mailing list.

49. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the contact list comprises a household list, a business list or an individual list.

50. A real-time, interactive method of building a contact list based on selected criteria, the method comprising:

interactively generating a list specification in real-time, the list specification comprising a geographic area definition, a classification and a threshold value associated with the classification; and

building a contact list on a server in real-time based on the list specification record by

generating a search geography code list of geography codes based on the geographic area definition,

determining a selected set of records in a list database based on the geography codes in the search geography code list,

identifying a spatial coordinate and a socio-economic code corresponding to a sub-geography code for each record in the selected set of records,

identifying a classification score for each record in the selected set of records based on the socio-economic code,

determining identified records in the selected set of records based on a comparison of the classification score with the threshold value and if the spatial coordinate associated with the record is located within the geographic area definition,

providing a contact address corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records if a minimum user threshold number of records are identified,

providing selected append data corresponding to each identified record in the selected set of records, and

transmitting to a user the append data corresponding to the identified records having contact addresses.

51. The method defined in claim 50, additionally comprising collecting information so as to generate the list specification at the server.

52. The method defined in claim 50, wherein the contact list comprises a plurality of records, and wherein one of the records includes at least one of the following:

physical address, electronic address, telephone number, facsimile number, Internet Protocol address, pager number, or universal resource locator.