System and method of retrieving a service contact identifier

• US 8,239,921 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: DLB Finance & Consultancy BV, HITD Information Technology BV
• Inventors: Benschop, Dirk Leonard, Benschop, Henderik Reinout
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANE, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US11/968,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 726/3, 705/319, 705/320
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Aspects of the invention relate to a system and method of retrieving a service contact identifier for providing a service to a user is proposed. The method is performed in a system comprising at least one server system configured for connecting to a user device of said user. The server system has access to a database comprising at least a first service contact identifier required for providing a first service and a second service contact identifier required for providing a second service. The first service is identified by a first service identifier. The first service contact identifier and second service contact identifier are different service contact identifiers. The first service identifier and a service contact identifier are received from the user device of said user. The first service contact identifier may then be retrieved in dependence of the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier, irrespective of whether said received service contact identifier is said first service contact identifier or said second service contact identifier.

Claims

1. A method of authorizing use of a first service, as identified by a first service identifier, by a user in a server system comprising at least one server configured for connecting to a user device of the user, the first service being provided to the user in relation to a recipient, the server system having access to a database comprising at least a first service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing the first service and a second service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a second service, wherein the first service contact identifier is different from the second service contact identifier, wherein said database comprises a third service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a third service, the third service contact identifier being different from the first service contact identifier and the second service contact identifier, the method comprising retrieving the first service contact identifier based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier, irrespective of whether the received service contact identifier is the first, second or third service contact identifier, wherein the server system has access to a recipient requirement list of the recipient and a user profile of the user, wherein the recipient requirement list comprises a first criterion regarding a spam-related item of the user profile, the method performed by the server system comprising:

receiving the first service identifier from the user device of the user;

receiving at least one of the service contact identifiers of the recipient from the user device of the user;

if the received service contact identifier of the recipient is not the first service contact identifier, retrieving the first service contact identifier from the database based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier;

tracing the recipient requirement list on the basis of at least one service contact identifier that is not the first service contact identifier;

checking by a computer processor whether the spam-related item of the user profile satisfies the first criterion of the recipient requirement list;

permitting the first service to be provided to the user in relation to the recipient using the first service contact identifier of the recipient if the spam-related item of the user profile satisfies the first criterion regarding the spam-related item of the recipient requirement list; and

denying provision of the first service to the user in relation to the recipient if the spam-related item of the user profile does not satisfy the first criterion regarding the spam-related item of the recipient requirement list.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein first and second service are selected from the group consisting of a telephony service, an electronic message service, a browsing service, a payment service, a streaming media service, a route navigation service and a mail delivery service.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting said first service contact identifier to said user device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recipient requirement list comprises a second criterion regarding a second item of the user profile, the method further comprising:

checking whether the second item of said user profile satisfies the second criterion of the traced recipient requirement list; and

permitting the first service if the second item of the user profile satisfies the second criterion of the recipient requirement list and denying the first service if the second item of the user profile does not satisfy the second criterion of the recipient requirement list.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server system has access to a user requirement list of the user and a recipient profile of the recipient and wherein the user requirement list comprises a first criterion relating to a spam-related item of the recipient profile, the method further comprising:

tracing the user requirement list;

checking whether the spam-related item of the recipient profile satisfies the first criterion of the traced user requirement list;

permitting the first service only if the spam-related item of the recipient profile also satisfies the first criterion of the user requirement list.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising tracing said user requirement list on the basis of at least one of login data received from said user device and from a service contact identifier received from a device of said recipient.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the server system is configured for permitting or denying the first service, the method comprising denying service initiation of the first service if the second item of the user profile does not satisfy the second criterion of the recipient requirement list.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said server system has access to a user requirement list of said user and a recipient profile of said recipient and wherein said user requirement list comprises a first criterion relating to a first item of the recipient profile, the method further comprising:

tracing the user requirement list;

checking whether the first item of the recipient profile satisfies the first criterion of said traced user requirement list;

permitting the first service only if the first item of the recipient profile also satisfies the first criterion of the user requirement list.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising receiving a service selection in at least one of said user requirement list and said recipient requirement list.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first criterion is independent of both the first and second service contact identifiers.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spam-related item comprises a system item and/or a user defined item.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second item of the user profile comprises a verified item.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said server system receives from at least one of a device of said user and a device of said recipient a verification indication that said at least one criterion of said requirement list relates to a verified item or an unverified item of said profile.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second item of the user profile is prevented from checking and the server system receives from at least one of the user device and a recipient device a checking prevention indication indicating that the second item of the user profile is prevented from checking.

15. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising transmitting a notification request to the user device or the recipient device for whom a checking prevention indication applies, the notification request presenting an option to ignore the checking prevention indication to permit checking of the second item against a corresponding criterion of a requirement list.

