EP1203305A2

EP1203305A2 - Virtual document organizer system and method

Info

Publication number: EP1203305A2
Application number: EP00945204A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jeffrey W. Mankoff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-07-07
Filing date: 2000-07-07
Publication date: 2002-05-08
Also published as: AU5918200A; WO2001004779A2; WO2001004779A8; JP2003529813A

Abstract

A system and method of managing virtual documents is described. In this approach, a user database is set up on a network-connected computer. There are a number of virtual documents that are created by on other network-connected computers. These virtual documents have associated with them an attribute file having known header and field information. The virtual documents and their associated attribute files are sent from the other network-connected computers to the network-connected computer, which then categorizes and stores information from the virtual documents according to the contents of the attribute file.

Description

Virtual Document Organizer System and Method

Related Applications

This application claims priority from the following co-pending and

commonly-assigned utility and provisional patent applications:

Application No. Filing Date

60/142,611 July 7, 1999

60/191,352 March 22, 2000

The above applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Technical Background

A typical kitchen drawer might include, for example, merchant coupons,

product warranties, sales receipts, product instructions, service instructions, rebates,

gift certificates, product registration cards, event tickets, credit card statements, bank

statements, and recipes. Collectively, we can refer to a general class of these types of

documents as "retail collateral." Paper documents are cumbersome and hard to

organize.

Increasingly, retail collateral documents are sent to users electronically. Like

paper documents, organizing virtual documents is cumbersome and hard to organize,

as evidenced by most users email inbox. Today's electronic organizers and contact managers are most-commonly associated with the individual user, and are maintained

at the user's Personal Computer ("PC"), Personal Digital Assistant ("PDA"), or at the

user's workplace on the Local Application Server ("LAS"). These organizers and

contact managers are for managing the users' schedule, electronic-mail messages, and

database of professional and personal contacts. Although a user can manually set up

folders in which to transfer email messages from the inbox, given the volumes of

messages a typical user receives between commercial and personal emails, the typical

user's inbox becomes much like the cluttered kitchen drawer. Accordingly, these

organizers and contact managers are not well-suited to maintaining retail collateral

documents of the type listed above, because such important documents will typically

become lost in the "fog" of the cluttered inbox.

Summary of the Embodiments

Described is a system and method for distributing, collecting, and organizing

Virtual Retail Collateral Documents ("VRCDs"), including virtual documents like

merchant coupons, product warranties, sales confirmations and receipts, product

instructions, service instructions, rebates, gift certificates, product registration cards,

event tickets, credit card statements, bank statements, internet sites user names and

passwords, and recipes. These VRCDs may be delivered to an Internet user or other

network user via email, banner ads, interactive television, digital phones, or other

digital method, thus further adding to the organizational challenge for the consumer. The application described below addresses these challenges through a web-

based, electronic document management system that organizes and integrates VRCDs

on an Internet-connected computer. As discussed below, this web-based electronic

document management system can be accessed via handheld/PDA device or a

personal computer-like appliance. Preferably, the system and method described below

organizes the VRCDs alongside the consumer's personal information and integrates

the VRCDs with that personal information.

The application described here addresses the converging needs of consumers,

Internet-connected merchants, and content providers (e.g. Yahoo, Excite and other

portals). Consumers like discounts and coupons, organization, convenience, and ease

of use, but need a tool to organize, archive and consolidate VRCDs; advertisers need

to personalize and target their messages in order to get their message through to the -

overloaded consumers; content providers need to enhance "stickiness" to maximize

revenues from the sale of their mailing lists and banner ads. The described system and

method addresses the needs of these disparate groups. In particular, the described

system and method facilitates and enables the advertiser/merchant's message to get

through to the consumer, by automatically organizing the VRCDs for the consumer

for later convenient and easy access by the user.

Preferably, the integrated, Internet- or Web-based organizer will become an all-

important homepage for the consumer/user when connecting to the Internet,

interactive television, mobile phones or other modern networks. This integrated

homepage, comprising both virtual documents and the user's personal data, will serve

as the user's integrated Personal Information Manager ("i-PIM") containing all the user's personal data, integrated with the VRCDs. The i-PIM will preferably be

capable of synchronization with or direct access by users' mobile devices, such as

PDAs and cell phones. Preferably, the system and method will also be integrated with

the user/consumer's calendaring system, so that the user/consumer will be able to

reference in one place his contacts and calendar as well as receipts, instructions, bank

and credit card statements and anything else the consumer might want to organize.

The process preferably begins with the user receiving a VRCD with an

organizing button (henceforth VRC organizing button) in the form of an email or by

clicking a VRCD containing a VRC organizing button enabled banner ad for the first

time. This will prompt the user to register with an entity which will maintain or host

the web-based VRCD organizer. At an Internet-computer, the host will preferably

establish an individual database. The individual database or user database will

preferably be a record within a larger database. The user database, and preferably the

other records within the larger database, will each contain a number of categories

within which to store information from the VRCDs requested by the consumer/user.

It is also possible that the consumer/user may not specifically request the VRCDs be

sent to the VRCD database host, but alternatively such VRCDs may be automatically

selected for the user based on a user-established profile.

