Apparatus and process for distributing information using an electronic ...

United States Patent [w]

Fabbio et al.

[54] APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR

DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION USING AN
ELECTRONIC PACKAGE
REPRESENTATION

[75] Inventors: Robert Fabbio; Eric Rothfus, both of Austin, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Dazel Corporation, Austin, Tex.

[21] Appl. No.: 978,505

[22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1997

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 330,390, Oct. 27,1994, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI. G06F 3/00

[52] U.S. CI 345/335; 395/200.3

[58] Field of Search 345/329, 330,

345/331, 335, 971, 968; 395/200.3, 200.31, 200.33, 200.57, 200.62, 200.66, 200.76

[56] References Cited

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US005870089A [ii] Patent Number: 5,870,089 [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 9, 1999

5,551,428 9/1996 Godlewski et al 128/653.1

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

AR. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Palladium Print System, Palladium Design Document." Dec. 1991, pp. 1-1 to 1-5 and 2-1 to 2-6.

Primary Examiner—A. Katbab

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Shaffer & Culbertson; Russell D. Culbertson

[57] ABSTRACT

A system and a method are both described for transferring data throughout computer systems, computer networks, data transmission facilities, and the like from an originating location to destination devices (50) at various physical locations. An electronic package data structure (10) is also described that includes document references (14), destination references (16), and package attributes (18,28, 40). The document references (14) may be document names and locations or actual document contents. Destination references (16) identify printers, e-mail addresses, facsimile machines, electronic pagers and the like. A graphical user interface or GUI (140) serves to allow a user (52) to select documents, destinations, and additional package attributes that create the electronic package data structure (10). Once the components and attributes are assembled, the GUI is used to send the package (10) to a delivery service (12). The delivery service (12) receives the package (10) and operates on instructions and data in the package to interpret the instructions and actually deliver the documents in the package to the desired destinations.

31 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets