Multimedia communication system and method

• US 9,361,632 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impact Engine, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impact Engine, Inc.
• Inventors: Greer, Neil, Blank, Bennett, Depew, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US14/590,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating, editing, sharing and distributing high-quality, media-rich web-based communications. The communications are created in a layered fashion that integrates user-selected text, colors, background patterns, images, sound, music, video, or other media. The systems and methods are used to generate, edit, broadcast, and track electronic presentations, brochures, advertisements (such as banner advertisements on highly trafficked media websites), announcements, and interactive web pages, without the need for the user to understand complex programming languages.

Claims

1. A multimedia communication system comprising:

a media repository storing online advertisement templates available for display on a graphical user interface of a client computer coupled to the media repository via the Internet;

a project builder on a server computer obtaining an online advertisement template from the media repository, the project builder generating an online advertisement based on an online advertisement template selected on the graphical user interface;

a distribution program on the server computer coupled to the media repository for broadcasting the online advertisement, the distribution program using keywords in to determining the distribution of the online advertisement;

the server computer formatting the online advertisement, in an electronic distribution format being selectable from a set of two or more options of an electronic mail, a web page, an electronic brochure, a text ad, a mobile ad, an in stream ad, an in-video ad, an animated video file for display on a computer, an expandable video file for display on a computer, and an animated file for display on a computer; and

a project viewer for sending at least one version of the online advertisement via the Internet to a client computer having a graphical user interface that displays the online advertisement.

2. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distribution program uses keywords provided by a search engine.

3. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the search engine is Google.

4. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the online advertisement further comprises at least one of:

a keyword provided by the distribution program, content provided by a communication network, and content provided by a content source.

5. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the keywords are provided to the search engine by an online advertising service.

6. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distribution program is provided by Google Ad Words.

7. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distribution program uses data provided by Google Ad Words to determine the distribution of the online advertisement.

8. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a compiler on the server computer coupled to the media repository and the project viewer, the compiler integrating data received via the graphical user interface with the selected online advertisement template to generate compiled result data that is used by the project builder to generate the online advertisement.

9. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface comprises multimedia data including one or more of:

images, audio, video and text.

10. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the data specified on the graphical user interface includes one or more data feeds from one or more content sources.

11. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sharing program on the server computer coupled to the media repository, the sharing program sending the online advertisement to a plurality of entities specified on the graphical user interface via a communication mode specified on the graphical user interface.

12. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the project builder further comprises a plurality of media asset palettes, each media asset palette comprising a content type, and which is displayed in the graphical user interface according to user preferences.

13. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a plurality of slides.

14. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the plurality of slides comprise design layers, design elements, and content containers.

15. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the online advertisement templates are categorized in one or more online advertisement categories including at least one of:

a product showcase category, a service brochure category, an electronic business card category, a product or service brochure category, and an event promotion category.

16. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the online advertisement is displayed on a web page.

17. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the online advertisement includes an animated online advertisement.

18. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distribution program includes data provided by a social network.

19. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the online advertisement is paid for.

20. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distribution program interfaces with a geographical location determining system.

21. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 20, wherein the geographical location determining system provides a location of a potential recipient of the online advertisement.

22. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 20, wherein geographical location determining system includes a Global Positioning System.

23. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a tracking program for tracking data relating to the online advertisement.

24. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the project builder sends an update to the project viewer each time additional data is input into the graphical user interface and the project viewer provides an updated online advertisement for display on the graphical user interface.

25. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein multiple sizes of the online advertisement are created by the server computer and displayed to the graphical user interface for selection by the user.

26. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein multiple sizes and versions of the online advertisement are created by the server computer based upon data from a website specified on the graphical user interface by the user.

27. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein one or several user-defined online advertisement formats may be uploaded to a user account.

28. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the media repository includes a catalog of stock media assets.

29. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 28, wherein the catalog of stock media assets is made available by the server computer for selection and incorporation of stock media assets into online advertisements.

30. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a tracking program for tracking the online advertisement, wherein the tracking program can be used to create a report for download and use on a computer.

31. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sharing program providing one or more master users editorial control of the online advertisements.

32. A multimedia communication method comprising:

providing, from a server computer via the Internet, an input screen to a graphical user interface of a client computer hosted by a mobile device coupled with the Internet;

receiving, at the server computer via the input screen of the graphical user interface and via the Internet, user preferences for an online advertising template and a set of associated selectable media assets, the online advertising template and media assets being accessible on the graphical user interface on the client computer;

providing, by the server computer, via the input screen of the graphical user interface, a palette of at least one online advertising template, and a palette of selectable media assets of at least one content type, for selection by the user to generate an online advertisement, the online advertisement comprising a plurality of slides defined by a grouping of design layers, design elements, and content containers;

formatting, by the server computer, the online advertisement according to an electronic distribution format specified on the graphical user interface, the electronic distribution format being selectable from a set of two or more options of an electronic mail, a web page, an electronic brochure, a text ad, a mobile ad, an in-stream ad, an in-video ad, an animated video file for display on a computer, an expandable video file for display on a computer, and an animated file for display on a computer; and

,

broadcasting the online advertisement on the Internet.

33. A multimedia communication method in accordance with claim 32, further comprising:

receiving user selections of at least one online advertising template, and at least one media asset; and

integrating on the server computer the at least one media asset with the online advertising template to generate the online advertisement.

34. A multimedia communication method in accordance with claim 33, further comprising formatting the online advertisement into selected ones of a plurality of electronic distribution formats.

35. A multimedia communication method in accordance with claim 33, wherein at least one of the plurality of electronic distribution formats is compatible with the client computer hosted by the mobile device.

36. A method comprising:

providing by a server computer for display, on a graphical user interface of a client computer coupled by a communication network to the server computer, a plurality of online advertisement categories and a list of a plurality of industries;

receiving, by the server computer, a selection made via the graphical user interface of an online advertisement category from the list of the plurality of online advertisement categories and a selection of an industry from the plurality of industries;

providing by the server computer for display, on the graphical user interface, a plurality of online advertisement styles associated with a plurality of categories of multimedia data;

receiving by the server computer, via the graphical user interface, data characterizing a selection of an online advertisement style associated with a category of multimedia data;

generating, by the server computer, an online advertisement having data presented according to the online advertisement style associated with the selected category of multimedia data, the data of the online advertisement being embedded on an online advertisement template identified by the server computer based on the selected online advertisement category and the selected industry;

formatting, by the server computer, the online advertisement according to an electronic distribution format specified on the graphical user interface, the electronic distribution format being selectable from a set of two or more options of an electronic mail, a web page, an electronic brochure, a text ad, a mobile ad, an in-stream ad, a in-video ad, an animated video file for display on a computer, an expandable video file for display on a computer, and an animated file for display on a plurality of recipient computers; and

,

broadcasting the online advertisement on the Internet.

37. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the plurality of online advertisement categories includes at least one of:

a product showcase category, a service brochure category, an electronic business card category, a product or service brochure category, and an event promotion category.

38. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the plurality of categories of multimedia data comprise one or more of:

color scheme, audio, images, animation, text and titles, graphics, playback control, and video.

39. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the online advertisement comprises a plurality of slides.

40. The multimedia communication system in accordance with claim 39, wherein the plurality of slides comprise design layers, design elements, and content containers.

41. The method in accordance with claim 36, further comprising:

enabling, by the server computer, a user to edit the online advertisement by allowing receipt of modified data on the graphical user interface.