Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02326010 2000-11-15
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ORDERING NEWSPAPERS
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system and method of providing an information
distribution system,
and more specifically to the application of computer devices for the
networking, retrieval,
distribution, and publishing of materials such as newspapers, magazines and
the like.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The daily newspaper is the single most frequently purchased product or service
in the world.
Nearly 500 million newspapers are bought each day around the world. From the
time of
Gutenberg's press, the importance of newspapers as the medium of debate, and
an historical
record of social and political life, has endured. The last ten years have
arguably been the biggest
challenge to the institution of the printed newspaper. With the challenge
being brought about by
emerging technology, some are predicting the demise of the newspaper as a
medium, others
believe that newspapers (as content) will survive or even prosper in the
Internet age.
Each individual subscriber, is at present, delivered a printed newspaper to
their individual
residences in either the morning or the evening by delivery persons. These
newspapers are
printed by publishing companies and are manually distributed. The present
system for the
publication of newspapers and magazines in the paper form has a plurality of
associated
problems or difficulties. For example, the cost of printing and distribution
using the present
system tends to be quite high. As the cost of labor and materials increases
there is a commiserate
increase in the cost of printing and delivering each individual newspaper. In
addition, in this day
and age there is an increase in environmental awareness. While recycling of
newsprint is
common place, the monetary cost associated with the disposal of used newsprint
and the like is
increasing. Despite the advent of recycling, a large portion of newspapers
still continue to be
deposited in landfills. The paper waste generated by the newspaper industry is
particularly high,
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especially considering the average person reads only 10% to 20% of the paper.
There is also an
issue of time constraints in that, for each newspaper run the paper must
typically be set by 8 p.m.
of the preceding day. A further issue for consumers is reading a newspaper, on
a commute to
work, and having to deal with the issue of ink ruboff.
From a publishing perspective, even before emergence of the Internet,
publishers have struggled
with adopting technological improvements from the standpoint of business
operations. To be
competitive in today's marketplace, publishers must be on the forefront,
taking advantage of the
productivity improvements technology can bring to the business processes. To a
large extent, this
is a consequence of geography placing significant constraints on competition
among daily
newspapers limiting competition to two or three competitors in most markets.
This includes
using technology in our aspects of publishing, including editorial,
advertising, production, and
distribution.
Many methods for an improved distribution and publication system of materials
such as
newspapers have been introduced. Publishers of daily newspapers have
established their online
websites however few of the websites of daily newspapers are profitable today.
The current
challenge for publishers is how to exploit technology aggressively as a means
of improving
business operations. This includes using technology in all aspects of
publishing, including
editorial, advertising, production, and distribution. While this new network
and method for a
paperless distribution system has overcome some of the previously existing
problems, there is a
new emergence of network and computer related hurdles.
Several methods for the wireless publication of materials are known in the
field. For example,
United States Patent No. 5,689,648 teaches a portable viewing screen coupled
to a
microprocessor such that one or more additions of periodicals maybe viewed.
Transmitted data
is provided to a cable television satellite receiving station by way of a
satellite link. Signal
generators provide signals to a cable network transmission facility, this
facility transmits these
signals over the cable line to a plurality of subscribers.
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A further example of a data transmission system is described in United States
Patent No.
5,708,960. This patent utilizes radio broadcasting as a means to dispatch
information directly
into individual homes. The system involves the collaboration of a plurality of
local offices with
a central office and combines national news with local news to result in a
unique collaboration of
newspaper data that is broadcast from a local office and received by a
terminal office which is
generally installed in the home of each subscriber. Each terminal office is
specially configured
with a plurality of components such that the data maybe received in a readable
format.
A third paperless publication system is described in United States Patent No.
5,768,517 which
teaches a plurality of interfaced local and remote stations so as to enable
users to retrieve ordered
publications. At each of the local stations, information is accessed by
subscribers through
dedicated user stations. The system further includes a verification system in
order to authorize
access to ordered publications. This patent further describes in detail the
transmission of a signal
and its related processing. The paperless network described in this patent
includes a plurality of
remote stations, local stations, and user stations.
In each of the prior art documents a series of steps is followed in order for
data to be received by
the end subscriber. Each of these steps is dependent upon the previous.
Further, each of the
prior art documents focuses on the transmission and receipt of data. The
process terminates once
the document reaches the terminal device where the subscriber may then either
directly access or
password access the data for which they have subscribed.
It is an object of the present invention of obviate and mitigate at least some
of aforementioned
disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general terms, the present invention establishes a system and method for
creating a network of
computer devices to facilitate the operation of an information distribution
system. The system
comprises a network operating centre having a mufti tiered architecture, a
data collection system,
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a data distribution system, a client installation, a billing and reporting
system and a content
management system. Each of the previously mentioned systems interfaces with
network
operating centre such that the system is centrally controlled and operated.
The system collects,
processes, and distributes electronic information, such as a newspaper or the
like, over a secure
network.
In the preferred embodiment, the system is intended to be a web based tool
such that the system
provides a communication platform capable of broadcasting large volumes of
electronic data
while being centrally managed and controlled. The system is designed such that
it is multi tiered
in order to provide the redundancy and fault tolerance for each of the
services provided.
The client installation includes a print station and a computer device which
is controlled and
monitored from the network operating centre. It is configured such that it is
a "print-on-demand"
installation. Data is collected from various publishers and is distributed to
any of a plurality of
client installations dependent on demands placed. These demands are monitored
by the billing
and reporting system which details each transaction performed by the client
installation system.
The content management system serves as a data store for information
pertaining to the system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will
become more
apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to
the appended
drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system;
Figure 2 is a functional block diagram detailing the method effecting the
transfer of
information in the computer system of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an expanded view of the system of Figure 1;
and
Figure 4 is a functional block diagram detailing the method of processing and
transfernng information in the computer system of Figure 1.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A computer system for establishing a network of computer devices to form an
information distribution system is illustrated in Figures 1 through 3 and
generally designated by
reference numeral 10.
The system 10 has a mufti-tiered architecture and comprises a network
operating centre
(NOC) 12 that communicates with a data distribution system 16. The data
distribution system 16
receives collections of data from data collection systems 14 and distributes
the collections to,
selected ones of a plurality of client installations 18. Each of the client
installations 18 may
either produce printed copies of the data collections, as indicated at 19, for
manual distribution or
may forward it electronically to individual customers 13 of the client. The
system will be
1 S exemplified by a service to provide personalized newspapers, as the data
collections, to hotels,
constituting the client installations, for delivery to their guests, the
customers 13.
The distribution of the information between the components of the system 10
will
typically be accomplished over a public network such as the Internet 22 as
indicated by chain dot
line 22. Alternatively, where a reliable Internet connection is not available,
a broadcast system
20 may be used which typically includes a satellite and broadcast server 29
communicating with
the distribution system 16. Each of the distribution links may be secured to
inhibit interception
and amendment of the data collections.
The data collection system 14 as shown in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of
servers so as
to efficiently compile large data files from a series of widely distributed
sources. Typical data
collected from publishers 21 is received in the file format of Adobe Acrobat
or Post-script files,
such files being sent through secure channels. The plurality of servers within
the data collection
system facilitate processing efficiency and overall scalability of the
network. Having multiple
servers also enables a decrease in system traffic at individual servers. Each
collection server 24
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acts as a concentrator and enables publishers to deposit image data content
files at a single
server. Once data is received, it is sent to the distribution system. The
collection servers 24
interact with a plurality of processing servers 26, as described in Figure 4,
such that the final stop
in the collection system involves an operator review of the processed file to
ensure the file is in
the desired user-friendly format. The entire collection system 14 is centrally
managed and
monitored by the network operating centre 12. The collection system acts as a
"concentrator" for
all data files.
Once processed, files are sent to the data distribution system which comprises
a
plurality of servers 28 that employ a data delivery platform to facilitate the
redistribution of the
collected data from the collection servers 24. Once data has been processed
and manipulated by
the processing servers of the data collection system 14, that data is
automatically transferred to
the distribution system 16. Various data delivery mechanisms are employed and
in the preferred
embodiment these mechanisms include point-to-point FTP delivery as well as
push channels.
Push channels ensure such that the data is automatically sent from the
distribution server 28 to
the client installation 18. Further, in the event that a broadcast system 20
is employed by the
framework 10, satellite data broadcast methods are employed as a means to
transfer data to the
collection system 16. Each of the distribution servers 28 is delivered the
processed and refined
data files such that any distribution server 28 is capable of providing data
to a client installation
18. Distribution servers 28 are located throughout different countries such
that the load and
traffic on the data distribution system 16 is spread and that the system 10
provides scalability.
The distribution of the data is centrally controlled from the network
operating centre 12 such that
a continuous monitoring system runs in the background and tracks performance.
An overview of the method of establishing an information distribution system
is detailed
in Figure 2. A publisher 21 creates a data file 102 which it uses for the
production of the
newspaper through a conventional printing and distribution process. The data
file 102 is also
sent to the collection system typically using a secure content upload and
download configuration
using protocols such as HTTP, FTP and local file copying and stored as a
collection server 24 at
the collection system 14. The data collection server 24 at the location
nearest the publisher is the
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most common recipient. The data is processed and as more fully explained below
with respect
to Figure 4 and refined as indicated at 106 (or do we insert bold here) such
that the contents
are tailored to meet distribution and quality standards. On completion of the
data processing, a
file is sent as indicated at 108 to the distribution system 16. The data
distribution system 16
receives orders from an order placement system 110 and data, based on an order
placement
system 110, to a client installation 112. The order is downloaded by a client
installation 18 and
sent to the appropriate customer 13 either electronically or by printing and
manual distribution.
