×

Communicating via a virtual community using outside contact information

  • US 9,270,631 B2
  • Filed: 01/13/2014
  • Issued: 02/23/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A device, comprising:

  • one or more processors to;

    create an account for a first member of a virtual community,the account including a contact identifier used for communicating with the first member outside of the virtual community;

    receive a set of contact information for a plurality of contacts of a second member of the virtual community;

    determine which of the plurality of contacts are members of the virtual community based on the set of contact information;

    provide a notification to the second member indicating which of the plurality of contacts of the second member are members of the virtual community;

    receive a message via the virtual community from the second member of the virtual community,a recipient of the message being selected by the second member using outside contact information for a contact included in the plurality of contacts,the contact being identified using information in the notification,the message including the outside contact information,the outside contact information corresponding to contact information used to communicate with the contact outside of the virtual community, andthe message being received via a virtual community application, for the virtual community, associated with a user device of the second member;

    identify the first member of the virtual community as the recipient of the message based on the contact identifier included in the account and the outside contact information included in the message; and

    transmit the message to the first member via the virtual community,the message being transmitted to the virtual community application associated with a user device of the first member.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×