System and method for conveying personal information through cellular text messaging services

• US 9,161,182 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life in Mobile Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Life in Mobile Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Lim, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/966,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,846 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831, 709/203, 709/206, 709/238, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for sending a cellular text message to a system server through a data network, including an identification of a requested database record and a forward address. The system server then performs a database lookup or related search and sends an enhanced message or a file to the forward address, which could be a cellular phone, e-mail address, server, computer, mobile device, or any hardware or device associated with the intended recipient that is communicatively coupled to the system server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retrieving a database record from a database, comprising:

a mobile interface for receiving a database search request from a cellular telephone of a requestor via a first cellular text message;

a server for searching and retrieving at least one database record in response to the database search request; and

the mobile interface further for transmitting an identification of the at least one database record to the cellular telephone of the requester via a second cellular text message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one database record comprises contact information for a plurality of individuals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cellular text message comprises a short message service (SMS) message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second cellular text message comprises a customized mobile business card corresponding to a single database record that matches the database search request.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile interface further for receiving a third cellular text message from the cellular telephone of the requestor, the third cellular text message comprising a selection of a single database record from the at least one database record; and

the mobile interface further for transmitting a fourth cellular text message comprising the single database record in response to the third cellular text message.