To facilitate the categorization and storage of VRCD information, attribute

files are preferably associated with each of such VRCDs. These attribute files would

preferably have defined fields and header information which would be provided to a

merchant or service provider, for example, who would attach or associate the attribute

file with the VRCD sent to the user or to the VRCD database host on the user's behalf. The merchant or service provider would preferably attach the attribute file to the

VRCD, which would then be sent to the user or the users' individual database at the

entity's website, through one of many different channels. Once these VRCDs are sent

for storage to the host of the VRCD web-based organizer, the host will then know

from the attribute file how to categorize or classify the information from that VRCD.

Information contained within the attribute file might include a merchant ID, merchant

class, web site URL, merchant address, map, and email information. More preferably,

a merchant ID and promotion ID might be the only information contained in the

attribute file, and the other merchant characteristics would preferably be stored and

associated with that vendor at the VRCD database web host.

Although the user database at the Internet-connected host computer would

preferably be associated with an individual Internet user/consumer, such databases

could be assigned alternatively to groups of affiliated user/consumers, such as

businesses or charitable or civic organizations.

First- time registration could be direct with the host or administrator of the

VRCD database computer, or it could be through an affiliated Internet-connected

merchant or other site. The user/consumer would preferably use an existing email

address or be assigned a new email address that might be used exclusively for receipt

and request of commercial, e.g., bulk or targeted, virtual documents. Typically, users

have more than one email address, and consequently users receive VRCDs via

different email addresses. The user can provide these different email addresses at

registration to the VRCD entity, so that when the VRCD is forwarded from any of the

user's email addresses to the VRDC entity, the system can recognize it and organize them with the single user. Often times, users set up multiple email addresses in order

to receive multiple coupons, which typically are offered only to a single email

address. This embodied system has the benefit of recognizing that more than one offer

has entered the VRCD organizer, and block duplication of offers in the same VRCD

organizer per user.

In the instance of commercial solicitations through bulk or targeted emails

containing embedded VRCDs, the VRCD database host or administrator would

preferably provide a merchant, who has received opt-in authorization from the

consumer, proprietary header and field format information for the attribute file to be

associated with the VRCD; the VRCD would then be embedded in the email or banner

ad solicitation. The embedded VRCD preferably contains a VRCD organizer button,

which the consumer would click, and the VRCD would be transmitted through the

network to the VRCD database host. The information from the VRCD would then be

placed in the appropriate portion of the user database based on the information in the

VRCD's affiliated attribute file. Once information from such VRCDs are in the user

database, the user/consumer who is the "owner" of that database can conveniently

access that information at any time. By this technique, the advertiser can distribute a

coupon VRCD via mass email or banner ad.

Depending on how the system is configured, VRCDs can be sent directly to the

VRCD database host for filtration and storage in the user database, or they can be sent

to the user for discretionary forwarding to the VRCD database host. In either case,

upon reaching the VRCD database, the VRCD is sorted by category, and information

from the VRCD is stored as a new record with defined portions of the VRCD being stripped from the overall file and placed in the corresponding record fields of the user

database. The fields culled from the VRCD and placed in the database preferably

include such things as hyperlinks for the merchant home site, in the instance of

promotional offers, hyperlinks to the merchant offer page, offer details, merchant

addresses and phone numbers, pertinent dates, and the like.

If the VRCD is associated with a banner ad, the consumer would click the

VRCD organizer button in the coupon banner ad, and the VRCD would be transmitted

through the network and placed in the appropriate portion of the user database. Once

information from such VRCDs are in the user database, the user/consumer who is the

"owner" of that database can then conveniently access that information at any time.

Banner ad click-through rates have declined substantially. The rates that destinations

sites can charge have declined as a result. Moreover, banner ads often take the user

away from the destination site to the advertiser, reducing stickiness. For the

consumer, it may not be convenient to click the banner ad to click through and claim

the offer, even though he wants it. By providing a system which provides

convenience for the user to click the banner ad and claim the offer and organize the

offer in his personal VRCD organizer for later redemption with the merchant, while

staying at the destination site, the three parties, consumer, merchant, and destination

site benefit. The user can claim the offer at a later convenient time; the merchant can

make another sale; and the destination site can charge more for its banner ad space.

The described technology facilitates more than traditional e-commerce

applications. For instance the described system and method would allow

manufacturers or service providers to provide click-links for virtual-document product or service information or virtual-document warranties at their homepages. For

example, a user might purchase a portable music player and register with the

manufacturer. The manufacturer would then send via email to the user a "thank you"

for registering in the form of the VRCD system, which could then be organized in the

user's VRCD web-based organizer under instructions/warranties, and provide in list

format a summary of the name of the manufacturer with hyperlink, a hyperlink to

particular product instructions, a hyperlink to product warranty information at the

manufacturer's website , an expiration date of product warranty, a customer care

telephone number, and an email contact. The virtual-document instructions and

warranty could then be viewed within the user's i-PIM.

In some instances, one of the fields of the received VRCD may be a hyperlink

for a merchant or service provider with whom the user has an account. In this

instance, it may also be preferable to include fields for the user and password for

accessing the particular hyperlinked site. Using this approach, it may be possible to

directly access the merchant or service provider website from the user's personal

VRCD database screen by transmitting the username and password automatically to

the hyperlinked site when the user clicks on that hyperlink or otherwise attempts to

reach that website from within his personal VRD database screen.

