UNIQUE IDENTIFIER ADDRESSING AND MESSAGING ENABLING DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, CONTENT TRANSFER, AND RELATED COMMERCE

• US 20100229247A1
• Filed: 05/20/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BUMP Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BUMP Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Phipps, Andrew Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/784,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229247A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/37 E-mail addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

A method and system to convert a plurality of unique identifiers (license plates) from defined certain defined classes of unique identifiers (i.e. license plates) into electronic addresses enabling digital communication, content, and commerce to be transferred to the associated address, whereby a verified rightful holder of the unique identifier can claim by contract; rights which can grant access to the digital data that has been transferred to the assigned electronic address. It is an object, in some aspects, to allow a sender without knowing the identity of the holder of the unique identifier, to communicate a message, send money, pictures, and files to the converted corresponding electronic address in the hopes that the holder will claim the email address through a verification process. In order to facilitate the invention a central domain repository is used to determine and publish a uniform convention for the unique identifier, to establish a standard that is universal. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in the inventions ability to be utilized as a universal uniform international standard email address assignment to all legally valid alphanumeric license plate numbers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the method comprising:

establishing an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses;

receiving a communication access request relating to one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers;

verifying legitimacy of the communication access request; and

enabling electronic communication using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponding to the one identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the verifying legitimacy includes verifying that a sender of the communication access request is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 further including generating at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

7. A computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the method comprising:

establishing an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses;

receiving an electronic request to communicate information to a recipient associated with one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers;

verifying legitimacy of the recipient; and

generating a message containing the information using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses associated with the one identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the verifying legitimacy includes verifying that the recipient is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

12. The method of claim 7 further including generating at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes for causing a computer to:

establish an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses;

receive an communication access request relating to one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers;

verify legitimacy of the communication access request; and

enable electronic communication using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponding to the one identifier.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the codes for causing the computer to verify legitimacy further include codes to verify that a sender of the communication access request is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 further including codes for causing the computer to generate at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes for causing a computer to:

establish an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses;

receive an electronic request to communicate information to a recipient associated with one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers;

verify legitimacy of the recipient; and

generate a message containing the information using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses associated with the one identifier.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the message comprises an electronic mail message.

22. A system for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the system comprising:

an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; and

a messaging server arrangement configured to receive an communication access request relating to one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers and verify legitimacy of the communication access request wherein the messaging server arrangement is further configured to enable electronic communication using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponding to the one identifier.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

25. A system for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the system comprising:

an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; and

a messaging server arrangement configured to receive an electronic request to communicate information to a recipient associated with one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers and verify legitimacy of the recipient wherein the messaging server arrangement is further configured to generate a message containing the information using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses associated with the one identifier.