Method, apparatus and system of unique, coded, visual identifiers that provide a point of contact between people for communication and exchange of information bridging non-virtual and virtual environments

• US 20130037609A1
• Filed: 08/13/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carolann Merritt-Munson, Christopher Merritt Munson
• Original Assignee: Carolann Merritt-Munson
• Inventors: Merritt-Munson, CarolAnn, Munson, Christopher Merritt
• Application Number:
  US13/209,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20130037609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method for anonymously relaying personal relationship status of single men or single women desirous of a relationship, as a signal or invitation for contact by potential suitors for matchmaking while facilitating a private, secure point of contact or communications between Client-Users and Prospect-Users. A unique coding system of Visual Identifiers of the present invention, recognizable however undecipherable outside of a private, paid membership, secure computer network facilitates a plurality of Client-User defined levels of communication or exchange of information ranging from denial of contact to electronic messaging, audio chat, video chat or face to face conversation with a potential suitor or Prospect-User in a non-virtual or virtual environment is provided. Further, the presence or display of the apparatus of the Client-User'"'"'s unique, coded, anonymous, identifier itself in a non-virtual environment performs as a signal or invitation to Prospect-Users that a Client-User is receptive to potential electronic communication at various, individually or mutually defined levels within the domain of said private computer network. Further, the invention provides people a way to take an active role in matchmaking between a friend, family member, or associates by recognition of a Client-User'"'"'s unique Visual Identifier code and then apprising a Prospect-User of that avenue of communication as a means for parties to contact with one another.

Claims

1. A method of transforming private, Client-User defined, personal meta-data within a dedicated, private, secure, non-public, computer network into an anonymous, unique, coded, Visual Identifier comprised of alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

recognizable in a virtual and non-virtual environment by single men or single women desirous of a relationship, as a signal or invitation for contact by potential suitors for matchmaking, yet undecipherable outside of said dedicated, private computer network virtual environment;

uniquely designated and assigned to a specific paid, Client-User member by said dedicated computer network;

of which the underlying, personal meta-data is managed and warehoused within said secure, private computer network and is accessible to a potential suitor or Prospect-User only as a result of a paid membership and at the discretion of the Client-User using varying levels of administrative security control;

creating a specific, sole point of contact facilitating varying Client-User defined levels of administrative security control over communication or exchange of information ranging from denial of contact to electronic messaging, audio chat, video chat or face to face conversation with a potential suitor or Prospect-User in a non-virtual or virtual environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded Visual Identifier derived from the underlying Client-User meta-data, independent of the substrate or method of display, is represented by, but not limited to a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating numbers, real numbers, alphanumeric symbols, letters, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

is undecipherable outside of said dedicated, private computer network virtual environment;

unlike a business card and unrepresentative of any means of conventional form of communication or contact such as an email address, street address, telephone number, specific geographic location or website address thus keeping private the underlying Client-User meta-data warehoused within said computer network;

allowing the Client-User to exercise levels of secure, administrative control over the availability of the potential for contact or communication and to what extent the depth of personal data detail, if any, will be shared with a Prospect-User at the discretion of the Client-User on a case by case basis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coded Visual Identifier derived from the underlying Client-User meta-data, independent of method of display, is represented by, but not limited to a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating numbers, real numbers, alphanumeric symbols, letters, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

is undecipherable outside of said dedicated, private computer network virtual environment;

unlike a business card and unrepresentative of any means of conventional form of communication or contact such as an email address, street address, telephone number, specific geographic location or website address thus keeping private the underlying Client-User meta-data warehoused within said computer network;

allowing the Client-User to exercise levels of secure, administrative control over the availability of the potential for contact or communication and to what extent the depth of personal data detail, if any, will be shared with a Prospect-User at the discretion of the Client-User on a case by case basis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to representation of a geographic location denoting a city, state, region, country or any combination thereof, by alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to representation of a geographic location denoting a city, state, region, country or any combination thereof, by alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to representation of the name of the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board that designates and assigns the coded visual identifier itself, by alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to representation of the name of the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board that designates and assigns the coded visual identifier itself, by alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to a matrix bar code that represents;

a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating, real numbers;

a geographic location denoting a city, state, region, country or any combination thereof;

the name of the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board that designates and assigns the coded visual identifier itself;

an internet website address that directs the viewer to a point of contact or communication with the client-user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is characterized by, but not limited to a matrix bar code that represents;

a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating, real numbers;

a geographic location denoting a city, state, region, country or any combination thereof;

the name of the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board that designates and assigns the coded visual identifier itself;

an internet website address that directs the viewer to a point of contact or communication with the client-user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded visual identifier is displayed on a plurality of articles including, but not limited to;

apparel such as shirts, hats, bags, totes, backpacks, jackets, pants, short pants, visors and swimwear;

public signage such as billboards and posters;

business cards and letterhead;

electronic media such as internet websites, social networks, smart phone and mobile phone applications.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus of the coded visual identifier designated and assigned by the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board provides a link or point of contact and communication to the Client-User by means of the assigning network or in a non-virtual environment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence or display of the coded Visual Identifier, viewed in a virtual or non-virtual environment, independent of the substrate or method of display, performs as an anonymous signal, indicator or invitation that a Client-User is receptive to contact and communication from a potential suitor or Prospect-User through a plurality of levels both virtual and non-virtual;

with the Visual Identifier derived from the underlying Client-User meta-data is represented by, but not limited to a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating numbers, real numbers, alphanumeric symbols, letters, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

with the Visual Identifier undecipherable outside of said dedicated, private computer network virtual environment;

unlike a business card and unrepresentative of any means of conventional form of communication or contact such as an email address, street address, telephone number, specific geographic location or website address thus keeping private the underlying Client-User meta-data warehoused within said computer network;

allowing the Client-User to exercise levels of secure, administrative control over the availability of the potential for contact or communication and to what extent the depth of personal data detail, if any, will be shared with a Prospect-User at the discretion of the Client-User on a case by case basis.

2. A method of identifying, signaling and inviting contact or the potential of communication with single men or single women desirous of a matchmaking relationship, comprising the steps of:

transforming private, Client-User defined, personal, meta-data within a dedicated, private, secure, non-public, paid membership computer network into an anonymous, unique, coded, Visual Identifier comprised of alphanumeric symbols, letters, numbers, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

assignment and designation of the unique coded, Visual Identifier to a Client-User by said dedicated computer network;

the Client-User displaying the Visual Identifier;

a potential suitor or Prospect-User seeing and recognizing a Client-User by way of the Visual Identifier displayed by the Client-User or a third party seeing and recognizing the Client-User Visual Identifier and then relaying the Visual Identifier to a Prospect-User;

one-way request for communication directed specifically to the Client-User initiated by the Prospect-User via the Visual Identifier through said secure computer network;

Client-User receipt of Prospect-User'"'"'s request for communication;

Client-User'"'"'s determination to respond to Prospect-User through said secure network, employing a plurality of Client-User administrated levels of security consisting of denial of contact, one-way electronic messaging, two-way electronic messaging, voice chat, video chat or a combination thereof requiring paid membership subscription by Prospect-User to said private computer network in order to receive communication from Client-User;

immediate, direct, personal communication in a non-virtual environment between the Prospect-User and the Client-User following the Prospect-User seeing and recognizing the assigned Visual Identifier as displayed by the Client-User.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the presence or display of the coded Visual Identifier, viewed in a virtual or non-virtual environment, independent of the substrate or method of display, performs as an anonymous signal, indicator or invitation that a Client-User is receptive to contact and communication from a potential suitor or Prospect-User through a plurality of levels both virtual and non-virtual;

with the Visual Identifier derived from the underlying Client-User meta-data is represented by, but not limited to a single number in a series of sequential, non-repeating numbers, real numbers, alphanumeric symbols, letters, symbols, a matrix bar code or any combination thereof;

with the Visual Identifier undecipherable outside of said dedicated, private computer network virtual environment;

unlike a business card and unrepresentative of any means of conventional form of communication or contact such as an email address, street address, telephone number, specific geographic location or website address thus keeping private the underlying Client-User meta-data warehoused within said computer network;

allowing the Client-User to exercise levels of secure, administrative control over the availability of the potential for contact or communication and to what extent the depth of personal data detail, if any, will be shared with a Prospect-User at the discretion of the Client-User on a case by case basis.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the apparatus of the coded visual identifier designated and assigned by the internet based social network, online dating platform or third party electronic bulletin board provides a link or point of contact and communication to the Client-User by means of the assigning network or in a non-virtual environment.