The VRCD organizer can be applied to any medium for delivery of electronic

documents. For example, interactive TV and web-enabled phones are channels by

which these virtual documents may be delivered to consumers. Further, the "i-PIM"

VRCD organizer can be accessed through any of these channels as well - specifically,

the Internet, interactive TV, web-enabled phones, and web-enabled PDAs are all different means by which users can access their web-based VRCD organizers or i-

PIMs. Thus, with portable handheld devices, the consumer's VRCD can be accessed

anytime, anywhere. If the consumer needs to check his bank statement or instructions,

he need only use his web-enabled PDA to access this VRCD.

The above summary has outlined the embodiments described in this

application, but this description is only to be used in the context of the entire

specification to illustrate some of the major features of these embodiments.

Accordingly, other features and a fuller understanding of these embodiments may be

had by referring to the entire specification. None of these embodiments are limiting

of the scope of the invention, which must be determined by the claims set forth in the

claims section.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of the a network upon which the embodiments of

the Virtual Retail Collateral Document ("VRCD") organizer can be implemented;

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the host environment for

the VRCD organizer, for storing VRCDs in a user's individual database;

FIGURE 3 is a flow diagram for a method by which VRCDs can be organized

and distributed;

FIGURE 4 is a data structure diagram of a VRCD and its affiliated attribute

file; FIGURE 5 is a diagram of the "Coupon: Restaurant" portion of the user's

individual database as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 6 is a diagram of the "Coupon: Grocery" portion of the user database

as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 7 is a diagram of the "Instructions/Warranties" portion of the user's

individual database as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 8 is a diagram of the "Rebates" portion of the user's individual

database as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 9 is a diagram of the "Bills" portion of the user's individual database

as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 10 is a diagram of the "Itineraries" portion of the user's individual

database as it might appear on the user's client display screen;

FIGURE 11 is a diagram of the "Contacts" portion of the user's individual

database as it might appear on the user's client display screen; and

FIGURE 12 is a diagram of the "Calendar" portion of the user's individual

database as it might appear on the user's client display screen.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

System Architecture

FIGURE 1 illustrates an Internet client-server system upon which the Virtual

Retail Collateral Document (VRCD) organizer system and method can be implemented. In this block diagram, a client machine 10 is provided, which is

preferably a Personal Computer (PC), but could also be a Personal Digital Assistant

(PDA) 15 or laptop 18. An Internet browser application is preferably provided on the

client machine 10, 15, 18. The client machine, operated by user 19, then connects to

the VRCD database host 20 through the network 14, preferably the Internet, typically

through a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) 11.

Within the VRCD database host 20, a local network 22 is provided along with

a router 24. The Internet browser application in the client typically communicates

with the VRCD database host 20 through a web server 26, which may be a separate

computer within the database host 20, or may be an application running within a

single computer comprising the database host 20. In the applications described below,

the VRCD database host 20 preferably comprises a web server and its associated

software components, including: the web-server operating system (e.g., Windows,

Linux, AIX); an IIS server used to deliver HTML and ASP content and applications to

the client web browser; a site server used primarily to deliver personalized web

content to users, an index server for indexing web content and providing users with

website-specific search and query results; web publishing server extensions for

deploying and publishing web content and applications from the development and test

environments; site monitoring and management tools for monitoring traffic and

content on the website; and components for XML parsing. Also included in the

VRCD database hosting environment would be an application server 27, a database

server 28, and a database 29 associated with the database server. The application server 27 would preferably provide application component communication either

internally or externally to partner-based applications and or FTP transfer functionality.

As shown in FIGURE 1 and in greater detail in FIGURE 2, the database server

28 would preferably store and retrieve data elements to and from its associated

database 29, including the user databases 23 which are provided within the overall

database 29.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, also connected to the network 14 are several

exemplary partner sites for the Virtual Retail Collateral Document (VRDC) host

administrator or server. These exemplary partner sites include a portal partner site 30,

an advertising partner site 31 , and a distributor/manufacturer partner site 32. These

partner sites would in general comprise similar functional blocks, which would

include a firewall 33, a LAN/WAN data network 34, an Ethernet 35, a database

repository 36, and their own web servers 37. With these components, the partners

would preferably have their own Internet connectivity accessible to at least the VRCD

database host 20 and preferably also to the users 19.

A portal partner 30 would preferably be a common user destination for

searching, directories, and other information. Users 19 will preferably enter the

portal, and in embodiments described herein would find commercial content of

interest to the user. This content might be available to the user through virtual

documents, such as merchant coupons, product warranties, sales receipts, product

event tickets, credit card statements, bank statements, and recipes. These virtual

documents are referred to generically in this application as VRCDs, and the VRCD database host 20 will organize these VRCDs for the user according to methods

described below. In some instances, the user 19 will access the database host 20

directly through a connection between the user's client computer 10, 15, 18 and the

host's web server 26. But given that many portals maintain personal information for

users of their sites, it may be preferable that the VRCD database host 20 operate as an

application within the portal site 30, such that the VRCDs stored for the user might

actually appear to be stored within a portal application itself.

The advertising partners' sites 31 might provide banner ads to many different

destinations on the Internet or other electronic network. Clickable VRCDs might be

embedded in these banner ads the VRCDs, such that the VRCDs would preferably be

delivered to the VRCD database host 20 in response to a user 19 clicking on one of

these banner ads. The VRCD would preferably be provided to the VRCD database

host 20 through the electronic network 14 and would be placed in the appropriate

portion of the user database 23 according to an attribute file associated with the

VRCD.

