Use of identification codes in the handling and management of communications
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a query based on a first communication addressed to an intended recipient, the query including a validation code and a first identification code both of which are extracted from the first communication, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity;
receiving from the particular entity a second communication that includes the validation code and the first identification code;
verifying whether the first communication was sent by the same entity that sent the second communication; and
providing an indication, in reply to the query, of whether the first communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When a message is to be transmitted to an intended recipient, a validation code may be incorporated into the message. The validation code, which may include, for example, a random string of alphanumeric characters or a time of day, also is transmitted to a central facility in a secure manner. A query that incorporates the validation code may be extracted from the message and sent to the central facility either by equipment associated with the intended recipient of the message or by a service provider that intercepts the message. The central facility can use the validation code to verify, with a relatively high degree of likelihood, whether the message was sent by the particular entity associated with the identification code. The central facility then can inform the intended recipient (or the service provider) whether the message was properly verified. To ensure that the central facility will be able to verify, with a relatively high degree of likelihood, that the message was sent by a valid holder of the identification code, the validation code may be encrypted before being sent to the central facility or it may be transmitted to the central facility, for example, over a virtual private network.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a query based on a first communication addressed to an intended recipient, the query including a validation code and a first identification code both of which are extracted from the first communication, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity; receiving from the particular entity a second communication that includes the validation code and the first identification code; verifying whether the first communication was sent by the same entity that sent the second communication; and providing an indication, in reply to the query, of whether the first communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus comprising:
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circuitry to receive a query based on a first communication addressed to an intended recipient, the query including a validation code and a first identification code both of which are extracted from the first communication, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity; circuitry to receive a second communication from the particular entity, wherein the second communication includes the validation code and the first identification code; circuitry to verify whether the first communication was sent by the same entity that sent the second communication; and circuitry to provide an indication, in reply to the query, of whether the first communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when applied to a machine, cause the machine to:
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verify whether a first communication addressed to an intended recipient and a second communication that includes a validation code and a first identification code were sent by the same entity, wherein said verifying is in response to receiving a query based on the first communication, the query including the validation code and the first identification code both of which are extracted from the first communication, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity; and provide an indication, in response to the query, of whether the first communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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receiving a request from a particular entity to send a communication to an intended recipient; adding an identification code and a separate validation code to the communication, the identification code being associated with the particular entity and the validation code being associated with the communication; and transmitting the communication, including the identification code and the separate validation code, to the intended recipient and transmitting the validation code to a central facility that stores information indicative of how communications directed to the intended recipient are to be handled and that uses the validation code to verify whether the validation code was sent by the same entity that sent the communication. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus comprising:
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circuitry to receive a request from a particular entity to send a communication to an intended recipient; circuitry to add an identification code and a separate validation code to the communication, the identification code being associated with the particular entity and the validation code being associated with the communication; and circuitry to transmit the communication, including the identification code and the separate validation code, to the intended recipient and to transmit the validation code to a central facility that stores information indicative of how communications directed to the intended recipient are to be handled and that uses the validation code to verify whether the validation code was sent by the same entity that sent the communication. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when applied to a machine, cause the machine to:
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add an identification code and a separate validation code to a communication in response to receiving a request from a particular entity to send the communication to an intended recipient, the identification code being associated with the particular entity and the validation code being associated with the communication; transmit the communication, including the identification code and the separate validation code, to the intended recipient; and transmit the validation code to a central facility that stores information indicative of how communications directed to the intended recipient are to be handled and that uses the validation code to verify whether the validation code was sent by the same entity that sent the communication. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method comprising:
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receiving a communication addressed to an intended recipient, the communication including a validation code and a separate first identification code, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity; requesting a central facility to verify, based on the validation code, whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; receiving a reply from the central facility regarding whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; and handling the communication according to information from the central facility, the information being at least partially based on options previously set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An apparatus comprising:
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circuitry to receive a communication addressed to an intended recipient, the communication including a validation code and a separate first identification code, the first identification code being associated with a particular entity; circuitry to request a central facility to verify, based on the validation code, whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; circuitry to receive a reply from the central facility regarding whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; and circuitry to handle the communication according to information from the central facility, the information being at least partially based on options previously set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when applied to a machine, cause the machine to:
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request a central facility to verify based on a validation code whether a communication addressed to an intended recipient was sent by a particular entity associated with a first identification code, the request being made in response to receiving the communication addressed to the intended recipient, the communication including the validation code and a separate first identification code; and handle the communication according to information from the central facility, the information including an indication of whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code and the information being at least partially based on options previously set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A system comprising:
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a communications device; a service provider facility coupled to the first communications device; and a central database facility coupled to the service provider and the communications device, the first communications device configured to; add a first identification code and a validation code to a message; and transmit a communication addressed to an intended recipient, the communication including the message, the first identification code and the validation code; and transmit the first identification code and the validation code to the central database facility, the service provider facility configured to; intercept the communication; extract the first identification code and the validation code from the communication; and send a query to the central database facility requesting confirmation of whether the communication was sent by a particular entity associated with a first identification code, the query including the identification code and validation code extracted from the communication; the central database facility configured to; determine whether, based on the validation code, the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; and send to the service provider facility information indicative of how the communication is to be handled based, at least in part, on options set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications; and the service provider facility further configured to handle the communication from the communications device according to the information received from the central database facility. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A system comprising:
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first and second communications devices; a service provider facility coupled to the first and second communications devices; and a central database facility coupled to the service provider and the first and communications devices, the first communications device for transmitting a message to an intended recipient associated with the second communications devices; the service provider facility configured to; intercept the message; add a first identification code and a validation code to the message, the first identification code associated with a particular entity that sent the message; transmit a communication to the second communications device, the communication including the message, the first identification code and the validation code; and transmit the first identification code and the validation code to the central database facility, the second communications device configured to; extract the first identification code and the validation code from the communication; and send a query to the central database facility requesting confirmation of whether the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code, the query including the identification code and validation code extracted from the communication; the central database facility configured to; determine whether, based on the validation code, the message was generated by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; and send to the second communications device information indicative of how the message is to be handled based, at least in part, on options set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications; and the second communications device further configured to handle the message according to the information received from the central database facility. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A system comprising:
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first and second communications devices; a service provider facility coupled to the first and second communications devices; and a central database facility first and second communications devices; the first communications device configured to; add a first identification code and a validation code to a message; and transmit a communication addressed to an intended recipient through the service provider facility, the communication including the message, the first identification code and the validation code; and transmit the first identification code and the validation code to the central database facility, the second communications device configured to; receive the communication; extract the first identification code and the validation code from the communication; and send a query to the central database facility requesting confirmation of whether the communication was sent by a particular entity associated with the first identification code, the query including the identification code and validation code extracted from the communication; the central database facility configured to; determine whether, based on the validation code, the communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code; and send to the second communications device information indicative of how the communication is to be handled based, at least in part, on options set by the intended recipient for handling incoming communications; and the second communications device further configured to handle the communication according to the information received from the central database facility. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method comprising:
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receiving a query based on a first communication addressed to an intended recipient, the query including a first identification code extracted from the first communication and associated with a particular entity; receiving a second communication that includes the first identification code; comparing a time of arrival of the query with a time of arrival of the second communication; verifying whether, based on said comparing, the first communication was sent by the same entity that sent the second communication; and providing an indication, in reply to the query, of whether the first communication was sent by the particular entity associated with the first identification code. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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Specification