METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR A REMOTE BUSINESS CONTACT IDENTIFIER

• US 20100331015A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cherifi, Tanya D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

This disclosure details the implementation of methods, systems and computer program products for remote business contact identification (hereinafter, “RBCI”). RBCI systems implement a remote business identification application whereby users may submit rich media including indicative information of at least one target business entity to a RBCI service provider, and the service provider may identify the target business entity within its database and return the contact information of the target business entity to the user instantly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving rich media related to at least one business entity from a user mobile device;

determining user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device;

extracting recognition information of the at least one business entity from the received rich media;

forming a query based on the extracted recognition information of the at least one business entity and the determined user location in a business database;

retrieving contact information related to the at least one business entity from the business database based on the query; and

providing the retrieved contact information related to the identified at least one business entity to the user mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device comprises a cellular phone mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving rich media related to at least one business entity from the user mobile device further comprises:

establishing a communicative connection between a user and a service provider;

receiving the rich media related to the at least one business entity in at least one multimedia format from the user via the communicative connection;

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service provider further comprises a server storing a list of business contact information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rich media related to the at least one business entity comprises at least one of the following:

(i) images of the at least one business entity;

(ii) audio clips recording names or addresses of the at least one business entity;

(iii) video clips recording the at least one business entity;

or (iv) text messages stating name and address of the at least one business entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the images and the video clips of the at least one business entity have embedded GPS satellite information if the data formats of the images and the video clips support Exif specification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device further comprises:

collecting location information of the user from GPS satellite information if GPS satellite information of the user is available.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device further comprises:

extracting location information of the user using Wi-Fi positioning technology if the user mobile device is enabled with Wi-Fi.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device further comprises:

computing the user location through cell tower triangulation if GPS information is incomplete and Wi-Fi positioning is not applicable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting recognition information of the at least one business entity from the received rich media comprises:

determining the data format of the received rich media;

performing a recognition procedure on the received rich media;

generating digitalized recognition data of the received rich media;

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the recognition procedure further comprises at least one of the following:

(i) optical character recognition of graphics;

(ii) speech recognition; and

/or (iii) text message processing.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a query based on the extracted recognition information of the at least one business entity and the determined user location in a business database comprises:

if the at least one business entity is not located by a first query, form a second query based on the extracted recognition information of the at least one business entity and the determined user location in the business database,

wherein the second query is associated with expanded search range in the business database.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving contact information related to the at least one business entity from the business database based on the query comprises:

if an exact match of the at least one business is identified, retrieving the contact information of the exact matched at least one businesses from the database; and

if an exact mach of the at least one business is not identified, retrieving the contact information of a pick list of businesses within a radius surrounding the determined user location from the database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a stored list of businesses associated with contact information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user connection request; and

automatically establishing a communicative connection between the user mobile device and the at least one business entity based on the provided contact information based on the user connection request.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatically establishing a communicative connection between the user mobile device and the at least one business entity based on the provided contact information based on the user connection request comprises:

connecting the user mobile device and the at least one business entity via a communication network without manual user dialing.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user connection request comprises at least one of the following:

(i) compression of a keypad button indicating the request;

or (ii) speaking the request.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor and containing program instructions;

an input and output device in communication with the processor and memory comprising a graphical interface;

wherein the processor executes program instructions contained in the memory and the program instructions comprise;

receive rich media related to at least one business entity from a user mobile device;

determine user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device;

extract recognition information of the at least one business entity from the received rich media;

form a query based on the extracted recognition information of the at least one business entity within a radius surrounding the determined user location in a business database;

retrieve contact information related to the identified at least one business entity from the business database based on the query; and

provide the retrieved contact information related to the identified at least one business entity to the user mobile device.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

processor readable instructions stored in the computer program product, wherein the processor readable instructions are issuable by a processor to;

receive rich media related to at least one business entity from a user mobile device;

determine user location information based on the received data from the user mobile device;

extract recognition information of the at least one business entity from the received rich media;

form a query based on the extracted recognition information of the at least one business entity within a radius surrounding the determined user location in a business database;

retrieve contact information related to the identified at least one business entity from the business database based on the query; and

provide the retrieved contact information related to the identified at least one business entity to the user mobile device.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving at least one digital image of at least one business entity taken by a user mobile device,

wherein the at least one digital image contains GPS satellite information if the mobile device is equipped with a GPS receiver and the data format of the at least one digital image supports Exif specification;

receiving location information of the user mobile device,

wherein the receiving location information comprises at least one of;

collecting location information of the user from GPS satellite information if GPS satellite information of the user is available,

extracting location information of the user using Wi-Fi positioning if the user mobile device is enabled with Wi-Fi, and

computing the user location through cell tower triangulation;

performing an optical character recognition procedure on the received at least one digital image;

generating digitalized recognition data of the at least one digital image;

forming a query based on the extracted recognition data of the at least one business entity within a radius surrounding the determined user location in a business database;

selecting at least one stored business in the database based on the query,

wherein the selecting at least one store business comprises;

if the at least one business is identified by the query, selecting the identified at least one business in the database,

if the at least one business is not identified by the query, selecting a pick list of businesses in the database within a location range of the at least one business entity;

retrieving contact information related to the selected at least one business entity from the database; and

providing the retrieved contact information related to the at least one business entity to the user mobile device.