Systems, methods, and computer program products for delivering information in a preferred medium

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for delivering information to a user comprising the following steps that are performed in a data processing system:

storing a user profile indicating a user preferred delivery medium including e-mail, html, fax, printed copy, and mail;

in response to a user request for information, determining from the stored user profile a preferred delivery medium for delivering the requested information to the user, wherein the user preferred delivery medium is determined from the stored user profile independent of a format associated with the user request;

in response to the user request for information, retrieving the requested information;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is e-mail, formatting the retrieved information as an e-mail message and delivering the e-mail message from the data processing system to a user data processing system in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is HTML, formatting the retrieved information as an HTML document and delivering the HTML document from the data processing system to a user data processing system in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is fax, formatting the retrieved information as a fax document and delivering the fax document from the data processing system to a user facsimile machine in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is printed copy, formatting the retrieved information as a printed document and delivering the printed copy from the data processing system to a user printer in communication with the data processing system; and

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is mail, formatting the retrieved information as a paper document and mailing the paper document to the user.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is mail, the following steps are performed by the data processing system:

printing the retrieved information as a paper document;

inserting the paper document into an envelope via a mail inserting device; and

delivering the envelope containing the paper document to the user via a postal service.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising verifying that the paper document inserted into the envelope contains the formatted retrieved information.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising verifying that the retrieved information is delivered to the user in its entirety.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of including additional, non-requested information with the requested information in the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile, and wherein the additional information is selected based on information contained within the stored user profile.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the stored user profile can be modified by the user.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of encrypting requests for information from a user.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of encrypting the formatted information prior to delivery to the user if the preferred delivery medium is e-mail or HTML.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of updating the stored user profile using information contained within the request for information.

10. A method according to claim 1 requested information is delivered to the user in more than one delivery medium.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user specifies a preferred delivery medium in the request for information.

12. A method for delivering information to a user comprising the following steps that are performed in a data processing system:

storing a user profile indicating a user preferred delivery medium including e-mail, html, fax, printed copy, and mail;

in response to a user request for information, determining from the stored user profile a preferred delivery medium for delivering the requested information to the user, wherein the user preferred delivery medium is determined from the stored user profile independent of a format associated with the user request;

in response to the user request for information, retrieving the requested information;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is e-mail, formatting the retrieved information as an e-mail message and delivering the e-mail message from the data processing system to a user data processing system in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is HTML, formatting the retrieved information as an HTML document and delivering the HTML document from the data processing system to a user data processing system in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is fax, formatting the retrieved information as a fax document and delivering the fax document from the data processing system to a user facsimile machine in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is printed copy, formatting the retrieved information as a printed document and delivering the printed copy from the data processing system to a user printer in communication with the data processing system;

if the preferred delivery medium indicated in the stored user profile is mail, the following steps are performed:

formatting the retrieved information as a paper document;

printing the retrieved information as a paper document;

inserting the printed document into an envelope via a mail inserting device; and

delivering the envelope containing the printed document to the user via a postal service; and

verifying that the retrieved information is delivered to the user in its entirety.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of including additional, non-requested information with the requested information in the preferred delivery medium, and wherein the additional information is selected based on information contained within the stored user profile.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the stored user profile can be modified by the user.

15. A method according to claim 12 further comprising th