Still referring to advertising partner sites 31 , in the instance of commercial

solicitations through bulk or targeted emails, the VRCD database host or administrator

20 would preferably provide the advertiser site 31, who has received opt-in

authorization from the consumer 19 or fits within the consumer's profile, a proprietary

identification code to be embedded in the email solicitation. The advertiser can then

send the standard coupon via mass email or banner ad. Depending on how the system

is configured, the VRCD could be sent directly to the VRCD database host 20 for filtration and storage in the user database 23, or it could be sent to the user 19 for

discretionary forwarding to the VRCD database host 20.

The approach with the merchant/distributor site can follow any of the

approaches described above with respect to the portal partner site 30 and the

advertiser partner site 31. In fact, any of the above approaches could be adapted for

any type of web-connected partner according to that partner's unique needs.

Applications other than traditional e-commerce applications can be facilitated by this

system and method. For example manufacturers/distributors/service providers could

provide click-links for virtual-document product or service information or virtual-

document warranties at their homepages 32. These virtual documents such as product

or service information or warranties could be transmitted to the user's i-PIM at the

database host 20, where they could be viewed at the user's convenience.

In any of the above instances, upon reaching the VRCD database 29, the

various field information will be stripped from the VRCD and sorted by category

according to the attributes stored in the attribute file 40 (not shown, see FIGURE 4)

associated with the VRCD 41 (not shown, see FIGURE 4), and automatically placed

in the appropriate portion of the user database 23.

VRCD Organization Method

This method is described in greater detail in the flowchart of FIGURE 3. As

described in this figure, with reference still to FIGURES 1-2, the process 30

preferably begins with the user registering 31 with an entity that will maintain or host

the web-based VRCD organizer. First-time registration could be direct with the host 20 of the VRCD database computer, or it could be through an affiliated Internet-

connected merchant or other site 30, 31, 32.

The user/consumer 19 would preferably use an existing email address or be

assigned a new email address that might be used exclusively for receipt and request of

commercial, e.g., bulk or targeted, emails. Because users often have more than one

email address, in the application described here users often would receive VRCDs via

their different email addresses. The user can provide these different email addresses

at registration to the VRCD entity, so that when the VRCD is forwarded from any of

the user's email addresses to the VRDC entity, the system can recognize it and

organize them with the single user. Often times, users set up multiple email addresses

in order to receive multiple coupons, which typically are offered only to a single email

has entered the VRCD organizer, and can thus block duplication of offers in the same

VRCD organizer per user.At functional block 32, the VRCD database host 20 through

the database server 28 preferably establishes a user database 23 within the database

29. The user database 23 will preferably comprise a record within a larger database

29. The user database 23, and preferably the other records within the larger database,

will each contain a number of categories within which VRCDs requested by the

consumer/user can be stored. It is also possible that the consumer/user may not

specifically request the VRCDs to be stored within the user database 23, but

alternatively such VRCDs may be selected based on a profile associated with that

user/consumer 19. Still referring to FIGURE 3 and specifically to block 32, to facilitate the

filtering and storage of VRCDs, attribute files are preferable associated with each of

such VRCDs. A data structure of how these files could be associated and structured is

illustrated in FIGURE 4; this data structure is described below. The attribute files (not

shown, see FIGURE 4), for example, would be provided to the merchant partner 30,

31, 32, who would attach or associate the attribute file with the email sent to the user.

At block 33, a user can request that a VRCD be sent to the host 20 by

responding to an email solicitation or clicking on a banner ad or other clickable

graphic. If responding to an email solicitation, there would preferably already be an

attribute file, which would be attached to the user's email response. The email

response could be sent directly to the host 20 or through one of the merchant sites 30,

31, or 32, which could log the "hit" and forward the information on to the host 20. If

the user respond by clicking a link, the VRCD would preferably be sent (at block 34)

with its affiliated attribute file directly from the applicable merchant site to the host

20.

According to block 35, the host 20 will sort the VRCD according to

information in the attribute file and in this same block stored in the appropriate user

database 23 of the database 29 according to the filtering and classification by the

attribute file information, thereby updating the user's integrated-PIM or "i-PIM." The

i-PIM is then available for user access, and the user can optionally synchronize a PDA

at block 36 to the PIM or interact directly with the web server 26 of the host 20.

As shown in FIGURE 4, information contained within the attribute file 40,

which is associated with the VRCD data file 41, might include a merchant ID 42, offer or promotion ID 43, user ID 44, or other attributes 45. Other attributes might include

merchant class, web site URL, merchant address, map, and email information, but

preferably this additional information could be associated with the particular merchant

ID at the host 20, and be integrated into to the i-PIM there.

Again, preferably the VRCDs will include merchant coupons, product

warranties, sales receipts, product instructions, service instructions, rebates, gift

certificates, product registration cards, event tickets, credit card statements, bank

statements, and recipes, and preferably the user database at the Internet-connected

host computer would preferably be associated with an individual internet

user/consumer, although databases could be assigned alternatively to groups of

affiliated user/consumers such as businesses or charitable or civic organizations.

Screen Displays for VRCD Database

Referring now to FIGURE 5, virtual coupons or "voupons" are particularly

well-suited to organization and collection according to the embodiments described

above. As shown in the figure, which is a diagram of the "coupon" portion of the

user's individual database 23 as it might appear on the display screen of the user's

client PC 10. This particular screen 50 might be accessed directly from the database

host web server 26, or it might be transparently integrated within another entity's web

site, such as a portal web site 30.

