Communication connectivity via context association, advertising sponsorship, and multiple contact databases

• US 7,899,173 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Context Connect LLC
• Inventors: Drury, Rod, Ahn, Sunny K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agwumezie, Charles C
• Application Number:
  US11/654,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 379/27, 379/218, 455/415, 455/428, 455/437
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Communication connectivity via context association is provided by associating targeted subscriber contact information with a key at a subscriber database. At a data center, the keys are associated with unique characteristics or aliases (contexts) of the subscribers, thereby facilitating context searching. A caller initiates a connection to a subscriber by providing a subscriber'"'"'s context. The context is located and associated key identified. The key is resolved in the subscriber database, and the call routed. Use of the key allows subscriber connectivity without revealing, to the caller or to the data center, sensitive contact information. Through a caller database, call initiation occurs by subscriber alias identification in a caller'"'"'s communication device; thereby foregoing inclusion of sensitive contact information within the caller'"'"'s communication device. Communication connectivity can be advertiser sponsored, with advertisements accompanying messages selected by matching profile information of targeted subscribers with participating advertiser provided profile information of desired targeted subscribers.

Claims

1. A method for providing a caller with a communication connection to a subscriber over a communication network, the network including:

a data center including one or more contextual databases, the contextual databases storing a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context for each respective subscriber associated with the secure identity key;

a caller network in communication with a caller database storing at least one context for a respective subscriber, the caller network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases;

a subscriber network in communication with a subscriber database, the subscriber database storing subscriber contact and profile listing information, and associating the subscriber contact and profile listing information with the respective secure identity key, the subscriber network also communicating with the one or more contextual databases;

the method comprising the steps of;

receiving at the data center, from the caller network, a context for a targeted subscriber as entered by a caller, upon call initiation, on a caller communication device;

using the one or more contextual databases to retrieve a matching context and the associated secure identity key without requiring use or exposure of the contact and profile listing information of the targeted subscriber;

forwarding the retrieved secure identity key to the subscriber network;

retrieving from the subscriber database the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key; and

providing the caller a communication connection to the targeted subscriber, without requiring that the subscriber contact information be released to the caller, to the caller network, or to the data center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an advertisement accompanies a message sent upon communication connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the advertisement is sponsored by a party other than the caller or the targeted subscriber, and revenue generated by the advertisement renders the communication connection free or discounted for the caller and the targeted subscriber.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the advertisement includes a link to an advertiser, the link providing the targeted subscriber with communication connectivity to the advertiser.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein communication connectivity to the advertiser is provided without requiring that the targeted subscriber contact information be released to the caller, to the caller network, to the data center, or to the advertiser.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein communication connectivity to the advertiser allows the targeted subscriber to request information, or to acquire goods or services, from the advertiser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the targeted subscriber acquires goods or services from the advertiser without requiring that financial information of the targeted subscriber be released to the caller, to the caller network, to the data center, or to the advertiser.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein content of the advertisement is determined based upon the profile listing information of the targeted subscriber.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein content of the advertisement and a respective advertiser is determined based upon the profile listing information of the targeted subscriber matched with desired profile listing information provided by the respective advertiser.

10. A method for providing a caller with a communication connection to a subscriber over a communication network, the network including:

a caller network including a caller database, the caller database storing a secure identity key for each respective subscriber and at least one context for each respective subscriber associated with each secure identity key;

a call center in communication with the caller network, the call center including one or more call center databases storing subscriber contact information, and associating the subscriber contact information with the respective secure identity key,

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) receiving a context for a targeted subscriber at the caller network;

(b) using the caller database to retrieve a matching context and the associated secure identity key without requiring use or exposure of the contact information of the targeted subscriber;

(c) receiving the retrieved secure identity key at the call center, as forwarded from the caller network;

(d) retrieving from the one or more call center databases the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key; and

(e) providing the caller a communication connection to the targeted subscriber, without requiring that the subscriber contact information be released to the caller or to the caller network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the context for the targeted subscriber received at the caller network is provided by the caller, upon call initiation, by entry on a caller communication device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the call center includes two call center databases, call center database #1 and call center database #2, and retrieving the contact information of the targeted subscriber corresponding to the retrieved secure identity key occurs in call center database #2 by passing the retrieved secure identity key forwarded by the caller network through call center database #1, thereby providing the caller with a communication connection to the targeted subscriber without requiring that the subscriber contact information be revealed to call center database #1.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein call center database #1 and #2 are managed by separate service providers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein call center database #1 and #2 are managed by the same service provider.