Abstract: Advertisement information and subscriber profiles received from a publisher together with subscriber characteristics received from an advertising buyer are analyzed to provide a publication subscriber recommendation for the advertising buyer. The subscriber recommendation facilitates targeted advertising to selected publication subscribers.

Abstract: A software system is useful for generating a page file from a template file and database entries. The database entries are representative of variable information and the template file includes data designating a variable text area. The software system includes a computer-readable medium storing a software program having first, second, and third routines. The first routine associates the variable text area with a first text file that includes a variable information placeholder, while the second routine derives a second text file from the first text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the database entries. The third routine then generates the page file from the template file and the second text file.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for accessing websites from a communication device, such as a mobile telephone, that allows ease of access by initiating access to the website utilizing reference data such as a telephone number of an entity or business. A website server includes a telephone number cross reference database that allows the server to locate a website associated with the telephone number that is served by the server. Further features include automatic redirection to a website when the telephone of the entity or business is busy.

Abstract: The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

Abstract: The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

Abstract: The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for accessing websites from a communication device, such as a mobile telephone, that allows ease of access by initiating access to the website utilizing reference data such as a telephone number of an entity or business. A website server includes a telephone number cross reference database that allows the server to locate a website associated with the telephone number that is served by the server. Further features include automatic redirection to a website when the telephone of the entity or business is busy.

Abstract: The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for delivering an electronic publication to a user via a broadcast communication system are disclosed. A disclosed method includes receiving content components and content provider preferences. Content provider preferences are selected based on the user's preferences to provide a first selection, and the publication is assembled from the first selection. Content components are selected from the first selection based on the content provider preferences to provide a second selection, and the publication is assembled from the second selection. The publication is assembled based on the content provider preferences. A disclosed apparatus includes a tuner that receives the content components on a broadcast channel, a database containing information about the user, a content component selector that selects content components based on the information about the user, and an assembler that assembles the publication based on the information about the user and the content provider preferences.

Abstract: A system for connecting consumers to advertisers using bar-coded yellow page headings and bar-code scanning Internet devices is disclosed. Advertisers register with a server by providing information such as which yellow page headings the advertiser is associated with and how the advertiser is to be contacted. Consumers make requests to the server by scanning yellow page bar-code headings and indicating how the consumer prefers to be contacted. The server then finds matches between consumers and advertisers and facilitates communication between them.

Abstract: A system for accessing web content from a wireless telephone is disclosed. A consumer first speaks with an operator who performs a database query which causes a personal WAP page to be created. The personal WAP page is accessed by the wireless telephone in a straight forward manner, because the network address associated with the personal WAP page does not change from one query to the next. In this manner, very few manual inputs are required by the consumer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an electronic press develops first and second sets of template data representing associated first and second template pages, respectively, wherein each set of template data includes master data representing fixed information to be printed and area data representing an area of a page in which variable information is to be printed. A database is developed having a number of entries, each of which represents variable printed information and an electronic press is responsive to the sets of template data and the database to print the first and second template pages with selected variable printed information.

Abstract: A method for folding demand printed webs into signatures for gathering by rotary gathering and binding machines, as well as the signatures produced thereby, are disclosed. The method involves the steps of digitally printing pages onto a moving web of material, creating a series of fan folds across the transverse axis of the web, severing the web after a desired number of fan folds have been created to form a separate log, and chop folding the resulting log zero one or more times to form a signature. The resulting signature includes a plurality of layers each having pages printed thereon in proper orientation and sequence and includes a sturdy closed backbone which enables the signature to be easily handled by conventional high-speed rotary gathering machines.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus described herein provide a system for adjusting book cover printing based on the caliper of the book. The caliper of a particular printed book body is measured. Subsequently, a cover is printed for that particular printed book. Printing on the cover is adjusted to compensate for slight variations in the thickness of the book body. For example, a book title which is to be centered on the spine may be transposed if a non-nominal spine size is used to accommodate a non-nominal book body (i.e., a book body which is larger or smaller than the average size for this book).

Abstract: The method and apparatus described herein provides a system for retrieving audible and/or visual instructions stored in a machine readable code, such as a bar code. When the code is scanned by a scanning pen or other scanning device, the pen provides audible or visual feedback to the user. The feedback guides the user through a process, such as a shopping sequence, providing instructions to the next input or action. In addition, each code may also contain data indicative of a user response to a previous audio/visual prompt. Optionally, the scanning device may store an identification code which is compared to an authorization code stored in the machine readable code to determine if the user of the scanning device is authorized to see or hear certain information which is also stored in the machine readable code.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus described herein provide a system for determining a target web site associated with a radio or television program by making a comparison between a received sound segment and a known sound segment. The received sound segment is preferably captured at a personal computer (or any other computing device) by a microphone or a hard wired connection. The known sound segment is preferably retrieved from a plurality of known sound segments indicative of audio from a plurality of radio and/or television channels. Received sound segments and known sound segments are preferably time stamped to further facilitate comparison. This comparison may occur in the personal computer by making data indicative of the known sound segments available to the device. Alternatively, the comparison may be achieved by passing the received sound segment to another location (e.g., an Internet site). In an alternate embodiment, received video segments may be compared to known video segments.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for reproducing master and variable information on a display device, such as a computer network or a demand printer. The present invention develops first and second sets of template data representing associated first and second template pages, respectively, wherein each set of template data includes master data representing fixed information to be printed and area data representing an area of a page in which variable information is to be printed. A database is developed having a number of entries, each of which represents variable printed information and the display device is responsive to the sets of template data and the database to display the first and second template pages with selected variable information. The fixed and variable pages may be converted to TIFF format and imposed according to an instruction set. Alternatively, the fixed and variable pages may be “imposed-on-the-fly” as they are processed by a RIP.

Abstract: The present invention is useful for assembling a book. The inventive method includes the steps of specifying pagination information including an indication of whether a page is to be selectively included in the book, determining whether the page is to be assembled into the book based on the pagination information, and generating page description language instructions for production of the book in accordance with the pagination information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an electronic press develops first and second sets of template data representing associated first and second template pages, respectively. Each set of template data includes master data representing fixed information to be printed and area data representing an area of a page in which variable information is to be printed. A database is developed having a number of entries, each of which represents variable printed information. An electronic press is responsive to sets of template data and the database to print the first and second template pages with selected variable printed information.

Abstract: A method of, and system for, selectively reordering the reprinting of books on one or more electronic presses are disclosed. In one embodiment, sensors and a processor are utilized to reorder books fouled by an auxiliary device. In another embodiment, a sensor, and a global processor in communication with first and second local processors respectively associated with first and second printing presses are utilized to reorder books on one of the first and second printing presses selected to minimize processing time and/or to maximize postal rate discounts. In another embodiment, a sensor and a press processor are utilized to reorder errored books by inserting a book back into a stream of books being printed if re-printing the book with the stream entitles the errored book to a predefined postal discount.