Communication system and server facilitating message exchange and related methods
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising:
- a server comprising a processor and memory associated therewith; and
a first communication device and a second communication device respectively associated with first and second users, each of said first and second communications devices comprising a processor and memory associated therewith;
said server configured tomaintain a database for a social media network, the database comprising first and second communication profiles respectively associated with the first and second users, andmaintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles;
each of said first and second communication profiles comprising an actual email address, a masked email address, at least one communication preference value, and a friends list comprising a plurality of friended communication profiles;
when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a message from the actual email address of the first user to the masked email address of the second user of said second communications device via said server, the message including an offer of a transaction value for a brokered communication exchange;
when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, said server configured toprocess the message from the first user,debit the transaction value from the first value account,convert the message to be from the masked email address of the first user and send the converted message to the actual email address of the second user, andwhen receiving an acceptance message from the second user in reply to the converted message, thenprovide the brokered communication exchange as a blind digital conference between the first and second users, andtransfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user;
when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a broadcast message to all users in a respective friends list of the first communication profile, the respective friends list including the second user, the broadcast message including the offer for the brokered communication exchange with a non-friended user, the second user to forward the broadcast message to the non-friended user in a friends list associated with the second user; and
when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, said server configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended user in reply to the broadcast message, thenprovide the brokered communication exchange as the blind digital conference between the first user and the non-friended user, andtransfer the transaction value corresponding to the offer for the brokered communication exchange with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system may include a server, and first and second communications devices. The server may be configured to maintain a database having first and second communication profiles respectively associated with first and second users, and maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles. The server may be configured to process the message from the first user, debit the transaction value from the first value account, convert the message to be from the masked email address of the first user and send the converted message to the actual email address of the second user, and when receiving an acceptance message from the second user in reply to the converted message, then facilitate a communication between the first and second users, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user.
33 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a server comprising a processor and memory associated therewith; and a first communication device and a second communication device respectively associated with first and second users, each of said first and second communications devices comprising a processor and memory associated therewith; said server configured to maintain a database for a social media network, the database comprising first and second communication profiles respectively associated with the first and second users, and maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles; each of said first and second communication profiles comprising an actual email address, a masked email address, at least one communication preference value, and a friends list comprising a plurality of friended communication profiles; when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a message from the actual email address of the first user to the masked email address of the second user of said second communications device via said server, the message including an offer of a transaction value for a brokered communication exchange; when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, said server configured to process the message from the first user, debit the transaction value from the first value account, convert the message to be from the masked email address of the first user and send the converted message to the actual email address of the second user, and when receiving an acceptance message from the second user in reply to the converted message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as a blind digital conference between the first and second users, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user; when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a broadcast message to all users in a respective friends list of the first communication profile, the respective friends list including the second user, the broadcast message including the offer for the brokered communication exchange with a non-friended user, the second user to forward the broadcast message to the non-friended user in a friends list associated with the second user; and when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, said server configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended user in reply to the broadcast message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as the blind digital conference between the first user and the non-friended user, and transfer the transaction value corresponding to the offer for the brokered communication exchange with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for operating a server in a communication system having a first communication device and a second communication device respectively associated with first and second users, the method comprising:
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operating a processor and memory in the server to maintain a database for a social media network, the database comprising first and second communication profiles respectively associated with the first and second users, and maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles; each of the first and second communication profiles comprising an actual email address, a masked email address, at least one communication preference value, and a friends list comprising a plurality of friended communication profiles; and when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, operating the processor and memory in the server to receive a message from the first communications device from the actual email address of the first user directed to the masked email address of the second user of the second communications device, the message including an offer of a transaction value for a brokered communication exchange, process the message from the first user, debit the transaction value from the first value account, convert the message to be from the masked email address of the first user and send the converted message to the actual email address of the second user, and when receiving an acceptance message from the second user in reply to the converted message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as a blind digital conference between the first and second users, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user; when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, the first communications device configured to send a broadcast message to all users in a respective friends list of the first communication profile, the respective friends list including the second user, the broadcast message including the offer for the brokered communication exchange with a non-friended user, the second user to forward the broadcast message to the non-friended user in a friends list associated with the second user; when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, the server configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended user in reply to the broadcast message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as the blind digital conference between the first user and the non-friended user, and transfer the transaction value corresponding to the offer for the brokered communication exchange with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A social media network system comprising:
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a server comprising a processor and memory associated therewith and configured to provide a social media network; and a first communication device and a second communication device respectively associated with first and second social media network users in the social media network, each of said first and second communications devices comprising a processor and memory associated therewith; said server configured to maintain a database comprising first and second communication profiles respectively associated with the first and second social media network users, and maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles; each of said first and second communication profiles comprising an actual email address, a masked email address, at least one communication preference value, and a friends list comprising a plurality of friended communication profiles; when the first social media network user and the second social media network user are not friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a message from the actual email address of the first social media network user to the masked email address of the second social media network user of said second communications device via said server, the message including an offer of a transaction value for a brokered communication exchange; when the first social media network user and the second social media network user are not friends within the social media network, said server configured to process the message from the first social media network user, debit the transaction value from the first value account, convert the message to be from the masked email address of the first social media network user and send the converted message to the actual email address of the second social media network user, and when receiving an acceptance message from the second social media network user in reply to the converted message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as a blind digital conference between the first and second social media network users, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second social media network user; when the first social media network user and the second social media network user are friends within the social media network, said first communications device configured to send a broadcast message to all social media network users in a respective friends list of the first communication profile, the respective friends list including the second social media network user, the broadcast message including the offer for a the brokered communication exchange with a non-friended social media network user, the second social media network user to forward the broadcast message to the non-friended social media network user in a friends list associated with the second social media network user; when the first social media network user and the second social media network user are friends within the social media network, said server configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended social media network user in reply to the broadcast message, then provide the brokered communication exchange as the blind digital conference between the first social media network user and the non-friended social media network user, and transfer the transaction value corresponding to the offer for the brokered communication exchange with the non-friended social media network user to a value account of the non-friended social media network user. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification