System and method for sending data indirectly to a recipient using another device
First Claim
1. A method of providing data, the method comprising an originating device:
- obtaining a first identifier identifying a first recipient device which can be communicated with directly over a network using the first identifier for providing the data thereto;
obtaining a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto;
sending the data and the second identifier to the first recipient device over the network via an intermediary server using the first identifier to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier, and to enable the first recipient device to determine the associated address from the second identifier and provide the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; and
receiving an update from the intermediary server indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Contact information, such as an email address, may be known for some recipients, but may be unknown or out-of-date (or obsolete) for others. However, often a group of recipients are related to each other with potentially overlapping social networks. In such cases, data can be communicated directly to those recipients that are known or can otherwise be contacted directly, while relying on such “direct recipients” to act as one or more proxies for sending the data to the others in the group, e.g. using their local contact information. A server can also be used to provide updates to the originating device or provide access to the list as it evolves, to enable the originating device to see who has received the data even if they are unaware of how the data reached those other devices.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of providing data, the method comprising an originating device:
-
obtaining a first identifier identifying a first recipient device which can be communicated with directly over a network using the first identifier for providing the data thereto; obtaining a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto; sending the data and the second identifier to the first recipient device over the network via an intermediary server using the first identifier to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier, and to enable the first recipient device to determine the associated address from the second identifier and provide the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; and receiving an update from the intermediary server indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for providing data, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for an originating device:
-
obtaining a first identifier identifying a first recipient device which can be communicated with directly over a network using the first identifier for providing the data thereto; obtaining a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto; sending the data and the second identifier to the first recipient device over the network via an intermediary server using the first identifier to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier, and to enable the first recipient device to determine the associated address from the second identifier and provide the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; and receiving an update from the intermediary server indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of providing data, the method comprising:
-
receiving the data at a first recipient device, the data having been sent directly over a network via an intermediary server using a first identifier, the data comprising a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data, the data having been sent by an originating device over the network via the intermediary server to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier; determining the associated address using the second identifier; sending the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; receiving acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and notifying the intermediary server of the acknowledgement to enable the intermediary server to provide an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for providing data, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for:
-
receiving the data at a first recipient device, the data having been sent directly over a network via an intermediary server using a first identifier, the data comprising a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data, the data having been sent by an originating device over the network via the intermediary server to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier; determining the associated address using the second identifier; sending the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; receiving acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and notifying the intermediary server of the acknowledgement to enable the intermediary server to provide an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A computing device operable to provide data, the computing device comprising a processor, a communication subsystem, and a memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for operating the processor to:
-
obtain a first identifier identifying a first recipient device which can be communicated with directly over a network using the first identifier for providing the data thereto; obtain a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto; send the data and the second identifier to the first recipient device over the network via an intermediary server using the first identifier to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier, and to enable the first recipient device to determine the associated address from the second identifier and provide the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; and receive an update from the intermediary server indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device.
-
-
20. A first recipient computing device operable to provide data, the first recipient computing device comprising a processor, a communication subsystem, and a memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for operating the processor to:
-
receive the data at a first recipient device, the data having been sent directly over a network via an intermediary server using a first identifier, the data comprising a second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data, the data having been sent by an originating device over the network via the intermediary server to enable the intermediary server to determine at least the second identifier and store a list comprising at least the second identifier; determine the associated address using the second identifier; send the data to the second recipient device using the associated address; receive acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and notify the intermediary server of the acknowledgement to enable the intermediary server to provide an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device.
-
-
21. A method of enabling data to be provided, the method comprising an intermediary server in a network:
-
receiving data sent by an originating device to a first recipient device via the network using a first identifier, and a second identifier, the data having been sent directly over the network via the intermediary server using the first identifier, the second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found by the first recipient device to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto using the associated address; determining at least the second identifier; storing a list comprising at least the second identifier; receiving acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and providing an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling data to be provided, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for an intermediary server in a network:
-
receiving data sent by an originating device to a first recipient device via the network using a first identifier, and a second identifier, the data having been sent directly over the network via the intermediary server using the first identifier, the second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found by the first recipient device to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto using the associated address; determining at least the second identifier; storing a list comprising at least the second identifier; receiving acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and providing an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device.
-
-
25. An intermediary server operable to enable data to be provided, the intermediary server comprising a processor, a communication subsystem, and a memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for operating the processor to:
-
receive data sent by an originating device to a first recipient device via the network using a first identifier, and a second identifier, the data having been sent directly over the network via the intermediary server using the first identifier, the second identifier identifying a second recipient device such that an associated address can be found by the first recipient device to enable the second recipient device to be communicated with directly over the network for providing the data thereto using the associated address; determine at least the second identifier; store a list comprising at least the second identifier; receive acknowledgement of receipt of the data by the second recipient device; and provide an update to the originating device indicative of receipt of the data by the second recipient device.
-
Specification