In one prefeπed approach, the user 19 might have saved the "Pizza" coupon in

response to an email solicitation from the pizza restaurant. Under this approach, the

pizza restaurant would have emailed the coupon with a promotional ID or coupon ID

43 to the user 19 - the coupon ID 43 would preferably have been provided to the merchant by the data base host 20. The user's client could be set up either to

automatically register this offer at the individual database 23 or to do so only if Joe

"accepts" the offer. Under this application, since the user's individual database 23 is

preferably stored on another web-connected site 20, a VCRD 41 is transmitted to the

host 20 with an affiliated attribute file 40. If the promotional ID or coupon ID 43 is

unique, this would be the only information that would need to be transmitted to the

host 20. Alternatively, other attribute information could also be provided to the host

20 such as specific information about the merchant. Preferably, an attribute that

uniquely identifies the user is also placed within the attribute file 40 so that the VRCD

can be assigned to the appropriate individual user's database 23.

Rather than immediately transferring this information to the host 20, the VRCD

may be stored in an organizer associated with the client, and the web-based i-PIN at

the host 20 can be updated to include this information upon the next synchronization

between the client device and the web host 20.

Still referring to FIGURE 5, in this application, there is a proprietary code

comprising at least the promotional ID or coupon ID embedded in the mass email to

the user that allows the system described herein to translate the email and

automatically store it in the "Coupons: Restaurants" section of the user database 23.

Upon closer examination of the screen 50 of FIGURE 5, it can be seen that the

highlighted tab at the top of the screen is the "Coupons" tab 52. Although not

showing it in database format, the data within box 51 of FIGURE 5 illustrates the data

which would be stored in the "Coupons: Restaurants" section of the user database 23. Other tabs seen at the top of FIGURE 5 include an "Instructions/ Warranties"

tab 53, a "Rebates" tab 54, a "Bills" tab 55, and an "Itineraries" tab 56. This list of

categories/tabs is not exhaustive, nor even necessarily fixed. In other words, the

database server 28 working with the applications server 26 would preferably operate

to define new categories as such new categories arose during use of the system and

method described herein.

Convenient information shown on the screen 50, includes the name of the

restaurant 57, the offer details 58, the offer expiration date 59, the restaurant telephone

no. 60, and the coupon code 61. The coupon code shown here could be the same as or

derived from the coupon ID or promotion ID 43 that was associated with the VRCD

originally. As previously mentioned, this might have been the only information

transmitted to the host 20 by the remote site 30, 31, 32 or the client 10, and the host 20

might have had a database of coupon codes that would tell the host 20 the restaurateur

57, offer details 58, expiration date 59, and restaurant telephone no. 60.

Also seen on FIGURE 5 is an exemplary banner ad 62. The pizza restaurant

voupon could clipped through a clickable-link or button 63 as shown in the ad.

Although in this instance, the banner ad is shown as a banner ad right on the hosted

web site, this clickable banner ad embodying a voupon could be on any web site so

long as the merchant or advertiser were a partner of the VRCD data base hosting

company 20. The voupon will be automatically organized and stored in the user

database 23 by the database server 28, preferably as described in the method described

with respect to FIGURE 3 and the accompanying text. A set of coupon sub-classifications are accessible by the clickable links 64

shown above the restaurant offers of FIGURE 5. Just as the broader classes of

VRCDs (coupons, rebates, bills, etc.) are not exhaustive, neither are these narrower

categories. Shown in this example within clickable links 64 are "Restaurants, Music,

Fashion, Grocery, and View All."

Also shown on FIGURE 5 are clickable links 65, 66 for personal information

databases (calendar 65 and contacts 66). It is the integration of these personal

information databases with the VRCD information that comprises the web-based

VRCD organizer or i-PIM described in this application.

FIGURE 6 is a screen display for the "Coupons: Groceries" category of the

user's web-based i-PIM. Shown in this screen are the user's grocery manufacturer

and grocery store coupons. Preferably, as shown in this figure, the consumer can also

integrate his coupon preference shopping list 67 with an online grocer. The online

grocer can be selected using a drop-down list 68 or other known web design technique

for providing an item "selector." The consumer selects his online grocer using the

drop-down list 68, and the VRCD database host then seamlessly connects the user to

an affiliated online grocer to retrieve the consumer's previous shopping list from the

online grocer. If the user is already at an affiliated online grocer website, that online

grocer can preferably access the user's coupon preference grocery list from the VRCD

database host.

When the user/customer decides to grocery shop online, he will preferably

connect to the affiliated online grocer via pull-down list 68. The affiliated online

grocer will then preferably have access to the user's individual VRCD database 23, enabling the user while at the online grocer's site to pull up his coupon list 51 and his

grocery list 67, and proceed with his shopping. After the consumer completes his

shopping, the i-PIM organizer automatically matches coupons previously clipped and

collected on the user database 23 with items selected for purchase from the grocery

list 67, by brand or price preference. If the user has set his shopping list coupon

preference to purchase the bread at the lowest price and without brand preference, the

i-PIM organizer will automatically match the coupons with the bread brands and

choose the lowest price product (accounting for coupons) utilizing the server

applications operating on a server within the database host. If he selected Pepsi to

purchase online, and he has a brand coupon preference for soft drink, the VRCD

database organizer will search only for Pepsi coupons, which it will match, if

available, to the item Pepsi-brand item purchased.

What the consumer sees next are the items chosen in the grocery list 67 chosen

according to the consumers' preferences. The consumer can accept all the items

chosen, or individually change items and search for other coupons in the coupon

organizer if he does not like the particular brand chosen. Once he has completed this

step, he will then submit his purchase request. The online grocer will then contact the

user database 23 to redeem the matching coupons that are stored within the user's

individual database.

It is also possible to set up the user's web-based i-PIM for automatic grocery

shopping by configuring the i-PIM with the user's online grocer login name and

password. By doing this, the i-PIM can accept the user's shopping list 67,

automatically login to the online grocer's website according to the pull-down menu selection 68, gather or select the items for purchase based on the user's brand

preferences, item prices, and available coupons, and present these choices to the user

at the i-PIM "Coupons: Grocery" screen described above. The user can then modify

the choices and approve the selections, and the i-PIM can complete the purchase with

the on-line grocer based on the user's final selection.

FIGURE 7 shows a screen 70 that is similar to the one provided for "Coupons:

Restaurants" 50. The tabs 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and clickable links 65, 66 shown in

FIGURE 7 that have the same reference numbers in FIGURES 5-6 perform the same

functions as in those figure, and they will continue to perform the same functions in

the subsequently-described figures.. The screen 70 contains information relative to

instructions and waπanties that is generally analogous to the information of table 51

in the screen 50 of FIGURE 5. As shown in the clickable links 71, a non-exhaustive

list of product instructions/warranties in this context would include "Appliances,

Electronics, and Toys." Given that there is no unique coupon ID associated with these

rebates, this poses questions as to how the information for the VRCD reaches the user

database 23. One approach would be to assign a unique number to each warranty or

product instruction document, and then as with the unique coupon or promotional ID

43 (see FIGURE 4), it would only be necessary to transmit that information to the host

20 to identify the full VRCD. Alternatively, all relevant details for identifying the

product warranty or information sheet could be transmitted to the host 20 from the

partner web site. One detail that would preferably be included would be a web site

where the actual text of the document is stored; alternatively, the actual text of the

document could be stored in the user database 23. FIGURE 8 is the screen shot 72 for the "Rebates" category. Although no

subcategories of rebates are shown in this screen shot, the category could be divided

in to subcategories according to the type of merchant or service provider the rebates

relate to. The database information shown here includes the company, rebate details,

and rebate expiration date. As with the product waπanties and product information,

there is no coupon or promotion ID which uniquely identified the elements shown

here. As before, there could be assigned a hidden such ID which would be transmitted

to the host 20 to specify the information to be stored, or the entire set of relevant

information could be submitted each time.

FIGURE 9 provides the screen shot 80 for the "Bills" category. The merchant

and statement details are provided in the table 81 which will be stored in the user

database 23. Preferably, the database 23 also stores the actual content of the bills or

merchant statements. In this manner, the user database will act as a sort of "shoebox"

for archived bills and bank and credit card statements. Here again, the "Bills"

category could be divided into subcategories accessible by a click links on the page.

Preferably in the record for each statement stored in the individual VRCD

database 23 and displayed on the "Bills" screen 80, there would be provided an

Internet hyperlink to the merchant, bank, or credit card company website. If the user's

login name and password are provided to the i-PIM, the user will be able to click

directly into their online account with the respective company or the i-PIM would be

able to access the merchant website directly.

Another exemplary screen shot is provided in FIGURE 10. This screen shot

90 is for the "Itineraries" category. Subcategories for travel and hotel itineraries are provided for this category with the clickable links 92 shown. The information that

will be provided to the VRCD database host 20 will typically be provided in this

section by VRCDs provided to the database host 20 by airlines, travel agents, and

online travel planning websites. So that the VRCD database host 20 can properly

recognize and parse incoming VRCDs from these sources, the VRCD administrator

will provide header and field formats to these VRCD sources whereby the sources can

conform their VRCDs to the expected format. In this manner, for instance, the VRCD

database host 20 can recognize that an incoming file or message is a VRCD file

compatible with the i-PIM. The database host will further be able to parse the fields

from the incoming VRCD according to the predetermined formats, and will thus be

able to store the pertinent field information in the user's individual database 23

according to the information provided by the airline, travel agency, or travel website

VRCD data source.

Thus, for example, upon setting up a trip with through an online reservation

travel website, the online travel agent may send a confirmation email to the user at his

i-PIM, and to this confirmation email there may be attached a VRCD from which the

i-PIM can strip the relevant information such as flight numbers, departure and arrival

times, confirmation numbers, and airline contact information. Similarly, the hotel

contact information and address, and even a map, could be provided and stored at the

user's individual database 23. This information would be automatically parsed and

categorized in the appropriate subsection of the user's individual database 23.

FIGURE 11 is an exemplary screen shot 100 of the contact manager of the

user's 19 web-based integrated-PIM or i-PIM. "Personal," "Business," and "Commercial" subgroups are provided in the contact manager by clickable links 102.

The table 101 shows an exemplary set of information that is associated with each of

the entries of the contact manager. A feature that is illustrated by this embodiment is

the feature of the VRCDs in other categories also providing information that is useful

for the i-PIM 's contact manager and calendar. For example, there are entries 103, 104

in the table both for an airline and for a pizza delivery company. In one embodiment,

these entries were completed when a VRCD for another category such as "Bills,"

"Coupons," or "Itineraries" had been received which also included contact

information for the merchant or service provider associated with the bill, coupon or

itinerary. For example the entry 103 shown here for "Bills" may be automatically

created with the receipt of a pizza coupon, and thereby a contact list entry is created

having the address and phone number for the pizza delivery company. As another

example, the entry 104 may be automatically created with the receipt of an itinerary

VRCD. Integrated functions like this help the user to keep up with or manage his or

her resources effectively.

