Method, apparatus and business system for online communications with online and offline recipients

• US 20060179112A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frank M Weyer, Troy K Javaher
• Original Assignee: Frank M Weyer, Troy K Javaher
• Inventors: Javaher, Troy Kurosh, Weyer, Frank Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/747,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method, apparatus and business system for allowing on-line communications with members of a group of recipients for whom the invention has been implemented. A group may, for example, comprise members of a particular business or profession. For example, a group may consist of doctors admitted to practice in the United States. Individual members of the group may or may not have existing internet presences (such as an e-mail address or website). The invention allows online users to communicate with each member of a given group regardless of whether or not the member has an existing online presence. In one or more embodiments, the invention does so by setting up a database of contact information for members of the group, creating an internet presence for each member of the group, creating an online interface allowind a user to access the member'"'"'s created internet presence, and providing means of communications between the created internet presence and the member recipient.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for providing an online presence for a first member of a group of members comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database comprising information associated with said first member;

allotting a first URL to said first member;

associating a first website with said first URL, said first website comprising information from said database associated with said first member;

a first control for sending a message to said first member; and

a second control for submitting a comment about said first member;

receiving an online request for said first URL from a requesting source;

providing said first website to said requesting source.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a message entry interface in response to activation of said first control.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a comment entry interface in response to activation of said second control.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising a link to an existing website of said first member.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said first website further comprises rating information associated with said first member.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said first website further comprises a control for submitting rating information for said first member.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a rating entry interface in response to activation of a control of said first website.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of receiving a message entered into said message entry interface.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of receiving a comment entered into said comment entry interface.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of receiving rating information entered into said rating entry interface.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of sending a message to an existing e-mail address for said first member.