System and method for secure and/or interactive dissemination of information

Abstract

An interactive information dissemination system includes a media server ( 210 ) for receiving a plurality of media elements and storing the media elements in a database. A sender client ( 200 ) enables a first user to identify message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element from the database of media elements. A recipient client ( 202 ) presents the media element to a second user associated with the recipient identifier. The recipient client ( 202 ) further presents the message data to the second user when the second user performs a predetermined action, such as submitting authentication information or requesting the message data, to receive the message data. The message data may be secured by requiring sender and recipient authentication, and by encoding the data using a private encoding key and data package identifier managed by a main server ( 206 ) and a key server ( 208 ).

1 . A method of providing an information dissemination service comprising:
 receiving a plurality of media elements from a first user and storing the plurality of media elements in a computer database;   receiving instructions from a second user selecting one of the plurality of media elements;   receiving message data from the second user;   presenting the selected media element to a third user;   presenting the message data to the third user only after presenting the selected media element to the third user and only after the third user performs a predetermined action; and   charging a fee to the first user.   
   
   
       2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising charging a fee to the first user when the second user selects one of the plurality of media elements received from the first user. 
   
   
       3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , each of the plurality of media elements being chosen from the group consisting of an image, an audio element, and a video element. 
   
   
       4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising hiding the message data in the selected media element, communicating the combined message data and media element to the third user, and presenting the combined message data and media element to the third user. 
   
   
       5 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , further comprising extracting the message data from the media element only after presenting the combined message data and media element to the second user and only after the second user performs the predetermined action. 
   
   
       6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , the predetermined action involving requesting to view the message data. 
   
   
       7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising collecting information about the third user and providing the information about the third user to the first user. 
   
   
       8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising charging a fee to the first user for the information about the third user. 
   
   
       9 . A method of providing a secure data transfer service comprising:
 receiving transfer data and a recipient identifier from a first user;   creating an encoding key, encoding the transfer data using the key, and associating the encoded transfer data with a secure package identifier;   receiving a user identifier and a secure package identifier from a second user;   providing the key to the second user only if the user identifier matches the recipient identifier and if the secure package identifier received from the second user matches the secure package identifier associated with the encoded data; and   charging a fee to one of the first user and the second user.   
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising charging a fee to the first user each time transfer data is received from the first user. 
   
   
       11 . A method of providing an information dissemination service comprising:
 receiving a first plurality of media elements from a first user and storing the first plurality of media elements in a computer database;   receiving a second plurality of media elements from a second user and storing the second plurality of media elements in the computer database;   receiving instructions from a third user selecting a media element from the first plurality of media elements or the second plurality of media elements;   receiving message data and a plurality of recipient identifiers from the third user, the plurality of recipient identifiers identifying a plurality of recipients;   presenting the selected media element to each of the plurality of recipients;   for each of the plurality of recipients, presenting the message data to the recipient only after presenting the selected media element to the recipient and only after the recipient performs a predetermined action;   charging a fee to the first user when the third user selects one of the first plurality of media elements received from the first user; and   charging a fee to the second user when the third user selects one of the second plurality of media elements received from the second user.   
   
   
       12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , each of the plurality of media elements being chosen from the group consisting of an image, an audio element, and a video element. 
   
   
       13 . A method of providing an information dissemination service comprising:
 receiving instructions from a first user selecting one of a plurality of media elements;   receiving message data from the first user;   presenting the selected media element to a second user;   presenting the message data to the second user only after presenting the media element to the second user and only after the second user performs a predetermined action; and   charging a fee to the first user.   
   
   
       14 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , each of the plurality of media elements being chosen from the group consisting of an image, an audio element, and a video element. 
   
   
       15 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , further comprising hiding the message data in the selected media element, communicating the combined message data and media element to the second user, and presenting the combined message data and media element to the second user. 
   
   
       16 . The method as set forth in  claim 15 , further comprising extracting the message data from the media element only after presenting the combined message data and media element to the second user and only after the second user performs the predetermined action. 
   
   
       17 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , the predetermined action involving requesting to view the message data.