Validation and audit of e-media delivery

• US 7,058,685 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: van Zee, Pieter J., Gupta, Aloke, Miller, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PWU, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US09/694,542
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/202, 709/203, 709/213, 709/217, 709/218, 358/402, 358/403
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, a computer-readable medium and a digital content delivery service system for sending and validating/auditing delivery of e-media. The method includes the steps of: obtaining/receiving e-media of a sender/user wherein the sender/user has indicated a requested type of delivery of the e-media to a client/receiving party, wherein the client is a software application; accessing an account of the sender/user to obtain sender/user information; sending the e-media to the client/receiving party; and receiving a validation/audit of the requested type of delivery upon receipt/consumption of the e-media by the client/receiving party.

Claims

1. In a digital content delivery service system, a method of sending and validating delivery of e-media, comprising the steps of:

receiving e-media of a sender wherein the sender has indicated a requested type of delivery of the e-media to a receiving party, wherein the client is a software application;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

accessing an account of the sender to obtain sender information;

sending the e-media to the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media;

receiving, by the sender, the history record and a validation of the requested type of delivery upon receipt of the e-media in the form of a biometric signature to indicate receipt of the e-media by the receiving party to allow the sender to make future e-media delivery decisions, wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party; and

sending to the sender the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is attended by the receiving party.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the validation includes at least one of:

a biometric signature sent by the receiving party; and

a user'"'"'s Unique IDentifier entered by the receiving party to indicate that the e-media has been received.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein if there has been an authentication of recipient request from the sender, an Unique IDentifier entered by the receiving party and a biometric signature from the recipient is required to receive the e-media to indicate that the e-media has been received.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the e-media is received by printing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the e-media is received other than by printing.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for sending and validating delivery of e-media by a digital content delivery service system, the computer-executable instructions including the steps of:

receiving e-media of a sender wherein the sender has indicated a requested type of delivery of the e-media to a receiving party, wherein the client is a software application;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

accessing an account of the sender to obtain sender information;

sending the e-media to the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media;

receiving, by the sender, the history record and a validation of the requested type of delivery upon receipt of the e-media in the form of a biometric signature to indicate receipt of the e-media by the receiving party, wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party; and

sending to the sender the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is attended by the receiving party.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the validation includes at least one of:

a biometric signature sent by the receiving party; and

a user'"'"'s Unique IDentifier entered by the receiving party to indicate that the e-media has been received.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein if there has been an authentication of recipient request from the sender, an Unique IDentifier entered by the receiving party and a biometric signature from the recipient is required to receive the e-media to indicate that the e-media has been received.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the e-media is received by printing.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the e-media is received other than by printing.

13. A digital content delivery service system for sending and auditing delivery of e-media, comprising:

an interface e-media transfer unit, arranged to communicate with at least one of;

a plurality of senders and other digital content delivery service systems and coupled to a sender account storage unit and a audit processing unit, programmed to receive e-media of a sender wherein the sender has indicated a requested type of delivery of the e-media to a receiving party and to store sender information and requested type of delivery in the sender account storage unit, wherein the sender specifies a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

the audit processing unit, coupled to the interface e-media transfer unit and to the sender account storage unit, for obtaining sender information and the requested type of delivery from the sender account storage unit in the form of a biometric signature to indicate receipt of the e-media, sending the e-media to the receiving party digital content delivery service systems, creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media, and obtaining the history record and audit information for receipt of the e-media, wherein the audit of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party;

the sender account storage unit, coupled to the interface e-media transfer unit and the audit processing unit, for storing sender information and a requested type of delivery of e-media; and

the sender receives the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record.

14. The digital content delivery service system of claim 13 wherein at least part of the information of the requested type of delivery is provided by the receiving party.

15. The digital content delivery service system of claim 14 wherein the audit information includes at least one of:

a biometric signature sent by the receiving party; and

a user'"'"'s Unique IDentifier entered by the receiving party to indicate receipt of the e-media.

16. The digital content delivery service system of claim 13 wherein the audit information of the requested type of delivery is automatically provided by a device/devices of the receiving party.

17. The digital content delivery service system of claim 13 wherein the receipt of the e-media is achieved by printing.

18. The digital content delivery service system of claim 13 wherein the receipt of the e-media is achieved other than by printing.

