System using electronic campaign yard sign for gathering supports from email recipients

• US 7,165,038 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ElectionMall Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ElectionMall Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Ravneet, Singh, Simerneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/898,509
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/224, 707/104.1, 705/14, 705/10, 705/12, 715/764, 455/3.04
• US Class Current: 705/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system to empowers a candidate to design and customize his/her own “Yard sign.” The candidate may send out his/her message to multiple email addresses that he/she has collected. The process can be conducted over the Internet in a form similar to a mass mailing. This form of permission email based system allows the user to communicate with the constituents that he/she is trying to attract in a paperless form, saving time and money.

Claims

1. Method of tracking information relating to email recipients for campaign purposes comprising:

sending an electronic yard sign from a communication node on a selected list, the electronic yard sign including at least one recipient function, wherein the electronic yard sign is an electronic re-creation of a physical campaign yard sign operable to be physically placed in a yard for campaign purposes;

receiving recipient input from the recipient function at the node;

storing the recipient input in a database; and

searching the database of recipient input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient function is selected from the list consisting of:

voluntary services to candidate campaign, indicating support for candidate;

making donation to campaign, and sending electronic yard sign to others.

3. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

sending an electronic yard sign from a communication node on a selected list, the electronic yard sign including a recipient function, wherein the electronic yard sign is an electronic re-creation of a physical campaign yard sign operable to be physically placed in a yard for campaign purposes;

receiving recipient input from the recipient function at the node; and

storing the recipient input in a database.

4. The signal bearing medium of claim 3, wherein the recipient function is volunteering services to a candidate campaign.

5. The signal bearing medium of claim 3, wherein the recipient function is indicating support for a candidate.

6. The signal bearing medium of claim 3, wherein the recipient function is making a donation to a campaign.

7. The signal bearing medium of claim 3, wherein the recipient function is sending the electronic yard sign to others.

8. The signal bearing medium of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

searching the database of the recipient input.

9. A system, comprising:

means for sending an electronic yard sign from a communication node on a selected list, the electronic yard sign including a recipient function, wherein the electronic yard sign is an electronic re-creation of a physical campaign yard sign operable to be physically placed in a yard for campaign purposes;

means for receiving recipient input from the recipient function at the node; and

means for storing the recipient input in a database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the recipient function is volunteering services to a candidate campaign.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the recipient function is indicating support for a candidate.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the recipient function is making a donation to a campaign.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the recipient function is sending the electronic yard sign to others.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for searching the database of the recipient input.