16. A server system comprising software code portions that, when installed on and executed by a computer processor, perform a method of authorizing use of a first service, as identified by a first service identifier, by a user in a server system comprising at least one server configured for connecting to a user device of the user, the first service being provided to the user in relation to a recipient, the server system having access to a database comprising at least a first service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing the first service and a second service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a second service, wherein the first service contact identifier is different from the second service contact identifier, wherein said database further comprises a third service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a third service, the third service contact identifier being different from the first service contact identifier and the second service contact identifier, and wherein the retrieval module is configured for retrieving the first service contact identifier based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier, irrespective of whether said received service contact identifier is the first, second or third service contact identifier, wherein the server system has access to a recipient requirement list of the recipient and a user profile of the user, wherein the recipient requirement list comprises a first criterion regarding a spam-related item of the user profile, the method comprising:

receiving the first service identifier from the user device of the user;

receiving at least one of the service contact identifiers of the recipient from the user device of the user;

if the received service contact identifier of the recipient is not the first service contact identifier, retrieving the first service contact identifier from the database based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier;

tracing the recipient requirement list on the basis of at least one service contact identifier that is not the first service contact identifier;

checking by a computer processor whether the spam-related item of the user profile satisfies the first criterion of the recipient requirement list;

permitting the first service to be provided to the user in relation to the recipient using the first service contact identifier of the recipient if the spam-related item of the user profile satisfies the first criterion regarding the spam-related item of the recipient requirement list; and

denying provision of the first service to the user in relation to the recipient if the spam-related item of the user profile does not satisfy the first criterion regarding the spam-related item of the recipient requirement list.

17. A server system configured for authorizing use of a first service, as identified by a first service identifier, by a user, the first service being provided to the user in relation to a recipient, the server system comprising:

a database comprising;

a first service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a first service;

a second service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a second service, wherein the first service contact identifier is different from the second service contact identifier;

a third service contact identifier of the recipient required for providing a third service, the third service contact identifier being different from the first service contact identifier and the second service contact identifier, and wherein the retrieval module is configured for retrieving the first service contact identifier based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier, irrespective of whether said received service contact identifier is the first, second or third service contact identifier;

a receiver configured for;

receiving the first service identifier from a user device of the user;

receiving at least one of the service contact identifiers of the recipient from the user device;

a retrieval module configured for retrieving said first service contact identifier from said database based on the received first service identifier and the received service contact identifier, irrespective of whether said received service contact identifier is said first service contact identifier or said second service contact identifier;

a tracer configured for tracing a recipient requirement list of the recipient on the basis of at least one service contact identifier that is not the first service contact identifier, the recipient requirement list comprising a first criterion regarding a spam-related item of a user profile of the user;

an analyzer configured for analyzing whether the spam-related item of the user profile satisfies the first criterion of the recipient requirement list; and

a service authorizer configured for;

permitting the first service to be provided to the user in relation to the recipient if the spam-related item of said user profile satisfies the first criterion of the recipient requirement list; and

denying the first service to the user if the spam-related item of the user profile does not satisfy the first criterion of the recipient requirement list.

18. The server system according to claim 17, wherein the first and second service are selected from the group consisting of a telephony service, an electronic message service, a browsing service, a payment service, a streaming media service, a route navigation service and a mail delivery service.

19. The server system according to claim 17, wherein said server system further comprises a service provider configured for providing a service to said user in accordance with said first service identifier.

20. The server system according to claim 17, wherein said server system is further configured for transmitting said first service contact identifier to said user device.

21. The server system according to claim 17, wherein

the recipient requirement list comprises a second criterion regarding a second item of a user profile;

the analyzer is further configured for analyzing whether the second item of the user profile satisfies the second criterion of the traced recipient requirement list; and

the service initiator is further configured for permitting said the first service to be provided to the user in relation to the recipient if the second item of the user profile satisfies the second criterion of the recipient requirement list and denying the first service to the user if the second item of the user profile does not satisfy the second criterion of the recipient requirement list.

22. The server system according to claim 21, wherein:

the tracer is further configured for tracing a user requirement list of the user and a recipient profile of the recipient, the user requirement list comprising a first criterion relating to a spam-related item of the recipient profile;

the analyzer is further configured for analyzing whether said the spam-related item of the recipient profile satisfies the first criterion of the traced user requirement list;

the service initiator is configured for permitting the first service to be provided to the user in relation to the recipient only if the spam-related item of the recipient profile also satisfies the first criterion of the user requirement list.

23. The server system according to claim 22, wherein said system comprises a login module for receiving login data and said tracer is configured for tracing said user requirement list on the basis of said login data or on the basis of a user identifier received from a device of said recipient.

24. The server system according to claim 21, wherein said server system is configured for permitting or denying the first service and the service initiator is configured for denying service initiation of the first service if the second item of the user profile does not satisfy the second criterion of the recipient requirement list.

25. The server system according to claim 24, wherein the server system has access to a user requirement list of the user and a recipient profile of the recipient and wherein the user requirement list comprises a first criterion relating to a spam-related item of the recipient profile, wherein the service initiator is configured for permitting the first service only if the spam-related item of the recipient profile also satisfies the first criterion of the user requirement list.

26. The server system according to claim 24, wherein said server system further comprises a service selector configured for containing a service selection in at least one of said user requirement list and said recipient requirement list.

27. The server system according to claim 17, wherein the first criterion is independent of any of the service contact identifiers.

28. The server system according to claim 17, wherein the spam-related item comprises a system item and/or a user defined item.

29. The server system according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the spam-related item and second item of the user profile comprises a verified items.

30. The server system according to claim 29, further comprising a verification indication receiver configured for receiving and processing a verification indication from at least one of the user device, a device of the recipient, the verification indication indicating that the first criterion of the user requirement list relates to a verified item of the user profile.

31. The server system according to claim 21, wherein the second item is prevented from checking, the system comprising a checking prevention indication receiver configured for receiving and processing a checking prevention indication from at least one the user device and a device of the recipient, the checking prevention indication indicating that the second item of the user profile is prevented from checking by the analyser.

32. The server system according to claim 31, wherein the system further comprises a notification transmitter configured for transmitting a notification request to the user device or a device of the recipient for whom a checking prevention indication applies, the notification request presenting an option to ignore the checking prevention indication to permit checking of the second item against the second criterion of the recipient requirement list.