Computational systems and methods for linking users of devices

• US 20130061050A1
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Dyor, Matthew G., Gates, William, Huang, Xuedong, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Lu, Qi, Malamud, Mark A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Nadella, Satya, Reed, Daniel, Shum, Harry, Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device; accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device; and assigning a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device;

circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device;

circuitry for assigning a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one of a mobile phone, a wired telephone, a voice-over-internet-protocol telephone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or a networked television.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting telephony device-identifier data including a telephone number associated with the telephony device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting at least one of subscriber identity module data or integrated circuit card identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting mobile equipment identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting international mobile equipment identity data corresponding to at least one communication device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting international mobile subscriber identity data corresponding to at least one communication device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting electronic serial number data corresponding to at least one communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device that is linked to at least one billing account.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a cable telecommunications billing account.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a wireless telecommunications billing account.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one wireless telecommunications billing account comprises a satellite telecommunications billing account.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a physical address.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a bank account.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises an electronic payment account.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the electronic payment account comprises at least one of a Google Checkout account, an Amazon Payments account, a PayPal account, or a mobile PayPal account.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a credit card account.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one billing account comprises a virtual account.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the virtual account comprises at least one of a virtual wallet or a virtual prepaid credit card.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting email data corresponding to at least one user of the at least one communication device.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the email data comprises a simple mail transfer protocol-compatible email address or an email alias.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with at least one of a user'"'"'s social security number, a user'"'"'s national identification card, a user'"'"'s biometric measurement, a user'"'"'s passport number, a user'"'"'s tax identification number, a user'"'"'s internet domain, or a user'"'"'s authentication certificate.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device comprises:

circuitry for accepting social networking data corresponding to at least one verified real-world user of the at least one communication device.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the social networking data comprises at least one of a username, an @-tagged twitter handle, a corporate login, or a website uniform resource locator.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the social networking data comprises at least one of Facebook data, Twitter data, or LinkedIn data.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the social networking data comprises at least one of image data, constellation of social contact data, or user input data.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the social networking data comprises data accumulated from multiple sources.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the social networking data comprises at least one of data used to create additional data or data used to find additional data.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device further comprises:

circuitry for associating network-participation identifier data with a real-world user associated with the at least one communication device.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the circuitry for associating network-participation identifier data with a real-world user associated with the at least one communication device includes at least one of circuitry for performing the association using identity prediction, circuitry for performing the association using de-anonymization, or circuitry for performing the association using real-name profiling.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the circuitry for associating network-participation identifier data with a real-world user associated with the at least one communication device includes at least one of circuitry for performing the association using web history tracking, circuitry for performing the association using media content tracking, or circuitry for performing the association using app data tracking.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for assigning a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data comprises:

circuitry for assigning at least one of a multi-digit decimal number, a multi-digit hexadecimal number, or a randomized code as the unique identifier.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for assigning a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data further comprises:

circuitry for encrypting the unique identifier.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the circuitry for encrypting the unique identifier includes circuitry for performing at least one of symmetric key encryption, public key encryption, hybrid digital signature encryption, using a one-way hash function, using a random identifier, or using a pseudo-random identifier.

35. The system of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for assigning to the unique identifier geo-locator data from the at least one communication device.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the geo-locator data is assigned via a global positioning satellite function of the communication device.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the geo-locator data is derived from at least one of cellular phone tower proximity, Wi-Fi use, user-entered location data, or proximity to at least one other device.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the geo-locator data is derived from at least one of a detected vehicle use, a detected user activity, or a detected user location.

39. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier represents multiple communication devices associated with a single user.

40. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier represents a single communication device associated with multiple users.

41. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier represents a single communication device associated with a single user.

42. The system of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for adding an assigned unique identifier to an inter-service-provider directory of unique identifiers.

43-84. -84. (canceled)

85. A computer program product comprising:

an article of manufacture including a signal-bearing medium bearing

(1) one or more instructions for accepting device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device;

(2) one or more instructions for accepting network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device; and

(3) one or more instructions for assigning a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data.

86. The computer program product of claim 85, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable medium.

87. The computer program product of claim 85, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a recordable medium.

88. The computer program product of claim 85, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a communications medium.

89. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to

(1) accept device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device;

(2) accept network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device; and

;

(3) assign a unique identifier at least partly based on the device-identifier data and the network-participation identifier data.

90. The system of claim 89 wherein the computing device comprises:

one or more of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal entertainment device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet personal computer, a networked computer, a computing system comprised of a cluster of processors, a computing system comprised of a cluster of servers, a workstation computer, and/or a desktop computer.

91. The system of claim 89 wherein the computing device is operable to accept device-identifier data corresponding to at least one communication device and accept network-participation identifier data associated with a verified real-world user associated with the at least one communication device from at least one memory.