Patent Abstract:
A system and method that allow a one:many relationship between personalization/positioning/targeting of audio/visual information and a produced audio/visual message.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In a competitive commercial world, companies look for ways to distinguish their products and services from their competitors&#39; products and services. In general, organizations look for unique ways to get the attention of their audiences through informational communications such as advertising, public service, or other announcements. One such way is to personalize and target the providing of information about products and services. An example of targeted communication is telephone and e-mail messages including personalization. 
     A problem with traditional variable data systems is that there is a one:one relationship between personalization/positioning/targeting and the produced piece so that, for example, to personalize a phone message or e-mail message would require stored audio/visual information about each target customer. 
     What is needed are a system and method that allow a one:many relationship between personalization/targeting and the produced message. 
     SUMMARY 
     The variable audio/visual data incorporation system and method of the present invention augment traditional variable audio/visual data incorporation systems by providing generic files that can be reused for creating personalized/customized messages. In this way, a user may create a message and a generic personalization/customization file of, for example, recordings, for example, a file of audio recordings of a generic set of first names, such that the user may select from the generic personalization/customization file an element that matches a customer characteristic, for example a first name, and combine that selection with the message to a produce personalized message. If there is no match in the generic personalization/customization file, then a default entry could be used to complete the message, or the customer characteristic could be formatted and entered into the generic file. 
     A method for providing a personalized informational piece can include, but is not limited to including, the steps of (a) creating, on a computer, a customer database having entries; (b) creating, on the computer, a characteristic database having a set of predefined audio/video characteristic data unrelated to the customer database; (c) identifying a recipient characteristic as one of the entries from the customer database; (d) selecting, from the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data, at least one variable section that includes a match between the recipient characteristic and one of the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data, if possible; (e) updating the characteristic database with an audio/video form of the recipient characteristic if the match is not found, and repeating step (d); (f) accessing, on the computer, an audio/video informational piece; (g) creating, on the computer, the personalized informational piece that includes a combination of the at least one variable section and the audio/video informational piece; (h) testing, on the computer, the personalized informational piece; and (i) providing the personalized informational piece to a medium. 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the system of the present invention can execute; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of further details of the system of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are flowcharts of an illustrative embodiment of the method of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments according to the present teachings are now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following configuration description is presented for illustrative purposes only. Any computer configuration with the capacity to meet the performance and storage requirements of the system and method of the present embodiment 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , system  100  for providing a personalized informational piece  11  can include, but is not limited to including, computer  13 , and customer database  19  electronically communicating with computer  13 . Customer database  19  can include entries  21 . System  100  can further include characteristic database  15  electronically communicating with computer  13 . Characteristic database  15  can include a set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  unrelated to customer database  19 . System  100  can still further include identifier  51  executing within computer  13  for identifying recipient characteristic  23  as one of entries  21  from customer database  19 , match finder  53  executing within computer  13  for selecting, from the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17 , at least one variable section  25  that includes a match between recipient characteristic  23  and one of the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17 , if possible. System  100  can even still further include database manager  55  executing within computer  13  for updating characteristic database  15  with audio/video form  28  of recipient characteristic  23  if the match is not found, and piece creator  57  executing within computer  13  for accessing audio/video informational piece  29  and for creating personalized informational piece  11  that includes a combination of at least one variable section  31  and audio/video informational piece  29 . System  100  can further include tester  59  executing within computer  13  for testing personalized informational piece  11 , and provider  61  executing within computer  13  for providing personalized informational piece  11  to medium  35 . Provider  61  can be in electronic communication with medium  35 . Predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  can optionally include, for example, recordings of first names and/or non-English language first names. Customer database  19  can include, for example, customer names, customer phone numbers, and customer e-mail addresses. Audio/video informational piece  29  can include, for example, an audio informational piece and/or a video informational piece. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , tester  59  can include, but is not limited to including, associater  65  for associating adjustment levels  37  with personalized informational piece  11  and adjuster  67  that communicates electronically with simulator  63 . Adjuster  67  can evaluate and modify, if necessary, and in conjunction with simulator  63 , adjustment levels  37  of personalized informational piece  11  to create modified personalized informational piece  39 . Adjuster  67  can evaluate and modify, if necessary, and in conjunction with simulator  63 , pauses  41  between at least one variable section  31  and audio/video informational piece  29  in modified personalized informational piece  39 . Simulator  63  can optionally prescreen modified personalized informational piece  39 . Provider  61  can include, but is not limited to including, medium selector  69  for selecting medium  35 , and piece preparer  71  for preparing modified personalized informational piece  39  for transmission through medium  35 . Medium  35  can include, but is not limited to including, e-mail, a personalized uniform resource locator link, and a telephone. 
     Referring now primarily to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 A, and  3 B, method  150  ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ) for providing personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ) can include, but is not limited to including, the steps of (a) creating  101  ( FIG. 3A ), on computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), customer database  19  ( FIG. 1 ) having entries  21  ( FIG. 1 ), (b) creating  103  ( FIG. 3A ), on computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), characteristic database  15  ( FIG. 1 ) having a set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ) unrelated to customer database  19  ( FIG. 1 ), (c) identifying  105  ( FIG. 3A ) recipient characteristic  23  ( FIG. 1 ) as one of entries  21  ( FIG. 1 ) from customer database  19  ( FIG. 1 ), (d) selecting  111  ( FIG. 3A ), from the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ), at least one variable section  25  ( FIG. 1 ) that includes a match between recipient characteristic  23  ( FIG. 1 ) and one of the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ), if possible  107 , (e) updating  109  ( FIG. 3A ) characteristic database  15  ( FIG. 1 ) with audio/video form  28  ( FIG. 1 ) of recipient characteristic  23  ( FIG. 1 ) if the match is not found, and repeating step (d), (f) accessing  113 , ( FIG. 3A ) on computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), audio/video informational piece  29  ( FIG. 1 ), (g) creating  115  ( FIG. 3A ), on computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ) that includes a combination of at least one variable section  31  ( FIG. 1 ) and audio/video informational piece  29  ( FIG. 1 ), (h) testing  117  ( FIG. 3B ), on computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ), and (i) providing  119  ( FIG. 3B ) personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ) to medium  35  ( FIG. 1 ). In method  150  ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ), predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ) can optionally include, for example, recordings of first names and/or recordings of non-English first names. Further, customer database  19  ( FIG. 1 ) can optionally include customer names, customer phone numbers, and customer e-mail addresses. 
     Continuing to refer primarily to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 A, and  3 B, method  150  can optionally include the step of selecting audio/video informational piece  29  ( FIG. 1 ) from a group consisting of an audio informational piece and a video informational piece. Further, the step of testing ( FIG. 3B ) can include, but is not limited to including, the steps of associating adjustment levels  37  ( FIG. 1 ) with personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ), evaluating and modifying, if necessary, in simulator  43  ( FIG. 1 ), adjustment levels  37  ( FIG. 1 ) of personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ) to create modified personalized informational piece  39  ( FIG. 1 ), evaluating and modifying, if necessary, in simulator  43  ( FIG. 1 ), pauses  41  ( FIG. 1 ) between at least one variable section  31  ( FIG. 1 ) and audio/video informational piece  29  ( FIG. 1 ) in modified personalized informational piece  39  ( FIG. 1 ), and prescreening, in simulator  43  ( FIG. 1 ), adjusted modified personalized informational piece  45  ( FIG. 1 ). The step of testing can further optionally include the steps of selecting medium  35  ( FIG. 1 ) from a group consisting of e-mail, a personalized uniform resource locator link, and a telephone, and preparing the adjusted modified personalized informational piece  45  ( FIG. 1 ) for transmission through the selected medium. The step ( FIG. 3B ) of providing personalized information piece  33  ( FIG. 1 ) to medium  35  ( FIG. 1 ) can include, but is not limited to including, the steps of selecting medium  35  ( FIG. 1 ) from a group consisting of e-mail, a personalized uniform resource locator link, and a telephone, and preparing personalized informational piece  11  ( FIG. 1 ) for transmission through the selected medium. Method  150  can optionally include the step of creating, on the computer  13  ( FIG. 1 ), personalized informational piece  33  ( FIG. 1 ) that includes a combination of a pre-selected variable section and audio/video informational piece  29  ( FIG. 1 ) if it is not possible to select, from predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ), at least one variable section  25  ( FIG. 1 ) that includes a match between the recipient characteristic  23  ( FIG. 1 ) and one of the set of predefined audio/video characteristic data  17  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Referring primarily to  FIGS. 3A and 313 , method  150  ( FIGS. 3A and 3B ) can be, in whole or in part, implemented electronically. Signals representing actions taken by elements of system  100  ( FIG. 1 ) can travel over at least one communications network  73  ( FIG. 1 ). Control and data information can be electronically executed and stored on at least one computer-readable medium  35  ( FIG. 1 ). The system can be implemented to execute on at least one computer node  13  ( FIG. 1 ) in at least one communications network  73 . Common forms of at least one computer-readable medium  35  can include, for example, but are not limited to, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CDROM or any other optical medium, punched cards, paper tape, or any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, or any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to various embodiments, it should be realized this invention is also capable of a wide variety of further and other embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6