Method and system for transmitting and receiving messages
First Claim
1. A method of selectively communicating between devices when identification information used to contact a device is unknown, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a remote processing server (server), registration information (RegInf) from a first device (sending device) comprising a user name and optional password furnished by the sending device, where the device does not furnish to the server either;
any contact information of the device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number)(herein, contact information);
or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);
obtaining at the server variable identification information of the sending device, where such identification information (‘
Variable Identification Information’
) consists 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 device, or any other data associated with the device or its user, that does not include either;
contact information of such device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social network, media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number), or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);
creating and storing in the server database such Variable Identification Information for the sending device and associating such Variable Identification Information with the RegInf of the sending device;
determining location information for the sending device and associating the location information in the server database with such Variable Identification Information of the sending device;
receiving, at the server, at least one other registration consisting of RegInf from at least one other device;
obtaining on the server Variable Identification Information from the at least one other device;
creating on the server such Variable Identification Information for the at least one such other device and associating the Variable Identification Information of the at least one such other device with the RegInf for the at least one such other device;
organizing the Variable Identification Information from the sending device and the at least one other device in a database on the server;
determining location information for the at least one other device and associating it with the Variable Identification Information of the at least one other device in the server database;
receiving a service message, at the remote processing server, from the sending device, wherein the service message comprises (i) content, (ii) Variable Identification Information of the sending device, and (iii) the location of one or more devices to which the sending device desires such content to be sent (herein, a ‘
targeted device’
);
searching the server database to determine if any one or more of such targeted devices has RegInf, Variable Identification Information and location information stored in the server database (herein, a ‘
qualifying targeted device’
);
device;
processing the service message to send to the at least one such qualifying targeted device; and
sending such service message from the sending device and delivering it to the at least one qualifying target device (herein, the ‘
recipient device’
) using the Variable Identification Information of such recipient device, where the delivery method to such recipient device does not comprise or use email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where 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) of the recipient device 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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of selectively communicating between devices when identification information used to contact a device is unknown, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a remote processing server (server), registration information (RegInf) from a first device (sending device) comprising a user name and optional password furnished by the sending device, where the device does not furnish to the server either;
any contact information of the device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number)(herein, contact information);
or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);obtaining at the server variable identification information of the sending device, where such identification information (‘
Variable Identification Information’
) consists 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 device, or any other data associated with the device or its user, that does not include either;
contact information of such device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social network, media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number), or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);creating and storing in the server database such Variable Identification Information for the sending device and associating such Variable Identification Information with the RegInf of the sending device; determining location information for the sending device and associating the location information in the server database with such Variable Identification Information of the sending device; receiving, at the server, at least one other registration consisting of RegInf from at least one other device; obtaining on the server Variable Identification Information from the at least one other device; creating on the server such Variable Identification Information for the at least one such other device and associating the Variable Identification Information of the at least one such other device with the RegInf for the at least one such other device; organizing the Variable Identification Information from the sending device and the at least one other device in a database on the server; determining location information for the at least one other device and associating it with the Variable Identification Information of the at least one other device in the server database; receiving a service message, at the remote processing server, from the sending device, wherein the service message comprises (i) content, (ii) Variable Identification Information of the sending device, and (iii) the location of one or more devices to which the sending device desires such content to be sent (herein, a ‘
targeted device’
);searching the server database to determine if any one or more of such targeted devices has RegInf, Variable Identification Information and location information stored in the server database (herein, a ‘
qualifying targeted device’
);
device;processing the service message to send to the at least one such qualifying targeted device; and sending such service message from the sending device and delivering it to the at least one qualifying target device (herein, the ‘
recipient device’
) using the Variable Identification Information of such recipient device, where the delivery method to such recipient device does not comprise or use email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where 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) of the recipient device 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of selectively communicating between devices when identification information used to contact a device is unknown, the method comprising:
-
receiving, at a remote processing server (server), registration information (RegInf) from a first device (sending device) where the device does not furnish to the server either;
any contact information of the sending device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number)(herein, contact information);
or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the sending device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);obtaining variable identification information of the sending device, where such identification information (‘
Variable Identification Information’
) consists 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 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 does not include either;
contact information of such device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social network, media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number), or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);creating and storing in the server database such Variable Identification Information for the sending device and associating such Variable Identification Information with the RegInf of the sending device; determining criteria for the sending device and associating the criteria in the server database with such Variable Identification Information of the sending device; receiving at the server at least one other registration consisting of RegInf from at least one other device; obtaining on the server Variable Identification Information from the at least one other device; creating on the server such Variable Identification Information identification information for the at least one other device and associating such Variable Identification Information with such RegInf of the at least one other device; determining criteria for the at least one other device and associating it with such Variable Identification Information of the at least one other device; organizing information from the sending device and the at least one other device in a server database; receiving a service message, at the server, from the sending device, wherein the service message comprises content, criteria and Variable Identification Information of such sending device; searching the database using the criteria selected by the sending device to detect at least one other device that is within parameters specified by the sending device; obtaining information for the at least one other device and processing the message to send to the at least one other device; and sending a processed message including the content of the message to the at least one other device using the Variable Identification Information of such recipient device, where the delivery method to such recipient device does not comprise or use email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, telephony or any other communications protocol or technique based on fixed endpoints where 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) of the recipient device 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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A communication server that provides communication between devices where identification information of an intended recipient is unknown, the server comprising:
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an interface that is configured to receive registration information and messages from a first device and to send a processed message to at least one intended recipient device; a processor that is configured to obtain variable identification information from two or more devices, where such identification information (‘
Variable Identification Information’
) consists 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 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 does not include either;
contact information of such device or any of its users (e.g., email address;
IM screen name;
social network, media or Internet screen name, handle, alias, or avatar;
phone number), or any network or Internet addressing protocol associated with the sending device (e.g., MAC address;
IP address);a service book database that is configured to store registration information, Variable Identification Information and criteria for a plurality of devices, and to maintain associations between various types of information for each device; and a processor that is configured to organize the service book database with criteria and registration information of each device, to initiate a search of the service book database to identify at least one intended recipient based on criteria specified by a sending device that is included in the message, and to prepare the message for sending to the at least one intended recipient device using the Variable Identification Information. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification