Context-specific contact information

• US 7,324,948 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Carl Teo Balbach
• Inventors: Balbach, Carl Teo
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/759,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/346
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

A method of selecting contact information is disclosed. In the method, a signal corresponding to a source document is received and analyzed to determine a referenced entity. A data base of contact information and related contact entities is provided and searched to determine whether the referenced entity is among the contact entities. If the referenced entity is among the contact entities, the corresponding contact information is provided. The provided contact information may be used to address a message from a sender to a recipient. A system and an article of manufacture for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of selecting contact information, comprising:

automatically comparing an electronic source document available on a network of computers to a database of entities to identify a referenced entity within the source document;

providing a data base of contact information, the data base of contact information having contact information corresponding to a plurality of contact entities;

automatically determining whether the referenced entity is among the contact entities;

if the referenced entity is among the contact entities, then selecting the contact information corresponding to the referenced entity;

providing to the sender criteria that a message must satisfy in order to be acceptable to the referenced entity;

prompting a sender to provide a message to the referenced entity; and

using the contact information to send the message to the referenced entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the message from the sender.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies the criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies criteria specified by the referenced entity includes determining whether the message has obscenities therein.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the message to the referenced entity.

6. The method of claim 1, prompting the sender to provide a preferred method of delivering the message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferred method may be provided by selecting from a group consisting of e-mail and postal address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the sender to provide information required by the referenced entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the sender conditions that the sender must satisfy prior to sending the message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the sender to provide information; and

using the information provided by the sender to categorize the message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information includes a postal address.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information includes an Internet address.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information includes a phone number.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a key word in the source document that is associated with the referenced entity; and

prioritizing selected contact information corresponding to the referenced entity by giving a high priority to contact information associated with the key word.

15. A computer implemented method of selecting contact information, comprising:

receiving an identifier corresponding to a source document available on a network of computers;

providing a data base having a plurality of identifiers, each of the plurality of identifiers having associated therewith contact information corresponding to entities referenced in the source document;

automatically determining whether the identifier corresponding to the source document is among the plurality of identifiers in the data base;

if the identifier is among the plurality of identifiers in the data base, then selecting the contact information corresponding to the entities;

providing to the sender criteria that a message must satisfy in order to be acceptable to at least one of the entities;

prompting the sender to provide a message to one of the entities identified in the source document; and

using the contact information to send the message to the at least one of the entities.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the message from the sender.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies the criteria.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies criteria specified by the referenced entity includes determining whether the message has obscenities therein.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing the message to the referenced entity.

20. The method of claim 15, prompting the sender to provide a preferred method of delivering the message.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the preferred method may be provided by selecting from a group consisting of e-mail and postal address.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising prompting the sender to provide information required by the referenced entity.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing to the sender conditions that the sender must satisfy prior to sending the message.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prompting the sender to provide information; and

using the information provided by the sender to categorize the message.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information includes a postal address.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information includes an Internet address.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information includes a phone number.

28. An article of manufacture comprising, a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to select contact information, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to compare an electronic source document available on a network of computers to a database of entities to identify a referenced entity within the source document;

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to provide a data base of contact information, the data base on contact information having contact information corresponding to a plurality of contact entities;

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to determine whether the referenced entity is among the contact entities;

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to select the contact information corresponding to the referenced entity if the referenced entity is among the contact entities;

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to provide to the sender criteria that a message must satisfy in order to be acceptable to the contact entities;

computer readable program code means for prompting the sender to provide a message to the referenced entity; and

computer readable program code means for instructing the computer to use the contact information to send the message to the referenced entity.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising computer readable program code means for receiving the message from the sender.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code means for analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies the criteria.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code means for providing the message to the referenced entity.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 28, computer readable program code means for prompting the sender to provide a preferred method of delivering the message.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, further comprising computer readable program code means for allowing the sender to select from a group of preferred methods of delivering the message, consisting of e-mail and postal address.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising computer readable program code means for prompting the sender to provide information required by the referenced entity.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising computer readable program code means for providing to the sender conditions that the sender must satisfy prior to sending the message.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for prompting the sender to provide information; and

computer readable program code means for using the information provided by the sender to categorize the message.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 28, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for determining a key word in the source document that is associated with the referenced entity; and

computer readable program code means for prioritizing selected contact information corresponding to the referenced entity by giving a high priority to contact information associated with the key word.

38. A contact information system, comprising:

a signal processor capable of comparing an electronic source document available on a network of computers to a database of entities to identify a referenced entity within the source document;

a data base of contact information, the data base of contact information having contact information corresponding to a plurality of contact entities;

a comparator in communication with the signal processor and the data base, the comparator being capable of receiving from the signal processor information about the referenced entity identified in the source document, and being capable of determining whether the referenced entity is among the plurality of contact entities;

a signal provider in communication with the comparator and the data base, the signal provider being capable of providing contact information from the data base if the referenced entity is among the plurality of contact entities, and being able to provide criteria that a message must satisfy in order to be acceptable to the referenced entity;

a message provider in communication with the signal provider, the message provider being capable of prompting the sender to provide a message to the referenced entity, and send the message to the referenced entity using the contact information.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising a message analyzer in communication with the message provider, the message analyzer being capable of analyzing the message to determine whether the message satisfies criteria specified by the referenced entity.

40. A computer implemented method of providing a sender with contact information, comprising:

automatically comparing an electronic source document available on a network of computers to a database of entities to identify a plurality of referenced entities within the source document;

providing a data base of contact information, the data base contact information having contact information corresponding to a plurality of contact entities;

automatically determining whether the referenced entities are among the contact entities;

providing a list of referenced entities that are among the contact entities;

selecting from the list of referenced entities one of the referenced entities;

selecting the contact information corresponding to the selected referenced entity;

providing to the sender the selected contact information;

providing criteria that a message must satisfy in order to be acceptable to the referenced entity;

providing a list of contact information items corresponding to the selected referenced entity;

selecting from the list of contact information items one of the contact information items; and

providing the selected contact information item to the sender.

41. A method of claim 40, further comprising:

providing counters, each counter being capable of providing a cumulative total, and each counter being associated with one of the referenced entities;

incrementing one of the counters when the associated referenced entity is selected;

prioritizing the list of referenced entities by the cumulative totals provided by the counters.

42. A method of claim 41, further comprising:

providing counters, each counter being capable of providing a cumulative total, and each counter being associated with one of the selected contact information items;

incrementing one of the counters when the associated contact information item is selected;

prioritizing the list of contact information items by the cumulative totals provided by the counters.