Once an order is downloaded to the client installation 18, that data is
archived (116) so as to be
available for future use and analysis. The data is temporarily archived at the
client installation
18 and subsequently saved at the NOC 12. The order placement process 110 is
centrally
monitored and managed by the network operating centre 12.
The collection and processing of electronic data by the system 10 is outlined
in Figure 4.
For data to be received from a publisher 21, the system 10 connects to a
publisher server 202.
1 S The NOC 12 initiates a download and employs an issue profile to determine
the schedule,
publisher directory and file names to be downloaded to one of a plurality of
collection servers
24. The collection server 24 generally receives each page of data as a single
file. In the case of
multiple files, the server 24 sorts the files by name and places them in page
order as indicated at
206. The first file is opened and remaining files are inserted therein so as
to create a single file
204. Once the download is complete, the server 24 compares at 208 both the
file date and size of
the downloaded material to that on the publisher server to assess
completeness. In the event the
file sizes are unequal, the server 24 resumes the downloading. Once complete,
these files are
sent to one of a plurality of processing servers 26.
Publisher files are typically an electronic version of a printed newspaper and
generally
require a large volume of memory space. As such they contain special marks,
including
embedded fonts, color breaks and bitmap based images. Each page of data is
configured
individually. Processing server 26 facilitates the simplification and
downsizing of data received
by the collection server 24 so as to allow for reproduction of the data at a
client installation 18.
When a file arrives at a processing server 26, a set of instructions is
invoked by the system 10 for
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the assemblage of the data. The file is then cropped 210 to remove special
marks used by a
typical publishing press and unnecessary margins from each page. In the
preferred embodiment,
the Acrobat Crop tool is employed to remove these special marks either
manually or
automatically. The system 10 facilitates a cross-check mechanism to ensure the
crop attributes
are acceptable and meet quality standards. The data file is then distilled 212
to optimize its
contents. Generally this process includes the conversion of the original file,
often in pdf format
containing high resolution pictures, non-standardized fonts etc. to a
postscript file format that
requires less memory and has a smaller byte size.
Once the distillation process is complete, the final file 214 is sent to a
directory at the
NOC 12, where an operator reviews the file contents to ensure quality
standards are met.
The file, when approved, is sent as indicated at 216 to the distribution
system 16 and the
processing is complete. Each distribution server 28 within the distribution
system 16 has the
processed version of each data file sent from a publisher. This enables a
client installation 18 to
retrieve data to fill an order from any one of the plurality of distribution
servers 28. Further, the
data content being present on all distribution servers 28 increases the fault
tolerance of the
system 10 such that a mechanical breakdown of a single server will not affect
the system's
ability to process and deliver an order in a timely manner.
The Network Operating Centre 12 is intended to provide both redundancy and
fault
tolerance for each of the interfaced system components. In the preferred
embodiment, the
network operating centre 12 is divided into two main tiers, a front end and a
back end. The front
end provides core data distribution services. Front end servers are run in
parallel under
supervision of a load balancing service so as to balance and distribute
component interfaces over
a plurality of servers. Using a two-tiered architecture enables the scaling of
front end resources,
such as TCP/IP, with increased system redundancy. By distributing and
balancing components
utilizing front end resource, a failure of a single server is overcome by
redistributing the load.
The back end is a data services layer and provides both data storage and data
base services. In
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the preferred embodiment, data storage is provided by a file share service
having fail-over
capability, and Microsoft SQL server 7.0 providing data base services.
The client installation 18 serves a dual purpose in that it is both a product
delivery
mechanism and an order collection point. The client installation 18 is
configured to receive both
client order details and, in turn, data files, to fill the orders. Data is
sent from the distribution
system 16, in the form of parameterized print jobs from various sources, to
the client installation
18. These print jobs are created on the basis of orders placed by
clients/customers. The client
installation 18 comprises a printing mechanism 19 and/or a personal computer
13 (PC) with
monitor. The PC polls the distribution server 28 searching for a particular
order, or, in the
alternative, the distribution server automatically pushes specific order data
to a client installation.
The file delivered from the distribution system 16 to the client installation
18 to fulfill
and order placed by a customer 13 may carry specific instructions such as
paper color and size.
If the file is to be printed, it enables the printer 19 that prints the file
with the custom
information. Once the print job is completed, the product is
deliveredman7ually to the
customer.
The client installation 18 tracks orders, production data and supply
consumption and
sends this information to the billing and reporting system 32 of the network
operating centre 12.
The client installation 18 is centrally controlled by the network operating
centre 12 such that
local and remote monitoring of print job status, printer subsystems,
communication channels and
supply consumption is performed by the NOC. For example, an operator monitors
printer status
such that the NOC 12 is aware of a particular print station of a client
installation being out of
paper or requiring service. This type of monitoring, in the preferred
embodiment, is a window-
based customer interface that allows for the local control of certain
functions of a client
installation within the network operating centre 12. The monitoring system,
run by the NOC 12,
sets off an alarm as a means to notify an operator at the client installation
of a problem e.g.:
paper jam, low toner, out of paper. If the problem remains unnoticed by
personnel local to the
CA 02326010 2000-11-15
client installation, the NOC will use other communication to notify such
personnel of the
problem such that it may be rectified in a timely manner.
Each client installation 18 includes a point of subscription system which
enables a third
party to enter order information into the client installation 18. The order is
in turn processed,
such that the content is relayed to a downloading and management system within
the client
installation 18. Once an order is downloaded, it generates an invoice 40,
which in turn is
gathered by the billing and reporting component of the network operating
centre 12.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the network operating
centre 12
further includes a billing and reporting system 32 and a content management
system 34. The
integration of the billing and reporting system 32 enables the system 10 to
provide processing for
financial transactions between participants of the system, as well as, collect
daily control data
from client installations 18, collection servers 24 and distribution servers
28. The data collected
is uploaded into a billing data base and that data is in turn filtered to
provide relevant information
to the billing system. The billing system includes a daily reporting procedure
38 that produces
information pertaining to daily sales, daily payments, credit batch reports,
detailed monthly
statements and overdue commissions. The billing system maintains a log such
that it tracks and
records a record of all orders placed and interfaces with a content management
system.
The content management system (CMS) 34 traces the flow of information, such
that it
interfaces with the collection system 14 and distribution system 16. In the
preferred
embodiment, the CMS 34 initiates the collection system 14 by scheduling a
collection of data
from the publisher 21. Once the data collection is complete, the CMS creates a
processing job
and sends the downloaded file to a processing server 26. The processing server
26 once
completing the job, notifies the CMS 34. An operator at the NOC is alerted and
the file is
reviewed. Once approved, the CMS saves a copy of the file to a database and
publishes the file
on the distribution system 16. The CMS 34 further facilitates the archiving of
collected data
such that it stores and organizes files in a catalogued manner for future
analysis of archived data.
This management system incorporates a mechanism for a plurality of searching
tools such that
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past data collected is easily sorted and retrieved and further enables
customers to search data
previously processed by the system 10. The database further contains content
profiles, publisher
profiles, distributor profiles, guest profiles etc.
The point subscription system of the client installation 18 enables an
operator at the hotel
secure access to the system 10. An order entered into the system typically
includes fields such as
guest name and room, subscription start and stop dates, etc. Further, the
subscriber will have a
plurality of newspapers from which to choose. This may be included at the time
of registration
of the guest and integrated with the guest record interface. In addition, the
system facilitates the
continuation of a guest's home subscription, if that subscription is a
subscriber to the system 10,
to be transferred to the hotel for the duration of a guest's stay. Once the
order is input, the
subscription system synchronizes with the content management system 34 of the
NOC 12, which
facilitates the downloading from a distribution server to begin progress. An
operator may query
the system at any time to ascertain the status of a particular order. The
system returns one of a
plurality of options stating that:
a) the issue is not yet available;
b) the printer has an existing copy of the order on its drive meaning the
issue has
already been downloaded;
c) the subscription for a particular hotel guest has been ordered in advance;
or
d) the issue is currently being downloaded.
Once the downloading process is completed from the distribution system 16 to
the client
installation 18, customized copies are created at the client installation and
sent to the printer such
that the particular issue is distributed to a hotel guest. The subscription
data is used to
supplement the filed delivered from the distribution system so that customized
print orders are
produced.
The client installation 18 further indicates what stage the printing process
is at. When
querying a printer, to surmise if a particular order has been printed, the
system is color-coded to
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indicate that the job has been printed, is ready to print but waiting for
processing by a printer, or
the operator has cancelled the job. The billing and reporting system interacts
with the
subscription system such that a particular order may be billed once it is
completed and the billing
system updated. The CMS 34 updates issue status, its location in the system
10, billing
completed etc.
Accordingly, the system may deliver an accurate reproduction of a customers
usual
newspaper even if not normally available and permit that newspaper to be
customized for the
particular customer.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific
embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled
in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims
appended hereto.
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