Ad taking pagination information system

• US 5,893,111 A
• Filed: 06/13/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tele-Publishing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tele-Publishing Incorporated
• Inventors: Sharon, Jr., Paul A., Fitch, Jr., James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Linte, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US08/876,007
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/104, 707/103, 707/5, 707/10, 235/375
• US Class Current: 707/688
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A network on which personal ads are stored for distribution to a client includes at least one call center on which the personal ads are entered, at least one ad response machine on which responses to the ads are stored and an ad taking system including a processor and a database. The database includes an identifier of each client, the text of the personal ads to be distributed to each client and a profile of each client. The client profile includes a list of personal ad parameters and a weight associated with each such parameter. Ads are distributed to the client in an order based on the weight assigned to each parameter applicable to the ad. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the weights are verified with statistics of the productivity of recently published ads in eliciting responses, with such statistics being obtained over the network from an ad response machine servicing the client. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, at least one box pool for each client is stored in the database and includes box numbers and security codes available for advertisers to access ad responses and the processor is operative to ensure that a predetermined minimum number of box numbers and security codes remain available for each client.

Claims

1. A network on which personal ads are stored for distribution to a client, comprising:

at least one call center on which are entered a plurality of personal ads to be distributed to the client;

at least one ad response machine on which responses to the personal ads are stored; and

an ad taking system comprising a database including;

an identifier of the client;

the plurality of personal ads to be distributed to the client; and

a profile of the client containing a plurality of identifiers of personal ad parameters and a plurality of weights, each one associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of personal ad parameters, wherein the plurality of weights are verified with statistics regarding the productivity of the respective personal ad parameter in eliciting responses, and wherein the statistics are obtained from the at least one ad response machine over the network.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the profile further comprises an identifier of a font and a pitch of text characters for the personal ads distributed to the client and free page space allocated by the client for the personal ad.

3. The network of claim 1 further comprising a Centralized Automated Polling System (CAPS) coupled between the network and the at least one ad response machine, wherein the CAPS periodically polls the at least one ad response machine for the statistics and makes the statistics available to the ad taking system.

4. The network of claim 1 further comprising a processor for ordering the personal ads according to the weights contained in the profile.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein personal ads are stored in the database for distribution to a plurality of clients and wherein the database contains an identifier of each of the clients, personal ads to be distributed to each of the clients and a profile of each of the clients.

6. The network of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of ad response machines, each one located proximal to at least one of the plurality of clients.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein the responses stored on the at least one ad response machine are recorded voice messages which are telephone accessible with a box number and a security code and wherein the ad taking system further comprises a processor on which a box management program is executed for maintaining a predetermined number of box numbers and security codes available for the client.

8. A method of providing text of personal ads to a client, comprising the steps of:

receiving the text of a plurality of personal ads to be distributed to the client, the text being received at a call center coupled to a network;

storing responses to the personal ads on an ad response machine coupled to the network;

providing a database on an ad taking system coupled to the network, with the database including an identifier of the client, the personal ads to be distributed to the client and a profile of the client, the profile containing a plurality of identifiers of personal ad parameters and a plurality of weights, each one associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of personal ad parameters; and

collecting from the ad response machine via the network statistics regarding the productivity of each of the plurality of personal ad parameters in eliciting responses, wherein the weights are verified with the collected statistics.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the database providing step includes storing in the database an identifier of a font and pitch for the text of the personal ads and free page space allocated by the client for the personal ads.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the statistics collecting step includes periodically polling the ad response machine to collect the statistics.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of distributing the text of the personal ads to the client in an order determined by the weights contained in the profile.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the personal ad receiving step includes receiving personal ads for a plurality of clients and wherein the database providing step includes storing in the database an identifier of each of the clients, personal ads for distribution to each of the clients and a profile of each of the clients.

13. A method of providing text of personal ads to a client, comprising the steps of:

calculating a point total to assign to each of the personal ads in accordance with a weighting scheme associated with the client;

ordering the personal ads according to the point total calculated for each of the personal ads;

determining a maximum quantity of text to provide to the client based on a profile of the client; and

providing the text of the personal ads to the client in accordance with the determined maximum text quantity and point totals of the personal ads.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the maximum text quantity determining step includes determining a maximum number of text characters to provide to the client and the personal ad providing step includes the steps of:

determining whether the sum of the number of text characters previously provided to the client plus the number of characters of the personal ad having the next highest point total is less than the maximum number of text characters; and

providing to the client the personal ad having the next highest point total if the sum of the number of characters previously provided to the client plus the number of characters of the personal ad having the next highest point total is less than the maximum number of text characters.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the personal ad providing step includes transmitting the text of the personal ads to the client.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile includes a font and a pitch of the text characters of the personal ads and free page space allocated by the client for the personal ads.

17. A network on which personal ads are placed for distribution to at least one client comprising:

a call center on which a plurality of personal ads to be distributed to the client are entered;

an ad response machine comprising voice recording media for storing responses to the personal ads; and

an ad taking system coupled to the network and including a processor and a database, wherein the database contains a box pool in which is stored a plurality of box numbers, each one corresponding to a portion of the voice recording media of the ad response machine and a plurality of security codes by which authorized access to the voice recording media is verified, wherein the processor is operative to ensure that a predetermined minimum number of box numbers and security codes are stored in the database for the at least one client,

wherein the database further includes a value representing the predetermined minimum number of box numbers and security codes to be stored for the respective client.

18. The network of claim 17 wherein the database further includes a value representing the number of box numbers and security codes to be ordered whenever the number of stored box numbers and security codes for the respective client is less than the predetermined minimum number.