System for linking information in a global computer network

• US 20040199506A1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeuStar Information Services, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Targus Information Corporation (Neustar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moore, George G., Shaffer, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system that flexibly, retrieves, processes and distributes data across a global computer network is disclosed. Within the system, a first party identifier is captured and converted into a Linkage Key, such as a United States Postal Service Delivery point code (11-digit zip code). The Linkage Key is then used to retrieve Linkage Key indexed data from various network nodes that house components of a virtual Linkage Key indexed database. The retrieved information associated with the first party identifier is then distributed by the system to one or more network nodes to provide benefits to the first party and other network nodes.

Claims

1. A computerized information system for retrieving consumer data over a network, comprising:

a first information server for receiving a consumer identifier from a consumer network interface device;

a Linkage Key conversion module comprising instructions for converting the consumer identifier into a Linkage Key;

a Linkage Key database comprising consumer data indexed by the Linkage Key; and

instructions for comparing the Linkage Key to the linkage database in order to retrieve consumer data from the linkage database.

2. The information system of claim 1, wherein the consumer network interface device is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless telephone, an interactive voice response system, a personal computer, a television, a personal digital assistant and a database server.

3. The information system of claim 1, wherein the Linkage Key is a spatial key that defines a geographic location.

4. The information system of claim 3, wherein the spatial key is a zip code.

5. The information system of claim 1, wherein the consumer identifier is selected from the group consisting of:

a 10-digit telephone number, a United States Postal Service address, Postal Service address plus a consumer name, a 10-digit telephone number plus a consumer name, a latitude and longitude, an IP address and an e-mail address.

6. The information system of claim 1, wherein the Linkage Key is selected from a group of:

a United States Postal Service Delivery Point Code (DPC), ZIP+4, State-county/census tract/census block, coordinate interleaved pair (quad-tree), 10-digit telephone number, standardized street address, standardized street address plus a standardized name, 10-digit telephone number plus standardized name, sequentially assigned number.

7. The information system of claim 1, wherein the Linkage Key conversion module comprises instructions for converting a consumer address into a United States Postal Service Delivery Point Code.

8. The information system of claim 1, wherein the information server comprises an Internet server.

9. The information system of claim 8, wherein the Internet server comprises instructions for writing the consumer identifier to a consumer'"'"'s computer.

10. The information system of claim 9, wherein the Internet server comprises instructions for writing a cookie data file to the consumer'"'"'s computer.

11. The information system of claim 1, wherein the consumer data comprises household data, individual data, census data, business location data or government location data, business financial data, consumer product/service consumption scores, maps, driving directions, USPS address data, property data, environmental data and geography related data.