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  Information delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferencesRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Operations Research, Market Analysis, Demand Forecasting Or SurveyingInformation delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferences description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060229934, Information delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferences. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation of commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/588,763, filed Jun. 6, 2000 (Attorney Docket No. F-160), entitled Information Delivery System For Providing Senders With A Recipient's Messaging Preferences by Robert A. Law, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [0002] This application is related to the following co-pending applications filed concurrently herewith and commonly assigned to the assignee of this application: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/588,443, entitled MESSAGING SYSTEM HAVING RECIPIENT PROFILING and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/588,853, entitled RECIPIENT CONTROL OVER ASPECTS OF INCOMING MESSAGES, both of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003] This invention relates generally to information delivery systems. More particularly, in the preferred embodiments, this invention is directed to techniques allowing a recipient, receiving messages from a plurality of different senders desiring to communicate with the recipient, to control various aspects of the messages techniques for ensuring that the senders have access to updated recipient preferences. BACKGROUND [0004] Traditionally, recipients (individuals, businesses and households) have had little opportunity to influence the mail that is sent to them. Merely having a post office address has served as an open invitation to mailers (one type of message senders) wishing to communicate with the recipient. Historically, recipients have been limited in their ability to control any aspects of the mail. On the other hand, senders understand little about the messaging preferences of the recipients and their interests. [0005] Many factors place increased demands on the effectiveness of messages. First, the costs of generating and delivering messages is always increasing. Second, senders must compete for the recipient's attention due to the large number of messages that are typically received. Third, recipients need timely and easy access to their messages so that they are able to retrieve and discern them efficiently. Numerous other factors exist. [0006] Generally, various postal authorities around the world provided some narrow ability for a recipient to control the mail. One service is mail forwarding where the mail is redirected from an original address specified by the sender to another address specified by the recipient. This service may be utilized when the recipient moves. Although this service generally works well, it suffers from certain drawbacks and disadvantages. As an example, delays are typically involved in redirecting the mail. Furthermore, the sender is typically unaware of the new address and may continue to send subsequent mail to the old address. Address correction databases that contain updated information about the recipient's address are only updated periodically and must be accessed by the sender to obtain that new information. This delay has potential negative consequences for both the sender and the recipient. As another example, delivery costs for the postal authority are increased because the mail is often routed to the old address before being forwarded to the new address. Therefore, due to all of the above, the sender and the recipient suffer a loss in quality of service while cost for the postal authority increase. [0007] In addition to or as an alternative to notifying the postal authority and described above, the recipient who has moved may attempt to provide various senders with the new address. However, this is time consuming and generally not very effective since it may only pertain to physical mail. [0008] Another type of service is mail holding where the mail is held by the postal authority and not delivered to the recipient. This service may be utilized when the recipient is away from home for a period of time. Although this service generally works well, it suffers from certain drawbacks and disadvantages. As an example, mail tends to collect at the postal authority facilities and this increases storage and handling costs for the postal authority. Furthermore, the sender is typically unaware of the hold that has been placed on delivery and may continue to send subsequent mail believing that the recipient is receiving mail. This compounds the storage problem for the postal authority and the timeliness issue for the sender and the recipient. [0009] Therefore, due to all of the above, the sender and the recipient suffer a loss in quality of service while costs for the postal authority are generally increased. As a result, there is a need for improved exchange of information between the recipients and the senders that allow for a more efficient and effective process for senders to provide recipients with messages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The present invention provides a information delivery system and methods for improving the collection and dissemination of recipient preferences for messages. Generally, this is accomplished by collecting recipient preference data and making it available to a plurality of senders for their use in preparing messages intended for a selected recipient. [0011] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an information delivery system includes a web server in operative communication with a plurality of recipients and a plurality of senders, the plurality of senders desirous of generating messages intended for the plurality of recipients, respectively. The web server includes a plurality of recipient preference profiles corresponding to the plurality of recipients, respectively, and a plurality of sender profiles corresponding to the plurality of senders, respectively. Each of the recipient preference profiles includes respective information directed to the recipient's preferences for receiving messages and the web server provides the plurality of senders with access to the plurality of recipient preference profiles. The web server maintains a relationship between a log of recipient preference profiles out of the plurality of recipient preference profiles that have been accessed by a particular sender. For each of the recipient preference profiles in the log of recipient preference profiles, the web server provides a change notification to the particular sender of a change in the recipient preference profile. [0012] In accordance with the present invention, a method of operating a web server and a data structure are also provided. [0013] Therefore, it is now apparent that the present invention substantially overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art. Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts. [0015] FIG. 1 is a simplified representation of an information delivery system including a web server, a plurality of plurality of recipients and a plurality of senders, all in electronic communication with the web server, in which the present invention may be incorporated. [0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a template for a recipient preference profile describing various parameters intended to control aspects of messages sent by the senders that are intended for the recipient, in accordance with the present invention. [0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a template for a sender profile describing various parameters intended to control aspects of how and when the web server communicates recipient preference profile data to the sender, in accordance with the present invention. [0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of information flow between the web server, the recipients and the senders that facilitates the delivery of recipient preference profile data to the senders in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Continue reading about Information delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferences... Full patent description for Information delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferences Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Information delivery system for providing senders with a recipient's messaging preferences patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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