Methods and systems for creating and operating hierarchical levels of administrators to facilitate the production and distribution of content

Abstract

A hierarchically arranged content assembly and distribution system includes global and local administrators, the global administrators having the authorization to establish the local administrators. Global administrators have the ability to establish global content, establish global subscriber lists and assemble content for distribution to the global subscribers. Local administrators have the ability to establish local content, establish local subscriber lists and to assemble content selected from both the global and local content for distribution to local subscribers. Each local administrator thus has the ability to utilize both local content as well as content provided by the hierarchy of other administrators in order to assemble content.

1 . A method operable on a computer for assembling and distributing communications, comprising the steps of: 
 establishing at least one local administrator;    establishing a plurality of content items;    identifying from the plurality of content items at least one restricted content item not usable by the local administrator and at least one distributed content item usable by the local administrator;    establishing a list of subscribers; and    selecting from the plurality of content items including the restricted content item and the distributed content item to assemble a communication for distribution to the subscribers.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising the step of initiating the transmission of the communication to the subscribers.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising the step of establishing at least one global administrator authorized to establish at least a second local administrator.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising the step of establishing a subscriber list for the at least one local administrator.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the step of establishing a subscriber list for the at least one local administrator includes adding at least one subscriber to an existing subscriber list.  
   
   
       6 . A system for assembling and distributing communications, comprising: 
 a processor; and    a memory connected to the processor and storing software instructions to control the operation of the processor, the processor operative with the software instructions to perform the steps of 
 establishing at least one local administrator,  
 establishing a plurality of content items,  
 identifying from the plurality of content items at least one restricted content item not usable by the local administrator and at least one distributed content item usable by the local administrator,  
 establishing a list of subscribers, and  
 selecting from the plurality of content items including the restricted content item and the distributed content item to assemble a communication for distribution to the subscribers.  
   
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the processor is further operative to perform the step of initiating the transmission of the communication to the subscribers.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the processor is further operative to perform the step of establishing at least one global administrator authorized to establish at least a second local administrator.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the processor is further operative to perform the step of establishing a subscriber list for the at least one local administrator.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the step of establishing a subscriber list for the at least one local administrator includes adding at least one subscriber to an existing subscriber list.  
   
   
       11 . A method operable on a computer for assembling and distributing a communication, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving from an upper-level administrator access to at least one distributed content item from a plurality of content items;    establishing a plurality of local content items;    establishing a list of subscribers; and    selecting from the plurality of local content items and the at least one distributed content item to assemble a communication for distribution to the subscribers.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of establishing a list of subscribers includes at least one of the group comprising adding new subscribers, deleting old subscribers and updating subscriber information.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of establishing a plurality of local content items includes at least one of the group comprising adding new content items and editing existing content items.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of selecting includes at least one of the group of editing the selected content items, positioning the selected content items and previewing the selected content items.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  and further comprising the step of initiating the distribution of the communication to the subscribers.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of initiating the distribution of the communication to the subscribers includes the step of requesting an upper level administrator to transmit the communication to the subscribers.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of initiating the distribution of the communication to the subscribers includes the step of initiating the transmission of the communication to the subscribers.  
   
   
       18 . A system for assembling and distributing a communication, comprising: 
 means for receiving from an upper-level administrator access to at least one distributed content item from a plurality of content items;    means for establishing a plurality of local content items;    means for establishing a list of subscribers; and    means for selecting from the plurality of local content items and the at least one distributed content item to assemble a communication for distribution to the subscribers.    
   
   
       19 . A program product containing instructions operable on a computer for assembling and distributing a communication, the program product operable with the computer to perform the steps of: 
 receiving from an upper-level administrator access to at least one distributed content item from a plurality of content items;    establishing a plurality of local content items;    establishing a list of subscribers; and    selecting from the plurality of local content items and the at least one distributed content item to assemble a communication for distribution to the subscribers.