Method and apparatus for collection and dissemination of information over a computer network

Abstract

A system for managing relationships in an industry community having various groups of parties, each of which has a common interest in the industry. The system includes means for collecting and sharing information between the parties. The collected information is classified in accordance with the group from which it came and the relationship between the groups is managed in accordance with a set of relationship rules.

1 . A system for managing relationships in an industry community having a first group of parties and a second group of parties each of which has a common interest in said industry, said system comprising: 
 first information collection means for collecting information about said first group of parties;    second information collection means for collecting information about said second group of parties;    first classification means for classifying said information about said first group of parties in a predetermined manner;    second classification means for classifying said information about said second group of parties in a predetermined manner; and    predetermined relationship management rules for managing the relationships between said first and second groups in accordance with their classification.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first group of parties includes a company marketing department.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first group of parties includes a company public relations department.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first group of parties includes a marketing firm.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first group of parties includes a public relations firm.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry publisher.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry reporter.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry analyst.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry association.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry forums group.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry standards organization.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry event organizer.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry regulatory body.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second classification means includes a three-tiered classification system for classifying said first and second groups of parties.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industries said first and second groups support.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs and in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs, in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers and in accordance with the industries said first and second groups support.  
     
     
         20 . A system for electronically managing relationships in an industry community having a first group of parties and a second group of parties each of which has a common interest in said industry, said system comprising: 
 first data collection means for electronically collecting data about said first group of parties;    second data collection means for electronically collecting data about said second group of parties;    first classification means for electronically classifying said data about said first group of parties in a predetermined manner;    second classification means for electronically classifying said data about said second group of parties in a predetermined manner,    a plurality of predetermined relationship management rules; and    processing means for electronically processing said data for managing said relationships between said first and second groups in accordance with their classification and disseminating said data in accordance with said relationships.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first group of parties includes a company marketing department.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first group of parties includes a company public relations department.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first group of parties includes a marketing firm.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first group of parties includes a public relations firm.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry publisher.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry reporter.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry analyst.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry association.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry forums group.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry standards organization.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry event organizer.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said second group of parties includes an industry regulatory body.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said first and second classification means includes a three-tiered classification system for classifying said first and second groups of parties.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industries said first and second groups support.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs and in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said three-tiered classification system classifies said first and second groups of parties in accordance with the industry to which said first and second group belongs, in accordance with the product and/or services that said first and second group offers and in accordance with the industries said first and second groups support.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said processing means including input means for manually inputting said data.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said processing means including input means for accepting an electronic data feed of said data.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said processing means including control means for managing the content of said data and controlling its dissemination.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published over a computer network.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published on an Internet website.  
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in a newsletter.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in an article.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in a brief.  
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in a newspaper.  
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in a directory.  
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 33 , further including synchronizing means for synchronizing industry data published in an Internet webcast.  
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 33 , further including alert means for alerting users of said system when predetermined data in said system has changed.  
     
     
         51 . A system for electronically managing relationships in an industry community having a first group of parties and a second group of parties each of which has a common interest in said industry, said system comprising: 
 first data collection means for electronically collecting data about said first group of parties and storing said data on a storage layer;    second data collection means for electronically collecting data about said second group of parties and storing said data on said storage layer;    first classification means for electronically classifying said data about said first group of parties in a predetermined manner within said storage layer;    second classification means for electronically classifying said data about said second group of parties in a predetermined manner within said storage layer;    a plurality of predetermined relationship management rules stored in said storage layer;    processing means for electronically processing said data for managing said relationships between said first and second groups in accordance with their classification in a processing layer; and    user interface face means within an interface layer for disseminating said data to users of said system in accordance with said relationships.    
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said processing layer is between said storage layer and said interface layer  
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein each of said layers is self-contained and communicating with adjacent layers using established procedures and protocols.  
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 51 , further including a security layer between said storage layer and said processing layer.  
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein all layers are located on a network server.  
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said storage and processing layers urn on a network server.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said interface layer runs a computer desktop.  
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein all of said layers runs a computer desktop.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said storage layer uses an SQL database.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said storage layer uses a MYSQL database.  
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said storage layer uses an Oracle database.  
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein said processing means includes a plurality of processing engines selected from among the group: 
 retriever engine for retrieving data requested by the user.    submitter engine for submitting user requests for processing by processing layer.    search engine for searching the data layer in response to a user request.    workflow engine for organizing the work flow the processing layer.    presentation engine for communication with the interface layer.    notification engine for providing notification messages to the user.    forms engine for generating forms for use in the presentation layer.    messaging engine for generating messages for the user, processing outgoing messages from the user and processing incoming messages for the user.    Import/export engine for importing and exporting data into and out of the data layer.    
     
     
         63 . A method of communicating information within a community having a first group of parties and a second group of parties each of which has a common interest in said community, said method having the following steps: 
 collecting information about said first group of parties;    collecting information about said second group of parties;    classifying said information about said first group of parties in a predetermined manner;    classifying said information about said second group of parties in a predetermined manner;    establishing a relationship rule between said first group of parties and said second group of parties; and    communicating said information between said first group of parties and said second group of parties in accordance with said relationship rule.    
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  further including the step of alerting said parties when information is available for communicating.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , further including the step of including within said first group a company marketing department.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64 , further including the step of including within said first group a company public relations department.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 63 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry publisher.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 64 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry publisher.  
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 63 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry reporter.  
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 64 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry reporter.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 63 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry analyst.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 64 , further including the step of including within said second group an industry organizer.  
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of telecommunication devices for permitting said parties to communicate with one another.  
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said telecommunication devices include unicaste conferencing facilities.  
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said telecommunication devices include multicaste conferencing facilities.