Information management software and method

• US 9,967,365 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viridistor LLC
• Original Assignee: Viridistor LLC
• Inventors: Mullin, Terence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Aftab N.
• Application Number:
  US13/536,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

A method is disclosed in which exhibitors or information management softwares at an event provide digital content to a content administrator, who in turn processes the digital content and loads it onto a content delivery device. At the event attendees are issued portable memory devices that, when engaged with a content delivery device, upload the digital content from that content delivery device. Each portable memory device has an information management software that enables the attendee to search, correlate and manage the digital content. In some embodiments digital content is loaded to the portable memory device without use of the content delivery device.

Claims

1. A method for tracking and documenting consumer interest using a portable memory device, comprising:

providing to a plurality of users digital content concerning a plurality of vendors at an event on a portable memory device, a first portion of the digital content being related to a first product of a first vendor, a second portion of the digital content being related to a second product of a second vendor, the first vendor having a booth at the event at which any of the plurality of users can optionally obtain a supplemental first portion of digital content, the second vendor having a booth at the event at which any of the plurality of users can optionally obtain a supplemental second portion of digital content, the digital content being disseminated at the event and configured to be saved on a user computer;

providing to each of the plurality of users information management software in combination with the first portion and second portion of the digital content, the information management software defining a plurality of subject matter categories and subject matter subcategories, the information management software associating the first portion and the second portion with a first one of the plurality of subject matter subcategories, the information management software configured to enable the respective user to access and review, after or remote from the event, the digital content on the user computer, the information management software configured to be saved on the user computer;

wherein the information management software receiving a user rating input indicating a rating assigned by the user to the first vendor'"'"'s booth, and saving the user rating input so that the user rating input is associated with the first vendor'"'"'s booth along with receiving a user visit input indicating that the user has visited the first vendor'"'"'s booth, and saving the user visit input information;

the information management software creating a log of user access to the digital content and saving the log on the user computer, the log of a first one of the plurality of users documenting access to the first portion of the digital content;

the information management software communicating the log to a remote computer; and

communicating information about the log to the first vendor.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising classifying user access by the associated subject matter category and/or subcategory, and identifying user interest based upon logged user access in the subject matter category and/or subcategory.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising identifying a third vendor having a third product in a subject matter category in which the user has expressed interest, and providing contact information for the user to the third vendor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user obtains the digital content anonymously, and additionally comprising conditioning continued use of the information management software upon the user providing contact information and permission to log use of the information management software.

5. A method for delivering and managing digital content, comprising:

a first one of a plurality of attendees at a trade show event receiving a portable memory device having an information management software stored therein, the portable memory device also having a first group of data stored thereon, the first group of data comprising an identity of a plurality of exhibitors participating in the trade show event, each exhibitor having a first portion of digital content stored on the portable memory device, the information management software defining a plurality of subject matter categories and subject matter subcategories, the information management software associating each of the first portions of digital content with one of the plurality of subject matter subcategories;

the first attendee engaging the portable memory device with a plurality of content delivery devices, each of the content delivery devices associated with one of the plurality of exhibitors;

the portable memory device keeping an engagement log tracking engagement with each of the content delivery devices with which it is engaged, each engaged content delivery device delivering a second portion of digital content about the associated exhibitor to the portable memory device during engagement, the second portion of digital content from each of the engaged content delivery devices being part of a second group of data, the information management software associating each second portion of digital content with one of the plurality of subject matter subcategories;

the information management software receiving a user rating input indicating a rating assigned by the user to a first one of the plurality of exhibitors, and saving the user rating input so that the user rating input is associated with the first one of the plurality of exhibitors along with receiving a user visit input indicating that the user has engaged the content delivery device of the first one of the plurality of exhibitors, and saving the user visit input information;

the first attendee engaging a computing device with the portable memory device to transfer the information management software, engagement log and first and second group of data from the portable memory device to the computing device;

the first attendee searching the digital content by subject matter category and subject matter subcategory using the computing device, wherein such searching will include the first group of data and the second group of data;

the computing device creating an access log tracking access of the digital content by the first attendee and saving the access log on the computing device; and

communicating the engagement log and the access log to a remote computer system.

6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising the computing device documenting an input log of a user'"'"'s inputs to the information management software.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the information management software receives inputs from the first attendee associated with the second portion of digital content associated with a first one of the plurality of exhibitors and saves the inputs on the computing device.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving digital content from each of a plurality of exhibitors that have arranged to exhibit exhibitor content at an event, the digital content for each of the exhibitors having a first portion and a second portion;

associating each of the first portions and second portions with one of a plurality of subject matter categories and one of a plurality of subject matter subcategories;

a plurality of attendees at the event having a portable memory device, the portable memory device having the first portion of the digital content from each of the exhibitors and an information management software stored thereon, the information management software configured to recognize and save each second portion of digital content if and when it is received from the associated exhibitor, the information management software receiving a user rating input indicating a rating assigned by the user to the exhibitor, and saving the user rating input so that the user rating input is associated with the exhibitor, wherein the information management software is configured to be transferred to a computing device along with each of the first and second portions of digital content, and wherein the information management software manages the digital content;

receiving from the computing device a log documenting use of the information management software by a first attendee having a first one of the portable memory devices to access digital content from a first one of the exhibitors; and

informing the first one of the exhibitors about the first attendee'"'"'s access of digital content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information management software on the computing device automatically accesses a content administrator server online and updates the digital content.

10. The method of claim 8 additionally comprising receiving from the computing device an engagement log documenting that the first one of the portable memory devices obtained a second portion of the digital content from a second one of the exhibitors during the event.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising receiving from the computing device an access log documenting that the first attendee accessed the second portion of the digital content using the information management software on the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising receiving from the computing device an input log documenting inputs by the first attendee to the information management software.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein inputs of the attendee comprise ratings that the attendee applied to respective portions of the digital content.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein inputs of the attendee comprise an indication whether the attendee visited an exhibition or presentation of a respective one of the exhibitors.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein inputs of the attendee comprise demographic information about the attendee.