Abstract:
A system and method are provided for monitoring information delivered through an electronic delivery system. One method for monitoring electronically delivering documents is provided which includes the steps of: creating log files for storing selected data related to selected electronic document preparation events; forwarding the log files to a central database for storage; and providing access to the log files for retrieval and analysis.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a system and method for monitoring the delivery of electronic documents. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring the deliveries of electronic documents which are designated for electronic delivery within a document generating system.  
           [0002]    At present, almost every business of any size communicates with its customers almost exclusively through forms and documents which are printed and mailed. Typically, in this process documents are prepared using word processors which output the completed documents via a printer. Once out of the printer, the document is then inserted into an envelope and mailed. Overall, the present system for communicating with customers is both slow and very expensive involving high labor and postage costs for each piece of correspondence.  
           [0003]    For these reasons, many companies have tried to encourage their customers to use the Internet to keep updated and to receive correspondence. However, the present systems available for companies are extremely limited in their scope and they require a great deal of customer participation to operate effectively. Additionally, many companies are reluctant to trust an electronic delivery system to transmit important documents. In many cases, such distrust is well founded as the present systems available for electronic document delivery are unreliable. In particular, many of the present document delivery systems are unreliable due to addressing errors for electronic mailboxes which are notoriously prone to user error. Additionally, the present systems offer no effective means for tracking or monitoring the documents and document data delivered through an electronic delivery system.  
           [0004]    Accordingly, what is needed is a comprehensive electronic delivery system which includes a reliable and effective method and system for monitoring the electronic delivery of documents and document data.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    According to the present invention, a system and method are provided for reliably monitoring the delivery of electronic documents.  
           [0006]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, one method for electronically delivering documents is provided which includes the steps of: creating log files for storing selected data related to selected electronic document preparation events; forwarding the log files to a central database for storage; and providing access to the log files for retrieval and analysis. Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which 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 attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations, particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, an illustrative embodiment and method of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic representation illustrating one example of a computer network configuration for use with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a simplified flowchart of a method for electronically delivering documents in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic representation illustrating another example of a computer network configuration for use with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a simplified flowchart of a method for monitoring and correcting the failed electronic delivery of a document in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic representation illustrating another example of a computer network configuration for use with an exemplary the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to corresponding elements. Preferably, the system and method of the present invention described below may be implemented by an interactive computer software application incorporated within a computer-readable medium such as a hard disk drive, an optical medium such as a compact disk, or the like. Further, the computer-readable medium may be available to a user either locally on the user&#39;s computer or remotely over a computer network, such as a local area network (LAN) or through the Internet.  
         [0014]    The present invention provides users with a comprehensive solution for the electronic delivery of documents. Additionally, the present invention provides multiple means for monitoring the document delivery process and for correcting failed document delivery.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 illustrates an example network arrangement  100  employing a system and method of the present invention in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the present invention operates independent of any particular arrangement or mix of network components and that the network  100  depicted in FIG. 1 is purely illustrative and simplified for the purpose of explanation.  
         [0016]    As shown in FIG. 1, the exemplary network arrangement  100  is comprised of an administrative system  10 . According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, this administrative system  10  may be any computer or network of computers or computer systems which stores and/or produces documents. For the purposes of the present invention, the term “documents” is used to refer to any set of text communication whether in electronic or non-electronic form which may be printed out or viewed on a computer monitor. Further, the exemplary network arrangement  100  further comprises a print management server  12  for accepting document data and document print requests from the administrative system  10 ; and a parsing engine  16  for processing and storing document data on a central database server  20  which may include a print file database  38  for storing print files and other document data, a restricted database  36  for use by selected administrators, and a customer database  34  which may be accessible via by customers via, for example, the Internet.  
