Method for dynamically obtaining telephone numbers

• US 6,909,371 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Romansky, Brian M., Zukowski, Deborra J., Reichman, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Jr., Thomas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk, Samuel J
• Application Number:
  US10/322,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/218.01
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks

Abstract

A method for automatically changing the address and telephone number of an occupant when the occupant moves from one internal address to another internal address. The foregoing is accomplished by placing a radio frequency identification tag in occupant'"'"'s nameplate, wherein the tag contains encoding information that identifies the occupant so that when the occupant changes his/her location, the nameplate may be used to update a data base and determine the occupant'"'"'s new address and telephone number.

Claims

1. A method for relating the telephone numbers of occupants of establishments to the internal address of the occupant, said method comprises the steps of:

A. storing an occupant'"'"'s name in an establishment in an electronic mechanism contained in a nameplate;

B. relating telephone numbers in an establishment with an occupant'"'"'s internal address that appears in the name plate; and

C. reading the electronic mechanism to determine the internal address of the nameplate and the telephone number of the occupant.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the nameplate is near the entrance to the occupant'"'"'s office.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further including the step of:

moving the nameplate near the entrance to the occupant'"'"'s new office when the location of the occupant'"'"'s office is changed.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein occupant'"'"'s office is located on a different floor.

5. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein occupant'"'"'s office is located in a different building.

6. The method claimed in claim 3, further including the step of:

notifying a printer to print business cards indicating occupant'"'"'s new office location.

7. The method claimed in claim 3, further including the step of:

notifying a user of the nameplate if he/she wants new business cards after an office change.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of uniquely storing occupant'"'"'s name in the electronic mechanism.

9. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the occupant'"'"'s name is uniquely identified, by placing occupant'"'"'s social security number in the electronic mechanism.

10. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the occupant'"'"'s name is uniquely identified, by placing occupant'"'"'s employee number in the electronic mechanism.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the nameplate includes occupant'"'"'s name.

12. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic mechanism is a radio frequency identification tag.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein a radio frequency identification tag reader is used to read the radio frequency identification tag.

14. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

storing occupants name and location in a database.

15. The method claimed in claim 14, further including the steps of:

displaying occupant'"'"'s name and location.

16. The method claimed in claim 14, further including the step of:

automatically changing the telephone number of an occupant in a database when the occupant moves from one internal address to another internal address.

17. The method claimed in claim 16, further including the step of:

changing occupant'"'"'s telephone number to the telephone number assigned to the new internal address.

18. The method claimed in claim 14, further including the step of:

causing occupant'"'"'s telephone number at occupant'"'"'s old internal address to be occupant'"'"'s telephone number at occupant'"'"'s new internal address.