Method and system for calculating cost of a compilation of content
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for determining the cost of and producing a user-defined content object comprising:
- defining said content object in accordance with user selection and arrangement of a plurality of content entities for said content object, wherein the content object is a digital object within the computer in the form of one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, and the content entities each include content comprising digital data, are stored within a data repository as a plurality of individually accessible file objects, and are selectively associated with an actual content count representing the quantity of content within that content entity; and
generating a price for the user to produce the user-defined content object, wherein said price is one of an actual price and an estimated price selected based on a parameter setting and said price generation includes;
generating an estimated content count for the selected content entities that represents an estimated quantity of content within the content object, wherein the digital data within the selected content entities are utilized to determine the estimated content count representing the estimated quantity of content within the content object, and generating from the estimated content count the estimated price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object with the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the estimated price, wherein the estimated price is determined based on a price per unit of content, and wherein the unit of content represents a predetermined quantity of content and the estimated content count indicates an estimated quantity of said units of content for the selected content entities; and
generating the actual price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object from the actual content counts of the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the actual price.
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Abstract
A web-based system, method and program product are provided for adding content to a content object stored (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. As the user selects desired objects for inclusion in a content object, the system arranges the objects hierarchically, e.g., into volumes, chapters and sections according to the order specified by the user. The system then creates a file object (e.g., a CBO) defining the content object that contains a list or outline of the container and noncontainer entities selected, their identifiers, order and structure. This file object is stored separately in the data repository. An aspect of the invention is the calculation of the compilation'"'"'s cost by estimating the amount of content it contains and determining a content cost based upon the content estimate. Optionally, a cost is assigned to each content entity in the data repository and these actual costs are summed as part of the cost estimation procedure.
185 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for determining the cost of and producing a user-defined content object comprising:
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defining said content object in accordance with user selection and arrangement of a plurality of content entities for said content object, wherein the content object is a digital object within the computer in the form of one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, and the content entities each include content comprising digital data, are stored within a data repository as a plurality of individually accessible file objects, and are selectively associated with an actual content count representing the quantity of content within that content entity; and generating a price for the user to produce the user-defined content object, wherein said price is one of an actual price and an estimated price selected based on a parameter setting and said price generation includes; generating an estimated content count for the selected content entities that represents an estimated quantity of content within the content object, wherein the digital data within the selected content entities are utilized to determine the estimated content count representing the estimated quantity of content within the content object, and generating from the estimated content count the estimated price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object with the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the estimated price, wherein the estimated price is determined based on a price per unit of content, and wherein the unit of content represents a predetermined quantity of content and the estimated content count indicates an estimated quantity of said units of content for the selected content entities; and generating the actual price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object from the actual content counts of the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the actual price. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for determining the cost of and producing a user-defined content object, the method comprising:
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defining said content object in accordance with user selection and arrangement of a plurality of content entities for said content object, wherein the content object is a digital object in the form of one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, and the content entities each include content comprising digital data, are stored within a data repository as a plurality of individually accessible file objects, and are selectively associated with an actual content count representing the quantity of content within that content entity; and generating a price for the user to produce the user-defined content object, wherein said price is one of an actual price and an estimated price selected based on a parameter setting and said price generation includes; generating an estimated content count for the selected content entities that represents an estimated quantity of content within the content object, wherein the digital data within the selected content entities are utilized to determine the estimated content count representing the estimated quantity of content within the content object, and generating from the estimated content count the estimated price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object with the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the estimated price, wherein the estimated price is determined based on a price per unit of content, and wherein the unit of content represents a predetermined quantity of content and the estimated content count indicates an estimated quantity of said units of content for the selected content entities; and generating the actual price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object from the actual content counts of the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the actual price. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-implemented system for determining the cost of and producing a user-defined content object comprising:
a computer system including a processor configured to; define said content object in accordance with user selection and arrangement of a plurality of content entities for said content object, wherein the content object is a digital object within the computer system in the form of one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, and the content entities each include content comprising digital data, are stored within a data repository as a plurality of individually accessible file objects, and are selectively associated with an actual content count representing the quantity of content within that content entity; and generate a price for the user to produce the user-defined content object, wherein said price is one of an actual price and an estimated price selected based on a parameter setting and said generating a price includes; generating an estimated content count for the selected content entities that represents an estimated quantity of content within the content object, wherein the digital data within the selected content entities are utilized to determine the estimated content count representing the estimated quantity of content within the content object, and generating from the estimated content count the estimated price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object with the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the estimated price, wherein the estimated price is determined based on a price per unit of content, and wherein the unit of content represents a predetermined quantity of content and the estimated content count indicates an estimated quantity of said units of content for the selected content entities; and generating the actual price to serve as the price for the user to produce the user-defined content object from the actual content counts of the selected content entities in response to said parameter setting indicating the actual price. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification