Real-time addresses for direct mail using online directories

• US 7,254,549 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Begeja, Lee, Bansal, Pradeep K.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US09/911,053
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for an online address directory that may be updated by the address owner in real time, via the Internet, the telephone, wireless web, or otherwise. The address entry may contain an address for the address owner, together with beginning and ending effective dates for the address to ensure that the address information is current for any given date. The address owner may select a level of security for the address entry, to permit open or restricted access to the address entry, and may specify those persons who may view the entry. A person seeking address information for the address owner may obtain that information by entering an identifier correlating to the address owner, the dates of interest, and if required, a key, into a query in the directory, thereby obtaining accurate address information for the date of interest.

Claims

1. A method for processing an order placed by an address owner to a merchant for merchandise, comprising the steps of:

receiving from the merchant a query to an online address directory, the directory containing a plurality of addresses of the address owner and, for each address of the address owner, a date range during which said address is effective, the query containing an address owner ID, and a shipping delivery date;

determining from the address directory, a shipping address of the address owner that is effective on the delivery date;

encoding said shipping address;

transmitting to the merchant, information for printing said coded shipping address onto a shipping label, the merchant attaching said encoded shipping address label to a package sent to a shipper; and

transmitting to the shipper a second key for decoding the shipping label to obtain the shipping address for the address owner on the delivery date.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving from the merchant a query to an online address directory comprises receiving a first hyperlink to a first hyperlinked page in the directory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said query from the merchant further contains a first key evidencing the address owner'"'"'s permission to query the directory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second key is a second hyperlink to a second hyperlinked page in the online address directory.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first key to the merchant to include in the query; and

transmitting a second key to the shipper for decoding the shipping label.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

by the merchant, affixing the label to the merchandise and forwarding the merchandise to the shipper; and

by the shipper, decoding the shipping label to obtain said shipping address for said address owner on said date of delivery.

7. A machine-readable medium having instructions recorded thereon, such that when the instructions are read and executed by a machine, the machine performs the steps of:

receiving from the merchant a query to an online address directory, the directory containing a plurality of addresses of the address owner and, for each address of the address owner, a date range during which said address is effective, the query containing an address owner ID, and a shipping delivery date;

determining from the address directory, a shipping address of the address owner that is effective on the delivery date; and

encoding said shipping address;

transmitting to the merchant, information for printing said coded shipping address onto a shipping label, the merchant attaching said encoded shipping address label to a package sent to a shipper; and

transmitting to the shipper a second key for decoding the shipping label to obtain the shipping address for the address owner on the delivery date.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the step of receiving from the merchant a query to an online address directory comprises receiving a first hyperlink to a first hyperlinked page in the directory.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said query from the merchant further contains a first key evidencing the address owner'"'"'s permission to query the directory.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the second key is a second hyperlink to a second hyperlinked page in the online address directory.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first key to the merchant to include in the query; and

transmitting a second key to the shipper for decoding the shipping label.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein further comprising the steps of:

by the merchant, affixing the label to the merchandise and forwarding the merchandise to the shipper; and

by the shipper, decoding the shipping label to obtain said shipping address for said address owner on said date of delivery.