Method and system for directing communications in a communications network
First Claim
1. A method of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
- identifying a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network;
retrieving a non-unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication;
associating the non-unique receiver identifier with a unique receiver identifier using a record associated with the user; and
connecting the communication to the unique receiver identifier via the communications network.
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Abstract
The present application in one aspect discloses a method and system for directing communications in a communications network using a non-unique receiver identifier that allows users to forego the unique receiver identifier (such as electronic mail address), for a simpler, non-unique, alphanumeric address (a name, or number or a combination of both). The method enables an initiator to direct communication to a particular receiver by using a non-unique custom-defined receiver identifier as part of the communication process. The service provider system residing on the communications network retrieves the non-unique receiver identifier from the initiator and maps the non-unique receiver identifier to the corresponding receiver'"'"'s unique identifier by accessing a stored user record that pertains to the specific initiator. The service system then directs the communication to this unique identifier of the receiver and completes the communication.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
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identifying a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network;
retrieving a non-unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication;
associating the non-unique receiver identifier with a unique receiver identifier using a record associated with the user; and
connecting the communication to the unique receiver identifier via the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 42, 49, 50, 51)
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35. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
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identifying a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network;
retrieving a non-unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication;
associating the non-unique receiver identifier with a unique receiver identifier in record associated with the user; and
connecting the communication to the unique receiver identifier via the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 43)
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39. A system for directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
a server engine operable to identify a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network and operable to map a non-unique receiver identifier to a unique receiver identifier, the server engine further operable to direct communication to a receiver associated with the unique receiver identifier. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 44)
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45. A method of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
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receiving a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network;
retrieving a non-unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication;
determining from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication whether the non-unique receiver identifier needs to be created; and
if it is determined that the non-unique receiver identifier needs to be created, retrieving a unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication and creating a mapping record associating the unique receiver identifier with the non-unique receiver identifier. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
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receiving a non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication initiated by a user on a communications network;
retrieving a non-unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication;
determining from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication whether the non-unique receiver identifier needs to be created; and
if it is determined that the non-unique receiver identifier needs to be created, retrieving a unique receiver identifier from the non-unique receiver identifier-enabled communication and creating a mapping record associating the unique receiver identifier with the non-unique receiver identifier. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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52. A method of directing communications in a communications network, comprising:
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receiving communication recipient'"'"'s receiver identifier in a communication between a sender and a receiver, the receiver identifier being not necessarily unique;
determining communication recipient'"'"'s unique identifier associated with the communication recipient'"'"'s receiver identifier from one or more data records associated with at least one of the sender or the receiver; and
directing the communication to the communication recipient'"'"'s unique identifier.
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Specification