Method and system for transmitting and receiving messages

• US 8,396,489 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pokos Communication Corp
• Original Assignee: Pokos Communication Corp
• Inventors: Platt, Tim, King, Kevin D., KRUEGER, Stephan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US12/972,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/456.3, 455/457, 455/414.2, 455/458
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided to enable real-time communication with people, groups and devices in accordance with certain embodiments. Typically, a phone number, address, or login information (“traditional identification information”) is needed to initiate a communication with a specific person. However, there are many situations where this traditional identification information is not known, but individuals still wish to communicate with others whose traditional identification information they do not know. By selecting criteria such as geographical location information that is proximate to the device, a person can identify and communicate with others while not knowing their contact information. The criteria can also include attributes, visual information, or other characteristics of the target device.

Claims

1. A method of selectively communicating with one or more other devices whose identification information is unknown, the method comprising:

launching a client application on a device (the “

sending device”

), wherein the client application enables communication with other devices whose identification information is unknown;

locating other devices in a geographical zone defined with reference to the sending device;

obtaining identification information regarding the other devices located in the defined geographical zone;

compiling the identification information regarding the other devices located in the defined geographical zone to enable selection of at least one device to initiate communication using service messages;

displaying a selection of the at least one device from the compiled identification information of the other devices located in the defined geographical zone;

enabling privacy preferences for the sending device, wherein the privacy preferences enable the device to send variable identification information to the at least one other device;

enabling the client application on the sending device to specify whether a service message is a private service message, wherein the private service message is accessible only to the at least one other device; and

sending the message from the sending device and delivering it, using such variable identification information, to the at least one other device (herein, the ‘

recipient device’

), where either of the following conditions is also satisfied;

(a) the contact information (e.g., email address;

IM screen name;

social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;

phone number;

MAC address;

IP address) (collectively herein “

Contact Information”

) of the recipient device is not previously known to any of;

the sending device, its users, or any business, social or communications network to which the sending device or any of its users is a member;

or

(b) the service message is delivered from the sending device using such variable identification information, and without using email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where any of such Contact Information is known to any of;

the sending device, any of its users, or any business, social or communications network of which the sending device or any of its users is a member.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a remote processing server (‘

server’

) from the sending device to locate the other devices within the defined geographical zone based on at least one of location coordinates of the device procured from location-technologies such as the global positioning system (GPS), cellular telephone towers, and mobile-location technologies;

geographic location (e.g., physical street address;

postal code;

neighborhood or community;

building or business name;

local, state or province, regional, national, continental, trans-national or global area);

topographical data (e.g., height relative to sea-level); and

directional and spatial data (e.g., compass and three-dimensional directional bearings), as procured from active memory, other client applications or databases on the such other devices;

receiving information regarding the other devices located in the defined geographical zone from the server; and

sending the service message to the server, which sends the service message to the selected at least one other device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, at the client application on the first device, a search by a second client application on a second device;

sending from the client application on the first device to the second client variable identification information comprising at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the sending device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user, that the second client application compiles; and

receiving a message from the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the client application of at least one device at least one targeted marketing or other promotional message based on variable identification information, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the device, or any other data associated with the device or its user.

5. A method of selectively communicating with one or more other devices whose identification information is unknown, the method comprising:

launching a client application on a device (‘

sending device’

), wherein the client application enables communication with other devices whose identification information is unknown;

identifying other devices based on selected criteria specified in the client application;

receiving information regarding the other devices possessing the selected criteria;

compiling the information regarding the other devices possessing the selected criteria;

displaying a selection from the compiled information of at least one other device possessing the selected criteria;

enabling privacy preferences for the sending device, wherein the privacy preferences enable the device to provide variable identification information to the at least one other device;

enabling the client application on the sending device to specify whether a message is a private message, wherein the private message is accessible only to the selected at least one other device; and

sending the message from the device to the at least one other device, using sending the service message from the sending device and delivering it, using variable identification information, to the at least one other device (herein, the ‘

recipient device’

), where either of the following conditions is also satisfied;

(a) the contact information (e.g., email address;

IM screen name;

social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;

phone number;

MAC address;

IP address) (collectively herein “

Contact Information”

) of the recipient device is not previously known to any of;

the sending device, its users, or any business. social or communications network to which the sending device or any of its users is a member;

or

(b) the service message is delivered from the sending device using such variable identification information, and without using email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where any of such Contact Information is known to any of;

the sending device, any of its users, or any business, social or communications network of which the sending device or any of its users is a member.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device is at least one of a mobile phone, a landline phone, a computer, an Internet protocol enabled phone, a broadcast or cable-enabled television, an Internet enabled television, and a video game system, wherein the client application is implemented in at least one of hardware, firmware, and software, and wherein variable identification information comprises default, specified or random criteria, such as at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

communicating with a remote processing server from the client application to identify the other devices based on selected criteria, wherein the selected criteria comprises location information comprising a geographical zone defined with reference to the device, wherein the defined geographical zone is based on at least one of location coordinates of the device procured from location-technologies such as the global positioning system (GPS), cellular telephone towers, and mobile-location technologies;

geographic location (e.g., physical street address;

postal code;

neighborhood or community;

building or business name;

local, state or province, regional, national, continental, trans-national or global area);

topographical data (e.g., height relative to sea-level); and

directional and spatial data (e.g., compass and three-dimensional directional bearings), as procured from active memory, other client applications or databases on the such other devices;

receiving information regarding the other devices located in the defined geographical zone from the remote processing server; and

sending the message to the remote processing server, which sends the message to the selected at least one other device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying by the client application is performed using cellular, Bluetooth, infrared, Near-Field Communications (NFC), Wi-Fi technologies and other communications protocols supported by the device, and wherein the message is transmitted using at least one of Bluetooth, infrared, NFC, Wi-Fi, cellular technologies and other communications protocols supported by the device.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting, at the client application on the first device, a search by a second client application on a second device;

sending from the client application on the first device to the second client application variable identification information comprised of default, specified or random criteria, such at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the sending device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby, and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user, that the second client application compiles; and

receiving a message from the second device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the message comprises at least one of message settings, message information, and content information, and wherein the content information comprises at least one of voice, text, image, data, and video.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving at the client application at least one targeted marketing or other promotional message based on client application information, wherein the client application is implemented in at least one of hardware, firmware, and software, and wherein variable identification information comprises default, specified or random criteria, such as at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one targeted marketing or other promotional message comprises a promotion that is accessible or redeemable using the client application.

13. A device for selectively communicating with one or more other devices whose identification information is unknown, the device comprising:

an interface that is configured to communicate with the one or more other devices;

a client application that is configured to communicate with the interface to search for at least one of the one or more other devices based on selected criteria specified in the client application and to compile information obtained from the one or more other devices;

such client application further configured to send a message to one or more other devices selected from the compiled information, and to enable privacy preferences for the device, wherein the privacy preferences enable the device to provide variable identification information to the at least one other device as well as to enable the client application to specify whether a message is a private message, wherein the private message is accessible only to the selected at least one other device; and

such client application is further configured to deliver such messages, using variable identification information, to the at least one other device (herein, the ‘

recipient device’

), where either of the following conditions is also satisfied;

(a) the contact information (e.g., email address;

IM screen name;

social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;

phone number;

MAC address;

IP address) (collectively herein “

Contact Information”

) of the recipient device is not previously known to any of;

the sending device, its users, or any business, social or communications network to which the sending device or any of its users is a member;

or

(b) the service message is delivered from the sending device using such variable identification information, and without using email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where any of such Contact Information is known to any of;

the sending device, any of its users, or any business, social or communications network of which the sending device or any of its users is a member.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is at least one of a mobile phone, a landline phone, a computer, an Internet protocol enabled phone, an Internet enabled television, and a video game system, wherein the client application is implemented in at least one of hardware, firmware, and software, and wherein variable identification information comprises default, specified or random criteria, such as at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the interface is configured to communicate with a remote processing server that searches for other devices based on selected criteria, wherein

the selected criteria comprises location information comprising a geographical zone defined with to the first device, wherein the defined geographical zone is based on at least one of location coordinates of the device procured from location-technologies such as the global positioning system (GPS), cellular telephone towers, and mobile-location technologies;

geographic location (e.g., physical street address;

postal code;

neighborhood or community;

building or business name;

local, state or province, regional, national, continental, trans-national or global area);

topographical data (e.g., height relative to sea-level); and

directional and spatial data (e.g., compass and three-dimensional directional bearings), as procured from active memory, other client applications or databases on the such other devices.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the interface is configured to search and communicate using at least one of cellular, Bluetooth, infrared, Near-Field Communications (NFC), Wi-Fi technologies and other communications protocols supported by the device.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the client application is configured to detect a search by a second client application on a second device, and send to the second client application information comprised of default, specified or random criteria, such as at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the first device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the message comprises at least one of message settings, message information, and content information, and wherein the content information comprises at least one of voice, text, image, data, and video.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the client application is configured to receive at least one targeted marketing or other promotional message based on information comprised of default, specified or random criteria, such as at least one of device location information and client application information comprising at least one of direction, location, unique device identification number or identifier, device serial number, software ID, firmware ID, user name or identifier code, one or more attributes of a user of the device (such as at least one of the user'"'"'s professional, associational, personal, physical, social, athletic, recreational, hobby and other interests and attributes), or any other data associated with the device or its user.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the at least one targeted marketing or other promotional message comprises a promotion that is accessible or redeemable through the client application.