Automatic verification of messenger contact data

• US 20070233796A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Muller Marken GmbH & Company Betriebs-KG
• Original Assignee: Muller Marken GmbH & Company Betriebs-KG
• Inventors: Oschmann, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/732,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

The invention specifies a method, an apparatus and a computer program product for automatically verifying messenger contact data. In this context, a computer unit (2) receives input messenger data from a user via a data link (5) and automatically, as a subscriber in an instant messaging system (6) associated with the messenger contact data, uses the received messenger contact data to send to the user a message containing a piece of confirmation information. For verification purposes, a user input is registered in line with the confirmation information, and the messenger contact data are then verified.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method for automatically verifying messenger contact data, the method which comprises:

receiving in a computer unit input messenger contact data from a user via a data link;

upon receiving the messenger contact data, automatically sending, with the computer unit as a subscriber in an instant messaging system associated with the messenger contact data, via the received messenger contact data, to the user a message containing confirmation information;

registering a user input in line with the confirmation information; and

subsequently verifying the messenger contact data.

31. The method according to claim 30, which comprises storing the received messenger contact data at least temporarily in a database.

32. The method according to claim 31, which comprises marking the verified messenger contact data in the database.

33. The method according to claim 30, which comprises communicating the verification to the user.

34. The method according to claim 30, which comprises producing a temporary identification for each user.

35. The method according to claim 30, which comprises producing the confirmation information on a user-specific basis.

36. The method according to claim 30, which comprises producing the confirmation information on a basis of the instant messaging system.

37. The method according to claim 30, wherein the confirmation information is a link referring to a confirmation URL, and the verification takes place when a domain associated with the confirmation URL is called.

38. The method according to claim 30, which comprises using an online connection with a called online service to ask the user to input the messenger contact data.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the computer unit uses the data link to communicate with a computer in the online service which receives the messenger contact data and forwards the messenger contact data to the computer unit.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the computer unit communicates the confirmation information to a computer of the online service, and the computer of the online service verifies the messenger contact data upon registration of the user input in line with the confirmation information.

41. The method according to claim 38, which comprises establishing communication between the computer unit and a computer of the online service via a direct connecting line.

42. The method according to claim 38, which comprises establishing communication between the computer unit and a computer of the online service via a public network.

43. The method according to claim 38, which comprises establishing communication between the computer unit and a computer of the online service via an Internet connection.

44. The method according to claim 42, which comprises communicating in encrypted form.

61. A computer program product containing computer-executable instructions which, upon execution on a computer system with a data input and a network connection, enable the computer system to carry out the method according to claim 30.

45. A computer system, comprising:

a data input and a network connection configured to;

receive messenger contact data from a user via said data input;

utilize the network connection for automatically, as a subscriber in an instant messaging system associated with the messenger contact data and using the received messenger contact data, to send to the user a message containing a piece of confirmation information; and

register a user input in line with the confirmation information and then to verify the messenger contact data.

46. The computer system according to claim 45, further comprising a database for at least temporary storage of the received messenger contact data.

47. The computer system according to claim 46, configured to mark verified messenger contact data in the database as verified.

48. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to communicate the verification to the user through the network connection.

49. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to produce a temporary identification for each user.

50. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to produce the confirmation information on a user-specific basis.

51. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to produce the confirmation information on a basis of the instant messaging system.

52. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to set up to send a link referring to a confirmation URL as confirmation information and to verify the messenger contact data when a domain to which the confirmation URL refers is called.

53. The computer system according to claim 45, configured to use the network connection to ask the user to input the messenger contact data.

54. The computer system according to claim 45, which comprises a computer unit and an online service computer of an online service having the network connection, said computer unit and said online service computer being connected to one another via a data link, and said online service computer being set up to receive the messenger contact data and to forward the messenger contact data to the computer unit.

55. The computer system according to claim 54, wherein said computer unit is configured to communicate the confirmation information to said online service computer via said data link, and said online service computer is configured to register a user input in line with the confirmation information and to subsequently verify the messenger contact data.

56. The computer system according to claim 54, wherein said data link is a direct connecting line.

57. The computer system according to claim 54, wherein said data link is a public network connection.

58. The computer system according to claim 54, wherein said data link is an Internet connection.

59. The computer system according to claim 57, configured for encrypted communication via the public network connection.

60. A computer program product containing computer-executable instructions which, upon execution on a computer system with a data input and a network connection, enable the computer system to:

receive messenger contact data from a user via the data input;

utilize the network connection for automatically, as a subscriber in an instant messaging system associated with the messenger contact data, using the received messenger contact data to send to the user a message containing a piece of confirmation information; and

register a user input in line with the confirmation information and then to verify the messenger contact data.