FIGURE 12 similarly shows in a screen shot 110 the calendar function of the

i-PIM. Here, along with the user's normal calendar, other calendar entries can be

automatically generated by the receipt of VRCDs. This calendar can be provided at a

website hosted by the VRCD host 20, and accordingly the user could go directly to

that website to maintain his personal calendar. The software for the online calendar

can be provided on the i-PIM website server, or it can be provided through a calendar-

hosting service. Internet portals often act as calendar hosts, sometimes from their own

sites directly and sometimes through a company that specializes in online calendar software development and hosting, such as eCal, Inc. Examples of the features that

can be provided through these online calendar services are described in U.S. Patent

No. 5,960,406 for Scheduling System for Use Between Users on the Web, to Rasansky,

et al.

Within the present application, it is disclosed that such online calendars can be

automatically updated with important dates according to the VRCDs that have been

received and categorized by the VRCD database host 20. For example, upon receipt

of a coupon, the expiration date for the coupon can automatically be registered on the

user's personal online calendar. Preferably, the user may set a certain threshold value

of the coupon, $10 for instance, before the expiration date of that coupon is noted on

the online calendar. Other types of received and categorized VRCDs often have

important dates associated with them, which would preferably be automatically noted

on the user's online calendar.

For instance, it may be useful to automatically update an online calendar with a

maintenance schedule when certain types of product instruction VRCDs are received.

Examples of such types of products might be battery replacements dates for smoke

detectors and maintenance schedules for automobiles. By providing the header and

field information for such instruction VRCDs to the product vendors, the VRCD

database administrator can ensure that this information can be automatically parsed

from the VRCDs and updated to the user's online calendars. Similarly, rebate

expiration dates can be automatically culled from "Rebate" VRCDs and updated to the

user's online calendars, and bill due dates can be extracted from "Bill" VRCDs and

noted on the user's online calendars. Also, flight arrival and departure information can be pulled from "Itinerary" VRCDs by providing specified VRCD header and field

formats to the airlines, travel agents, and online travel planning sites.

In those instances where the user's online calendar is maintained elsewhere

than the VRCD database host 20 (i.e., the online calendar access may be provided

through a dropdown menu on the i-PIM calendar page 110), the VRCD organizer still

provides for automatic updating of the user's calendar by receiving from the user the

username and password by which to access the online calendar. With this username

and password, the i-PIM organizer can be programmed, preferably through one of the

servers resided in the VRCD database host 20, to access and update the user's online

calendar.

Although the various methods described herein have been described for

implementation in a general purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by

software, one of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that such methods may

be carried out in hardware, in firmware, or in more specialized apparatuses

constructed to perform the methods.

Further, as used herein, a "client" should be broadly construed to mean any

computer or component thereof directly or indirectly connected or connectable in any

known or later-developed manner to a computer network, such as the Internet. A

"client" should also be broadly construed to mean one who requests or gets the file,

and the "server" is the entity which downloads the file.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A method of managing virtual documents on behalf of users, wherein a given

virtual document has associated therewith an attribute file, the method comprising:

a) establishing a user database on a network-connected computer, said user

database having a set of categories;

b) receiving at least one of said virtual documents and its associated

attribute file at said network-connected computer;

c) categorizing said at least one virtual document according to its

associated attribute file; and

d) storing information from said at least one virtual document in one of

said set of categories within said user database according to information within said

attribute file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said virtual documents is a

merchant coupon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said virtual documents is

selected from the group consisting of: merchant coupons, product waπanties, sales

receipts, product instructions, service instructions, rebates, gift certificates, product

registration cards, event tickets, credit card statements, bank statements, and recipes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said user database is associated with an

individual Internet user.

5. The method of claim 4 and further comprising sending one of said virtual

documents from another network-connected computer to said network-connected

computer upon a request from said individual Internet user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said Internet user requested said virtual

document from said another network-connected computer by clicking on a banner ad

on said another network-connected computer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said Internet user requested said virtual

document by clicking on a button within said banner ad.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said Internet user requested said virtual

document from said another network-connected computer by clicking on a button

within an e-mail received by said Internet user.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said Internet user requested said virtual

document by establishing a preference profile that included an interest category with

which said virtual document is associated.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing at least one online website

username and password in said network-connected computer for accessing websites

that are protected by that online website username and password.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user database comprises a category for

grocery coupons, and further comprising:

a) providing, from said grocery coupon category, a grocery coupon list to a

server; and

b) providing a grocery-shopping website on a server for display on a client,

said grocery-shopping website including: said grocery coupon list; a shopping list;

and an online grocer selector for selecting from a group of at least one online grocers.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

a) storing at least one online grocery website username in said network-

connected computer for accessing a user account at one of said online grocers;

b) receiving a shopping list from the customer; c) automatically accessing at least one of said online grocers using said

username, said shopping list, and said grocery coupon list.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said automatic accessing further comprises

automatically selecting products according to user-specified brand preferences and

price, and further comprises presenting a selected list of grocery items to said user for

approval or modification of the selected list before final purchase.

14. A method of managing virtual documents on behalf of users, wherein a virtual

document has associated therewith an attribute file, the method comprising:

a) establishing a user database on a network-connected computer, said user

database including having a set of categories including a coupon category;

b) receiving at least one of said virtual documents and its associated

attribute file at said network- connected computer;

c) categorizing said at least one virtual document according to said

attribute file;

d) storing information from said at least one virtual document in at least

said coupon category within said user database according to information within said

attribute file;

e) providing, from said coupon category, a coupon list to a server; f) providing a shopping website on said server for display on a client, said

shopping website including: said coupon list; a shopping list; and an online merchant

selector for selecting from a group of at least one online merchants;

g) storing in said network-connected computer, the user's username for at

least one of said group of online merchants;

h) receiving a shopping list from the customer; and

i) automatically accessing said at least one online merchant using said

username, said shopping list, and said coupon list.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said automatic accessing further comprises

price, and further comprises presenting a selected list of items to said user for

approval or modification of the selected list before final purchase.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said merchant is a grocer.

17. A database host for managing virtual documents on behalf of users, wherein a

given virtual document has associated therewith an attribute file, the database host

connected to a network and comprising:

a) a user database having a set of categories; b) a network interface connected to said network, the network interface

configured to receive electronic messages comprising said virtual documents;

c) a main server and associated software connected to said network

interface and configured to receive one of said virtual documents and to categorize

said virtual documents according to data provided in the virtual document's associated

attribute file, thereby parsing information elements from said virtual documents; and

d) a database manager connected to said user database and said main

server, said database manager configured to receive said information parsed by said

main server and to store said information in categories in said user database according

to parsing instructions from the main server.

18. The database host of claim 17 wherein said network interface, said main server,

and said database manager are all processes running on a single server unit.

19. The database host of claim 17 wherein at least one of said virtual documents is

a merchant coupon.

20. The database host of claim 17 wherein at least one of said virtual documents is

21. The database host of claim 17 wherein said user database is associated with an

individual Internet user.

22. The database host of claim 17 wherein said electronic messages further include

user preference information from said users.

23. The database host of claim 22 wherein said user preference information

includes a username that the user uses to login to web-based applications on at least

one of said other network-connected computers.

24. The database host of claim 17 and further comprising a web server connected

to said main server and configured to display web pages accessible by said other

network-connected computers.

25. The database host of claim 24 wherein said web server is a software process

running on the same server unit as said main server.

26. The database host of claim 24 wherein said user database comprises a category

for grocery coupons, and wherein said database server is further configured to

provide, from said grocery coupon category, a grocery coupon list to said web server

and wherein said web server is configured to provide a grocery-shopping website for display on a client, said grocery-shopping website including: a listing of coupon

offers; a shopping list; and an online grocer selector for selecting from a group of at

least one online grocers.

27. The database host of claim 26 wherein said electronic messages further include

user preference information from said users and wherein said user preference

information includes a username that the user uses to login to at least one web-based

grocery application on at least one of said other network-connected computers, the

database host further comprising a memory for storing said username for accessing

said web-based grocery application and wherein said web server is further configured

to access said web-based grocery application using said username and to

automatically select groceries from the online grocer based on said username, said

shopping list, and said coupon list.

28. A database host for managing virtual documents on behalf of users, wherein a

connected to a network and comprising:

a) a user database having a set of categories including a coupon category,

said user database being configured to provide from said coupon category, a coupon

list;

b) a network interface connected to said network, the network interface

configured to receive electronic messages comprising said virtual documents and further comprising user preference information from said users, wherein said

preference information includes a username that the user uses to login to at least one

online merchant on at least one of said other network-connected computers;

c) a main server and associated software connected to said network

attribute file, thereby parsing information elements from said virtual documents;

d) a database manager connected to said user database and said main

to parsing instructions from the main server;

e) a memory connected to at least one of said network interface, said main

server, and said database manager, said memory operable to receive and store said

username received by said network interface;

f) a web server connected to said main server, said user database, and said

memory, said web server being configured to receive said coupon list from said user

database and to provide a shopping website for display on a client, said shopping

website including: said coupon list; a shopping list; and an online merchant selector

for selecting from a group of at least one online merchant, said web server being

further configured to receive said username from said memory and to access said

online merchant using said username, said shopping list, and said coupon list.

29. The database host of claim 28 wherein said web server is further configured to

automatically select items from said online merchant the online grocer based on said

username, said shopping list, and said coupon list.

30. A method for conducting an online marketing campaign comprising:

a) providing by a virtual document database host, a specified format for

virtual documents and attribute files to be associated with those virtual documents to

affiliated online business partners, said specified format including virtual documents

that are provided to users having clickable buttons which will cause the virtual

documents and their associated attribute files to be transmitted to the virtual document

database host;

b) receiving by said virtual document database host, said virtual documents

and associated attribute files, which have been distributed by said affiliated online

business partners;

c) associating said received virtual documents and attribute files by the

email address of the individuals who received and clicked on the clickable buttons;

and

d) storing said information from said virtual documents in user databases

according to information contained in the attribute files associated with the virtual

documents.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said specified format includes a promotional

code that uniquely identifies the marketing campaign.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said specified format includes information

items from the group consisting of: a merchant name; a merchant hyperlink; a

summary of the promotional offer; a summary of the promotional offer with a

hyperlink to the promotional page on the merchant said; a promotion expiration date;

and a folder category.