         [0017]    As further shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the present invention may include a consent database  18  for storing the document delivery preferences for each customer. As discussed above, such document delivery preferences may include an option or a designation for each customer  24  to either receive documents electronically or non-electronically. Further in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the present invention may also include a web server  40  for allowing customers  24  to access their customer data and electronic document data. According to an exemplary embodiment, such web access preferably includes access for all customers including both customers receiving documents electronically and non-electronically. In this way, customers who wish to keep and receive documents non-electronically may also have on-line access to their document data. As shown, the web server  40  may further include a customer authorization module  44  for controlling access to the web server  40  and a presentment module  42  for providing access to electronic documents and customer data. As further shown, the web server  40  may access selected data and electronic documents from a variety of sources including, for example, from the central database  20 . Additionally, in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, the present invention may include a failed email monitoring system  30  as described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating steps in a method  200  for electronically delivering documents in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. At step  202 , users may produce documents within the administrative system  10  which are then stored and processed as electronic documents. At step  204 , one or more document delivery options for each potential document recipient may be stored on a database or the like. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the delivery options for each potential document recipient are preferably stored within the consent database  18  which is accessible throughout the network arrangement  100 . Further in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the delivery option or designation for each potential document recipient is preferably set for either electronic document delivery or non-electronic document delivery. Preferably, each delivery option may be controlled by a network administrator or customer service representative using, for example, an intranet portal or the like. Alternatively, the delivery option may be configured to be set by individual customers via the web server  40  or by the failed email monitoring system  30  as described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delivery options for multiple document recipients belonging to specific groups or business units may be controlled and changed together by a selected manager or administrator. In this way, an organization can uniformly tailor their document delivery preferences and choices without having to change the delivery options for each employee or customer individually.  
         [0019]    In step  206 , a request to print selected documents is generated by the administrative system  10  and the request is forwarded to the print management server  12 . In step  208 , the print management server  12  determines whether to process the requested documents for electronic or non-electronic delivery based upon the document delivery option stored for each document recipient. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the print management server  12  determines the document delivery option for each selected document by accessing the document delivery option stored on the consent database  18 .  
         [0020]    In step  210 , the print management server  12  forwards the documents selected for non-electronic delivery to a printer  14  for printing and mailing. In step  212 , the print management server  12  forwards the documents selected for electronic delivery to an electronic delivery system. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronic delivery system preferably includes a parsing engine  16  or similar device for processing and sorting document data for storage on the central database  20  which is then made available to control server  22  for composing electronic documents for email delivery to each customer  24  and to a web server  40  for on-line viewing. As discussed above, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronic delivery system preferably composes electronic notices to customers which informs the customers of documents and document data updated to the web server  40  which are available for viewing.  
         [0021]    Further in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the control server  22  may also compose an electronic document containing document data and transmit the composed electronic document to the customer for viewing as, for instance, an email attachment or the like. As discussed above with respect to transmitting notices, each composed electronic copy of a stored electronic document may be forwarded to an email server  28  for transmission to the intended email recipient. Further, as discussed above, an additional server  26  may also be provided to combine or “bulk” electronic documents together prior to delivery so that customers may receive one email containing several copies of composed electronic documents.  
         [0022]    With reference now to FIG. 3, an example failed email monitoring system  30  in accordance with an exemplary preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It should be understood, however, that the failed email monitoring system  30  operates independent of any particular arrangement or mix of network components and that the failed email monitoring system  30  depicted in FIG. 3 is purely illustrative and simplified for the purpose of explanation.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 shows a block diagram  300  illustrating steps in a method of operation of the failed email monitoring system  30 . In step  302 , a failed email manager  50  receives a failed email notice  49 . In step  304 , in response to the failed email notice  49 , the failed email manager  50  changes the document delivery option stored in the consent database  18  so that the intended recipient of the failed email receives only non-electronic documents. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the failed email manager  50  may be comprised of a server element  51  and a processing element  53 .  
         [0024]    In step  306 , the failed email manager  50 , preferably via processing element  53 , extracts identifying email data fields from the failed email notice  49  and retrieves the corresponding customer  24 &#39;s name and address data fields based on the extracted data fields. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the identify email data fields may include, for example, the failed email address and/or selected portions of the failed email address. Further in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the failed email manager  50  may then accesses a database such as the central database  20  to look up and retrieve the appropriate contact information for the customer  24  associated with the extracted identify email data fields. Such contact information may include, for instance, the name, telephone number and home address of the customer  24 . The failed email manager  50  may then forward the failed email notice  49  to an appropriate department  52  which may contact the customer  24  directly via a telephone  56  if the contact information is available to do so.  
         [0025]    In step  308 , the failed email manager  50  may prompt the appropriate department  52  to print a written notice of the failed email attempt and send the written notice of the failed email attempt to the customer  24  via mail or facsimile. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, such written notice of the failed email attempt may include instructions  60  for the customer  24 , in step  310 , to access a web server  40  to correct the cause of the failed email and to view the document data contained in the failed email. Further in accordance with an exemplary preferred embodiment of the present invention, a postcard form may be provided within the website  41  to assist the customer  24  in correcting the cause of the failed email attempt. According to this feature of the present invention, the customer  24  may print the postcard form, provide the requested information on the postcard form and mail the postcard form back to the appropriate department  52  to update the customer  24 &#39;s email information.  
         [0026]    With reference now to FIG. 5, an exemplary system for monitoring the electronic delivery of documents is illustrated. As discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, FIG. 5 illustrates an example network arrangement  100  employing a system and method of the present invention in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the present invention operates independent of any particular arrangement or mix of network components and that the network  100  depicted in FIG. 5 is purely illustrative and simplified for the purpose of explanation. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, selected system data may be monitored at points throughout the network arrangement  100  and stored within a central database  20  which is then made available to selected network users. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the system data may preferably be monitored via the creation of log files which contain the selected system data and which are forwarded to a central location for processing and storage. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the log files are preferably processed for storage by a parsing engine  16  which parses the log files into retrievable data. Further in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the data parsed by the parsing engine  16  is preferably forwarded to central database  20  for later retrieval and analysis.  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 5, the log files may be produced at various collection points throughout the network  100 . In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, such collection points may include for instance, a collection point  101  from within the print management server  12  may be used for collecting data such as, for example, the file names of documents printed, the number of documents printed and the date and time of the document printing. Additionally, a collection point  102  from within customer database  34  may be used for collecting data such as, for example, the file names of documents accessed and/or printed via the web server  40 , the names of customers accessing documents, the dates and times each time a document is accessed. Further, a collection point  103  between the central database  20  and the control center  22  may be used for collecting data such as, for example, the file names of documents processed for electronic delivery; the number of documents processed and the dates and times each document is processed. Still further, a collection point  104  between the control center  22  and the server  26  may be used for collecting data such as, for example, the file names of documents processed, the number of documents approved for delivery from the control center, and the time and date for processing each delivery.  
         [0028]    As further shown in FIG. 5, a collection point  105  may also be used between the server  26  and the email server  28  for collecting data such as, for example, the identification number of any email notifications produced, the file names of documents processed, and the time and date for processing each notification or document. Additionally, a collection point  106  at the web server  40  may further be used for collecting data such as, for example, the name and login dates and times for each customer accessing the web server  40 . In addition, a collection point  107  may also be employed at the failed email monitoring system  30  for collecting data such as, for example, the identification of any failed email notifications received, the name of any failed email recipients, the addresses of each failed email and the dates and times of each failed email delivery.  
         [0029]    In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the data collected at each collection point, may be used, for example to determine, for example, the identity of the top recipients of electronic and non-electronic documents. Such information preferably may be able to compiled using a database query.  
         [0030]    As is readily apparent from the above detailed description, the system and method of the present invention may be used in a variety of network configuration and is not intended to be limited to the example network configuration shown. For instance, though the example configuration of the present invention uses multiple databases and servers to store and access information, the present invention may also be configured so that only a single database and server are used. Alternatively, the databases of the present invention may also be broken up into several more discrete databases which may be distributed or duplicated on several servers.  
         [0031]    Additionally, the present invention may be used within network arrangements such as local area networks (LAN), including Ethernet and Token Ring access methods, wireless local area networks (WLAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), virtual local area networks (VLAN), wide area networks (WAN), and Bluetooth networks. Additionally, the present invention may work within wireless data networks such as GPRS, NTT DoCoMo, Hot Spots, GSM-Data, CDMA-One and HS-CDS networks, and wired public networks such as POTS, DSL, Cable and ISDN networks.  
         [0032]    Further, although the exemplary embodiments are discussed without reference to a particular operating environment, the present invention may be used in a variety of server platforms and operating environments such as, for example, Windows NT, Me, XP, 95, 98 and 2000 operating systems, as well as the Unix operating system, the OS/2 operating system, the Pocket PC operating systems and the NetWare operating system.  
         [0033]    Additionally, the present invention may be used with a variety of networking links and protocols including those based upon, for example, a Network File System (NFS); a Web NFS; a Server Message Block (SMB); a Samba; a Netware Core Protocol (NCP); a Distributed File System (DFS), and a Common Internet File System (CIFS) architecture, and may use such transport protocols as, for example, TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, HTTP, HTTPS and NetBEUI.  
         [0034]    The invention has been described with particular reference to embodiments which are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, such variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.