19. In a digital content delivery service system, a method for performing audit of delivery of e-media, comprising the steps of:

packaging, by the sender, the e-media;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

requesting, by the sender, a delivery service to deliver the e-media;

accessing, by the delivery service, the sender account to obtain pertinent information;

transmitting, by the delivery service, the e-media to the receiving party;

delivering of the e-media to a personal computer/device of the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media; and

validating, in the form of a biometric signature, by the receiving party, that the e-media has been received and sending the history record and regulator status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record to the sender and the receiving party, wherein the audit of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of delivering the e-media to a personal computer/device of the receiving party includes at least one of:

informing the delivery service that the e-media was delivered; and

determining a desired level of delivery validation.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of delivering the e-media to a personal computer/device of the receiving party includes at least one of:

informing the delivery service that the e-media was delivered; and

verifying utilizing by the receiving party.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of validating, by the receiving party, that the e-media has been received includes one of:

sending, by the receiving party, a biometric signature; and

entering a user'"'"'s Unique IDentifier by the receiving party to indicate that the e-media has been utilized.

23. In a digital content delivery system, a method for performing an unattended validation of delivery of printed e-media, comprising the steps of:

packaging, by the sender, the e-media;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

receiving, by the delivery service, the e-media delivery request;

accessing, by the delivery service, the sender account to obtain pertinent information;

transmitting, by the delivery service, the e-media to the receiving party, wherein the client is a software application;

automatically delivering of the e-media to a printer of the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media; and

validating, in the form of a biometric signature, by the receiving party, that the e-media has been received and sending the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record to both the sender and the receiving party, wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of transmitting, by the delivery service, the e-media to the receiving party includes at least one of:

informing the delivery service that the e-media was transmitted; and

determining a desired level of delivery validation.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of delivering the e-media to the printer of the receiving party includes at least one of:

informing the delivery service that the e-media was delivered; and

verifying receipt by the receiving party.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of validating, by the printer of the receiving party, that the e-media has been received includes one of:

automatically sending, by the printer of the receiving party, a biometric signature; and

automatically entering a user'"'"'s Unique IDentifier by the printer of the receiving party to indicate that the e-media has been received.

27. In a digital content delivery system, a method for performing an unattended validation of delivery of e-media, comprising the steps of:

packaging, by the sender, the e-media;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

requesting, by the sender, the delivery service to deliver the e-media;

accessing, by the delivery service, the sender account to obtain pertinent information;

transmitting, by the delivery service, the e-media to a receiving party;

delivering of the e-media to a consumption device of the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media;

validating, in the form of a biometric signature, by the consumption device of the receiving party, correct delivery of the e-media and sending the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record to both the sender and the receiving party, wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party; and

sending to the sender the history record and regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the pertinent information includes at least one of:

a user'"'"'s Unique Identifier;

identification of the e-media; and

a desired level of delivery validation feedback.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of validating, by the consumption device of the receiving party, the correct delivery of the e-media includes validating a user'"'"'s Unique Identifier.

30. In a digital content delivery system, a method for performing an unattended validation of delivery of e-media, comprising the steps of:

packaging, by the sender, the e-media;

specifying, by the sender, a level of feedback from the receiving party that includes determining if the e-media and attached documents sent with it were printed and if the receiving party opened and interacted with the e-media and attached documents;

requesting, by the sender, the delivery service to deliver the e-media;

accessing, by the delivery service, the sender account to obtain pertinent information;

transmitting, by the delivery service, the e-media to the receiving party;

delivering of the e-media to a consumption device of the receiving party;

creating a history record that includes a chain of delivery events occurring after sending the e-media and interaction events occurring after receipt of the e-media;

validating, in the form of a biometric signature, by the consumption device of the receiving party, correct delivery of the e-media, wherein the validation of the requested type of delivery is unattended by the receiving party; and

receiving the history record, regular status updates on availability times of the receiving party to receive new e-media based on the events of the history record and a validation of the requested type of delivery upon receipt of the e-media by the receiving party to allow the receiving party to make future e-media delivery decisions.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the pertinent information includes at least one of:

a user'"'"'s Unique Identifier;

identification of the e-media; and

a desired level of delivery validation feedback.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of validating, by the consumption device of the receiving party, the correct delivery of the e-media includes validating a user'"'"'s Unique Identifier.