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
first and second communications devices 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,maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles,generate a public opportunity database, andpost a given opportunity from the second user on the public opportunity database;
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 being associated with the given opportunity and including an offer of a transaction value for a communication between the first and second users, the communication being associated with the given opportunity;
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, thenfacilitate the communication between the first and second users as a blind digital conference, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, 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 communication 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 communication as the blind digital conference between the first user and the non-friended user, andtransfer the transaction value corresponding to the offer for the communication with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user.
1 Assignment
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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, maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles, generate a public opportunity database, and post a given opportunity from the second user on the public opportunity database. The server may be configured to when receiving an acceptance message from the second user in reply to a converted message, then facilitate a communication between the first and second users, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user.
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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 first and second communications devices 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, maintain first and second value accounts respectively associated with the first and second communication profiles, generate a public opportunity database, and post a given opportunity from the second user on the public opportunity database; 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 being associated with the given opportunity and including an offer of a transaction value for a communication between the first and second users, the communication being associated with the given opportunity; 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 facilitate the communication between the first and second users as a blind digital conference, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, 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 communication 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 communication 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 communication 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, 10)
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11. A server operating in a communication system having first and second communications devices respectively associated with first and second users, the server comprising:
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a processor and memory associated therewith 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; said processor and memory configured to generate a public opportunity database, post a given opportunity from the second user on the public opportunity database, and when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, 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 being associated with the given opportunity and including an offer of a transaction value for a communication between the first and second users, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, 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 the communication between the first and second users as a blind digital conference, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user; wherein 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 communication 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 wherein when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, said processor and memory are configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended user in reply to the broadcast message, then provide the communication 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 communication with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for operating a server in a communication system having first and second communications devices 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 operating the processor and memory in the server to generate a public opportunity database, post a given opportunity from the second user on the public opportunity database, and when the first user and the second user are not friends within the social media network, 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 being associated with the given opportunity and including an offer of a transaction value for a communication between the first and second users, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, 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 the communication between the first and second users as a blind digital conference, the communication being associated with the given opportunity, and transfer the debited transaction value to the second value account of the second user; wherein 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 communication 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 wherein when the first user and the second user are friends within the social media network, the processor and memory are configured to when receiving another acceptance message from the non-friended user in reply to the broadcast message, then provide the communication 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 communication with the non-friended user to a value account of the non-friended user. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification