Socializing System, Framework and Methods thereof
First Claim
1. There is provided a system for the purpose of creating/maintaining online directory containing one or plurality of virtual business cards pertaining to different entities (individual, group or business) for the purpose of enabling anonymous interaction/communication between two or more total strangers;
- wherein the system comprising;
i) a profile database to hold a plurality of virtual business cards and associated information pertaining to an entity;
ii) an online profile creation mechanism;
iii) a centralised server connected to the said profile database for operating the said profile database and running a server application;
iv) one or plurality of entities—
each using a client computing devices running a client application each; and
,v) an availability of ubiquitous communication and computing network enabling the connectivity between said client application running on any client device and the said server application running on the said centralised server;
Wherein each first entity is responsible for the creation/maintenance of a virtual business card containing the name and the plethora of its contact details pertaining to a variety of communication modes/media/mechanisms using the said online profile creation mechanism, and the said system allows each first entity to exercise a minute privacy settings in terms of who can see what information of its virtual business card;
wherein the said system further allows a second entity that is total stranger to the first entity to anonymously initiate and engage in a secure interaction/communication in a seamless way via one or plurality of communication modes/media/mechanisms with the first entity when the exact contact details of the chosen communication mode/medium/mechanism are not visible to a second entity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Internet has brought in different means of communication that go beyond the boundaries of conventional interaction/communication methods. Therefore, it should now be possible to communicate with total strangers securely without having to worry about privacies. This invention thus relates to a method/system/framework enabling an online directory creation for the purpose of anonymous communication/interaction among total strangers seamlessly and securely using one or plurality of communication modes/media/mechanism without compromising the privacies of the communication parties involved and without them having to know the exact contact details of each other. Also, modern communication technologies enable any social entity to have a numerous forms of contacts. A conventional business card cannot hold this growing number of contact details. The online directory allows any user to maintain a very dynamic virtual business card that can allow an owner to include/exclude different contact details dynamically at his/her discretion depending on the type of recipient(s).
80 Citations
19 Claims
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1. There is provided a system for the purpose of creating/maintaining online directory containing one or plurality of virtual business cards pertaining to different entities (individual, group or business) for the purpose of enabling anonymous interaction/communication between two or more total strangers;
- wherein the system comprising;
i) a profile database to hold a plurality of virtual business cards and associated information pertaining to an entity; ii) an online profile creation mechanism; iii) a centralised server connected to the said profile database for operating the said profile database and running a server application; iv) one or plurality of entities—
each using a client computing devices running a client application each; and
,v) an availability of ubiquitous communication and computing network enabling the connectivity between said client application running on any client device and the said server application running on the said centralised server; Wherein each first entity is responsible for the creation/maintenance of a virtual business card containing the name and the plethora of its contact details pertaining to a variety of communication modes/media/mechanisms using the said online profile creation mechanism, and the said system allows each first entity to exercise a minute privacy settings in terms of who can see what information of its virtual business card;
wherein the said system further allows a second entity that is total stranger to the first entity to anonymously initiate and engage in a secure interaction/communication in a seamless way via one or plurality of communication modes/media/mechanisms with the first entity when the exact contact details of the chosen communication mode/medium/mechanism are not visible to a second entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- wherein the system comprising;
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16. There is provided a method for an entity to create an online directory that is enriched with entity-specific data to function as a service repository, wherein with an aid of client application running in the entity'"'"'s client device, each entity connects to the centralised server application running on a centralised server that maintains a profile database containing a user-specific profile data, with an objective to create and maintain a user-specific virtual business card mainly consisting of each user'"'"'s profile names/IDs/addresses of one or plurality of other social networking sites such as Facebook, Skype, MSN, Hi5 and the like, personal/business information, business/personal video/audio clips and other contact details in addition to user'"'"'s personal information namely first/middle/last name and the date-of-birth, and other services and products each user provides/sells/advertises or interested in and the said server application executes a directory management procedure for entities to maintain/view the online directory services and the said procedure comprising the steps of:
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1) starting a timer; 2) checking to see whether any first entity attempts to create a profile with the use of the said client application that runs locally in the client device being used by the first entity, and when the first entity activates a new profile for the first time, generating and assigning a unique profile identifier to every successfully registered entity, storing the created profile in the said centralised profile database and getting the entity to configure the client application with the login IDs of the multitude of other SNSs the entity has profile addresses already while employing any known mutual authentication mechanism; 3) in response to a profile creation, the said server application creating automatically user accounts/profiles pertaining to different SNSs such as Skype, MSN messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook and the like depending on a given entity'"'"'s preferred SNSs, passing those details on to the given entity'"'"'s client application and requesting the given entity to associate those automatically created user accounts with its own user accounts; 4) Checking to see whether a search request is received from the client application of the second registered entity, and when it happens, running a centralised service/peer discovery protocol, performing profile matching and informing the outcome to the second entity; 5) When a second registered entity intends to have an anonymous communication/interaction with the first entity using a preferred SNS/IM/VoIP/V2IP or PLMN/ISDN service, where both the first user and the second registered user do not see each other'"'"'s contact details of any sort, after a mutual authentication, liaising with the client application and mapping the profile identifiers of the entities with login-IDs of the chosen SNS/IM/VoIP/V2IP service or the telephone numbers of the PLMN and initiating an anonymous communication/interaction seamlessly using overlaying principles; 6) Whenever a timeout occurs, running a centralised service/peer discovery protocol, performing profile matching and informing the outcome to every interested entity; 7) whenever the mutual authentication fails at any stage, preventing an entity from collaborating; Wherein the said directory management procedure executed by said server application is both time-driven and event-driven. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification