Communication connectivity via context association, advertising sponsorship, and multiple contact databases
First Claim
1. A method for providing a caller with a communication connection to a subscriber over a communication network, the network including:
- a data center including one or more contextual databases, the contextual databases storing a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context for each respective subscriber associated with the secure identity key;
a caller network in communication with a caller database storing at least one context for a respective subscriber, the caller network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases;
a subscriber network in communication with a subscriber database, the subscriber database storing subscriber contact and profile listing information, and associating the subscriber contact and profile listing information with the respective secure identity key, the subscriber network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases;
the method comprising the steps of;
receiving at the data center, from the caller network, a context for a targeted subscriber as entered by a caller, upon call initiation, on a caller communication device;
using the one or more contextual databases to retrieve a matching context and the associated secure identity key without requiring use or exposure of the contact and profile listing information of the targeted subscriber;
forwarding the retrieved secure identity key to the subscriber network;
retrieving from the subscriber database the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key; and
providing the caller a communication connection to the targeted subscriber, without requiring that the subscriber contact information be released to the caller, to the caller network, or to the data center.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Communication connectivity via context association is provided by associating targeted subscriber contact information with a key at a subscriber database. At a data center, the keys are associated with unique characteristics or aliases (contexts) of the subscribers, thereby facilitating context searching. A caller initiates a connection to a subscriber by providing a subscriber'"'"'s context. The context is located and associated key identified. The key is resolved in the subscriber database, and the call routed. Use of the key allows subscriber connectivity without revealing, to the caller or to the data center, sensitive contact information. Through a caller database, call initiation occurs by subscriber alias identification in a caller'"'"'s communication device; thereby foregoing inclusion of sensitive contact information within the caller'"'"'s communication device. Communication connectivity can be advertiser sponsored, with advertisements accompanying messages selected by matching profile information of targeted subscribers with participating advertiser provided profile information of desired targeted subscribers.
144 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for providing a caller with a communication connection to a subscriber over a communication network, the network including:
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a data center including one or more contextual databases, the contextual databases storing a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context for each respective subscriber associated with the secure identity key; a caller network in communication with a caller database storing at least one context for a respective subscriber, the caller network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases; a subscriber network in communication with a subscriber database, the subscriber database storing subscriber contact and profile listing information, and associating the subscriber contact and profile listing information with the respective secure identity key, the subscriber network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases; the method comprising the steps of; receiving at the data center, from the caller network, a context for a targeted subscriber as entered by a caller, upon call initiation, on a caller communication device; using the one or more contextual databases to retrieve a matching context and the associated secure identity key without requiring use or exposure of the contact and profile listing information of the targeted subscriber; forwarding the retrieved secure identity key to the subscriber network; retrieving from the subscriber database the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key; and providing the caller a communication connection to the targeted subscriber, without requiring that the subscriber contact information be released to the caller, to the caller network, or to the data center. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A communication system for providing a user with a communication connection to a subscriber, the system including:
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a data center adapted to receive a context for a targeted subscriber as provided by a user, the data center including one or more contextual databases that store a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context associated with each secure identity key;
whereby, in response to a context received, the data center retrieves a matching context and the associated secure identity key from the one or more contextual databases without requiring use or exposure of contact information of the targeted subscriber; anda subscriber network which is in communication with a subscriber database, storing subscriber contact and profile listing information, and with the data center;
whereby, in response to receiving the retrieved secure identity key, retrieves from the subscriber database the contact information of the targeted subscriber facilitating a communication connection of the user to the targeted subscriber, the communication connection including a message to the targeted subscriber accompanied by an advertisement, without requiring that the contact information of the targeted subscriber be released to the user or to the data center; andan advertising center in communication with the data center and the subscriber network, the advertising center managing selection of content of the advertisement, wherein the advertisement content is selected based on the profile listing information of the targeted subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for providing advertising sponsored community-based messaging across multi-providers or multi-groups over a communication network, the network including:
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a subscriber database, the subscriber database storing profile listing information for each of targeted subscribers and targeted groups of subscribers in the community; and an advertising center in communication with the subscriber network and an advertising database that stores, for each participating advertiser, profile listing information of targeted subscribers and targeted groups of subscribers of interest to the respective advertiser;
the advertising center also managing selection of an advertiser, and content of an advertisement, to accompany a message sent to a targeted subscriber or group of advertisers;the method comprising the steps of; receiving from a caller information identifying a targeted subscriber or group of subscribers and content of a message to be sent to the targeted subscriber or group of subscribers; selecting an advertiser, and content of an advertisement to accompany the message, based upon a matching of the profile listing information of targeted subscribers and targeted groups of subscribers of interest to respective advertisers stored in the advertising database, and the profile listing information of the targeted subscribers and groups of targeted subscribers stored in the subscriber database. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for providing a caller with a communication connection to a subscriber over a communication network, the network including:
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a caller network including a caller database, the caller database storing a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context for each respective subscriber associated with each secure identity key; a call center in communication with the caller network, the call center including one or more call center databases storing subscriber contact information, and associating the subscriber contact information with the respective secure identity key, the method comprising the steps of; (a) receiving a context for a targeted subscriber at the caller network; (b) using the caller database to retrieve a matching context and the associated secure identity key without requiring use or exposure of the contact information of the targeted subscriber; (c) receiving the retrieved secure identity key at the call center, as forwarded from the caller network; (d) retrieving from the one or more call center databases the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key; and (e) providing the caller a communication connection to the targeted subscriber, without requiring that the subscriber contact information be released to the caller or to the caller network. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification