System and method for automated closed-loop production of customized books

Abstract

A page description file that is used for producing a printed publication is processed to generate data that comprise a database regarding a product. The data are used to produce a document from the database and, in response to producing the document, an order is generated.

1 . A method for using a page description file to generate data that comprise a database regarding a product for which orders are generated, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing the page description file that is used for producing a printed publication;   (b) processing the page description file to generate the data;   (c) using the data to produce a document from the database; and   (d) generating an order for the product in response to producing the document.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data regarding the product include at least one of an item name, a description, a catalog number, a style description, and a price. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data regarding the product are developed from untagged and unstructured data included in the page description file. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the database has a plurality of records. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a record is associated with a product. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of producing the document comprises producing a printed document. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of producing the document comprises producing an electronic document. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of producing the electronic document further comprises transmitting the electronic document as an email. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of producing the electronic document further comprises transmitting the electronic document as a web page. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating an order comprises interaction of a user with the document. 
   
   
       11 . A software system for generating data that comprise a database from a page description file, wherein the page description file is used for producing a printed publication, the software system comprises:
 a computer-readable medium and a software program stored in the computer-readable medium, wherein the software program comprises:   a first routine that processes the page description file to generate the data regarding a product;   a second routine that uses the data to produce a document; and   a third routine that accepts an order for the product in response to producing the document.   
   
   
       12 . The software system of  claim 11 , wherein the data regarding the product comprises at least one of an item name, a description, an item number, a style description, and a price. 
   
   
       13 . The software system of  claim 11 , wherein the first routine generates data regarding the product from untagged and unstructured data that comprise the page description file. 
   
   
       14 . The software system of  claim 11 , wherein the second routine produces an electronic document. 
   
   
       15 . The software system of  claim 14 , wherein the software system comprises a fourth routine for transmitting the electronic document as an e-mail. 
   
   
       16 . The software system of  claim 14 , wherein the software system comprises a fourth routine for transmitting the electronic document to a web browser.