System and method for producing unique account names

• US 7,421,395 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Link, Craig A., Pachosa, Dean M., Berry, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akintola; Olabode
• Application Number:
  US09/506,767
• Time in Patent Office: 3,119 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/203, 709/245, 709/201, 709/206, 709/219, 709/220, 709/226, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/9, 379/88.02, 713/201, 370/522, 380/30
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method are provided for producing one or more unique account names in response to a user request, or in response to a user attempting to adopt another name that is unavailable. When performed in response to a user request, the method includes the steps of combining a randomly selected word element, such as an affix or adjective, and a randomly selected stem, such as a noun, to produce a random account name, and comparing the name with a list of existing account names to determine if it is unique. If so, the unique name is provided to the user for acceptance. Additional unique names can be produced by the same or a different method so that the user is presented with a plurality of unique names for consideration. For example, if the user attempts to adopt a name that is unavailable, a unique modified account name can be produced that is based on the name entered by the user. The modified name is produced by combining the requested name or a stem thereof with a randomly generated word element or a numerical seed to produce an alternate account name, comparing the name with the list of existing account names to determine if it is unique and, if so, providing it to the user for acceptance.

Claims

1. A method of producing a unique modified account name based on a requested account name that has been determined to already exist, the method comprising computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a requested account name from a user;

selecting a preexisting word element from at least one preexisting list of word elements;

combining the preexisting word element and at least a stem of the requested account name to produce a modified account name;

comparing the modified account name with a list of existing account names to determine whether the modified account name is unique; and

if the modified account name is unique, providing the modified account name to the user for acceptance.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the preexisting word element is randomly selected from the at least one preexisting list of word elements.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the preexisting word element is an adjective.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the preexisting word element is an affix.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising producing a second modified account name based on the requested account name that has been determined to already exist, the second modified account name being produced by:

randomly selecting a second word element from the at least one preexisting list of word elements;

combining the second selected word element with the at least the stem of the requested account name to produce the second modified account name;

comparing the second modified account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second modified account name is unique; and

if the second modified account name is unique, providing the second modified account name to the user for acceptance.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising producing a unique seeded account name based on the requested account name, the unique seeded account name being produced by:

combining the at least the stem of the requested account name with a numerical seed to produce a first seeded account name;

comparing the first seeded account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the first seeded account name is unique; and

if the first seeded account name is unique, providing the first seeded account name to the user for acceptance.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the seed is a single digit number, the method further comprises incrementing the numerical seed by one if the first seeded account name is not unique, combining the at least the stem of the requested account name with the incremented seed to produce a second seeded account name, comparing the second seeded account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second seeded account name is unique, and if the second seeded account name is unique, providing the second seeded account name to the user for acceptance.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the numerical seed is a multi-digit number that is randomly generated.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising generating a second multi-digit numerical seed if the first seeded account name is not unique, combining the at least the stem of the requested account name with the second numerical seed to produce a second seeded account name, comparing the second seeded account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second seeded account name is unique, and if the second seeded account name is unique, providing the second seeded account name to the user for acceptance.

10. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising combining the at least the stem of the requested account name with both an underscore and the numerical seed to produce a second seeded account name if the first seeded account name is not unique, comparing the second seeded account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second seeded account name is unique, and if the second seeded account name is unique, providing the second seeded account name to the user for acceptance.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

randomly selecting two further word elements and combining them to produce a random account name;

comparing the random account name with a list of existing account names to determine if the random account name is unique; and

if the random account name is unique, providing the account name to a user for acceptance.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein if the modified account name is not unique, the operations producing the unique modified account name are repeated for up to a predetermined number of iterations until a unique modified account name is produced.

13. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein if the second modified account name is not unique, the operations producing the unique second modified account name are repeated for up to a predetermined number of iterations until a unique second modified account name is produced.

14. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein if the first seeded account name is not unique, the operations producing the unique first seeded account name are repeated for up to a predetermined number of iterations until a unique first seeded account name is produced.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising combining the requested account name with both an underscore and the randomly selected word element to produce a second modified account name if the first modified account name is not unique, comparing the second modified account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second modified account name is unique, and if the second modified account name is unique, providing the second modified account name to the user for acceptance.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance of the modified account name from the user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an alternate requested account name from the user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to generate an alternate account name from the user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the preexisting word element is a noun.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the preexisting word element is a noun stem.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is repeated until a predetermined number of modified account names is produced.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computing device performs a method of producing a unique modified account name based on a requested account name that has been determined to already exist, the method comprising:

selecting a preexisting word element from at least one preexisting list of word elements;

combining the preexisting word element and at least a stem of the requested account name to produce a modified account name;

comparing the modified account name with a list of existing account names to determine whether the modified account name is unique; and

if the modified account name is unique, providing the modified account name to the user for acceptance.

23. A method of producing a unique random account name in response to a request by a user, the method comprising computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a requested account name from a user;

selecting a first preexisting word element from a database including at least one preexisting list of word elements;

selecting a second preexisting word element from the database;

combining the first and second preexisting word elements to produce a random account name;

comparing the random account name with a list of existing account names to determine if the random account name is unique; and

if the random account name is unique, providing the random account name to the user for acceptance.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the first and second preexisting word elements are randomly selected from the database.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the first preexisting word element is an adjective and the second preexisting word element is a noun.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein if the random account name is not unique, the operations producing the unique random account name are repeated for up to a predetermined number of iterations until a unique modified account name is produced.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein if the unique random account name is produced in fewer than the predetermined number of iterations, the method further comprising:

selecting further word elements from the database;

combining the further selected word elements to produce a further random account name;

comparing the further random account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the further random account name is unique; and

if the further random account name is unique, providing the second modified account name to the user for acceptance.

28. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising combining an underscore between the word elements to produce a second random account name if the first random account name is not unique, comparing the second random account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the second random account name is unique, and if the second random account name is unique, providing the second random account name to the user for acceptance.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance of the random account name from the user.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving an alternate requested account name from the user.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a request to generate an alternate account name from the user.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the method is repeated until a predetermined number of random account names is produced.

33. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computing device performs a method of producing a unique random account name in response to a request by a user, the method comprising:

selecting a first preexisting word element from a database including at least one preexisting list of word elements;

selecting a second preexisting word element from the database;

combining the first and second preexisting word elements to produce a random account name;

comparing the account name with a list of existing account names to determine if the account name is unique; and

if the account name is unique, providing the account name to the user for acceptance.

34. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components which when executed by a computing device produces a unique modified account name based on a requested account name that has been determined to already exist, comprising:

a user interface component for receiving an account name request a database component including at least one preexisting list of word elements and a list of existing account names;

a name generating component for selecting preexisting word elements from the at least one preexisting list of word elements and combining the preexisting word elements with at least a stem of the requested account name to produce modified account names, if the requested account name is not unique when compared to the list of existing account names; and

a search component for comparing the modified account names with a list of existing account names to determine whether the modified account names are unique and, if the modified account names are unique, providing the modified account names to the user for acceptance.

35. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the preexisting word elements are affixes.

36. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the preexisting word elements are adjectives.

37. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the name generating component randomly selects the preexisting word elements from the at least one preexisting list of word elements.

38. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the name generating component further produces a seeded account name based on the requested account name, the seeded account name being produced by combining the at least the stem of the requested account name with a numerical seed, the search component comparing the seeded account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the seeded account name is unique, and if the seeded account names is unique, providing the seeded account name to the user for acceptance.

39. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the name generating component further produces a random account name by selecting two further word elements and combining them, the search component comparing the random account name with the list of existing account names to determine whether the random account name is unique, and if the random account name is unique, providing the random account name to the user for acceptance.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the user interface component is also for receiving an acceptance of one of the modified account names from the user.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the user interface component is also for receiving an alternate requested account name from the user.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the user interface is also for receiving a request to generate an alternate account name from the user.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the preexisting word elements are nouns.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the preexisting word elements are noun stems.

45. A method of producing a unique account name based on a requested account name comprising computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a request from a user for an account name;

utilizing multiple solution sets to produce a listing of unique account names, wherein there is a limit to the number of iterations for which each one of the multiple solution sets is utilized, and when said limit is reached a different solution set is utilized, and wherein said list of account names must contain a fixed number of unique account names; and

presenting the user with said listing of unique names and allowing the user to select one of said listings as an account name;

said multiple solution set comprising;

a first solution set to provide at least one unique account name based on the requested account name, by combining the requested account name with a numerical seed;

a second solution set to provide at least one unique account name based on the requested account name, by combining the requested account name with a multi-digit seed if one or more previously utilized solution sets did not provide said fixed number of unique account names within the iteration limit;

a third solution set to provide at least one unique account name based on the requested account name, by pre-pending the requested account name with an adjective from a list of words, if one or more previously utilized solution sets did not provide said fixed number of unique account names within the iteration limit; and

a fourth solution set to provide at least one unique account name, by combining two word elements from two lists of words, if one or more previously utilized solution sets did not provide said fixed number of unique account names within the iteration limit.

46. A method of producing a unique random account name in response to a request by a user, the method comprising computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a request to generate a unique random account name from a user;

providing without any input or suggestion of names from the user,

a list of multiple alternate unique account names; and

providing the user with the ability to select any one of said alternate unique account names, enter a new string for use as an account name or request an automated generation of a new list of multiple alternate unique account names.