System and method for personalized communication network

• US 9,288,165 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parlant Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Parlant Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Stovall, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/137,469
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

The various implementations of the present invention are provided as a computer-based system configured to allow for the creation of a personalized communications network. A message recipient can establish one or more messaging relationships with persons and entities or message originators and configure their message recipient account to receive messages from the message originators without divulging or compromising the message recipient'"'"'s contact information. The content and messaging platform for delivery of the messages can be customized based on a classification established for each messaging relationship between a message originator and a message recipient. A message originator can utilize the personalized communications network to send messages to multiple message recipients, even if the message originator does not have knowledge of, or direct access to, the contact information for the message recipients. The collection of the messaging relationships established by a message recipient and message originators is a “personalized communications network.”

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a plurality of message originator profiles residing in the at least one memory, each of the plurality of message originator profiles comprising a plurality of message originator messaging preferences;

a plurality of message recipient profiles residing in the at least one memory, each of the plurality of message recipient profiles, wherein each of the plurality of message recipient profiles comprises;

a plurality of message recipient messaging preferences;

a plurality of contact information; and

a plurality of message platforms;

a first messaging relationship established between a first message originator and a first message recipient; and

a messaging mechanism residing in the at least one memory, the messaging mechanism delivering at least one message to the first message recipient based on the first messaging relationship between the first message originator and the first message recipient, the at least one message being delivered based on the message recipient messaging preferences and the message originator messaging preferences wherein the messaging mechanism shields the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences, the plurality of contact information, and the plurality of message platforms from the first message originator, wherein the messaging mechanism evaluates the plurality of message recipient profiles by comparing at least one of the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences, the plurality of contact information and the plurality of message platforms for a plurality of message recipients and merges at least two message recipient profiles based on similarities found in the at least two message recipient profiles to create a merged message recipient profile and wherein the messaging mechanism provides the message recipient associated with the merged message recipient profile an opportunity to authorize the plurality of messaging relationships.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of message platforms comprises at least one of a SMS message, an email message, a video message, a push notification, a social media message, and an audio message.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences comprises at least one of a category preference, a date preference, a time preference, a message platform preference and wherein the plurality of message originator messaging preferences comprising at least one of a message category preference, a day of the week preference, a time preference, a priority preference, a message platform preference, a language preference.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contact information comprises at least one of an address, a phone number, an employer, and wherein the messaging mechanism employs a user configurable matching algorithm to parse the plurality of contact information to locate one or more message originators from which the first message recipient may wish to receive messages.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first messaging relationship is established based on the geolocation of the first message recipient and the geolocation of the first message originator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second messaging relationship established between the first message recipient and a second message originator wherein the second messaging relationship is based on a selection made by the first message originator choosing from the plurality of message originators profiles where the plurality of message originators profiles are listed in a database of message originators.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first messaging relationship is a critical messaging relationship and the first message originator'"'"'s messaging preferences override the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences for the first message recipient.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the messaging mechanism transmits a plurality of messages from a plurality of message originators to a plurality of message recipients, wherein each of the plurality of messages is transmitted based on a plurality of messaging relationships, with at least one of the plurality of messaging relationships being established between each of the plurality of message originators and each of the plurality of message recipients, and wherein at least some of the plurality of messaging relationships are critical messaging relationships and at least some of the plurality of messaging relationships are non-critical messaging relationships.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a user interface, the user interface providing access to the each of the plurality of message recipient profiles and wherein the first message recipient can modify a message recipient profile for the first message recipient by modifying at least one of the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences, the plurality of contact information and the plurality of message platforms in a single location to create a modified message recipient profile for the first message recipient, thereby impacting the delivery of subsequent messages from a plurality of message originators without providing the plurality of message originators with access to the modified message recipient profile.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first message recipient has established a plurality of messaging relationships with a plurality of message originators and wherein at least some of the plurality of messaging relationships provide for the delivery of a plurality of messages via a plurality of message delivery parameters and wherein the first message recipient modifies at least one of the first message recipient'"'"'s messaging preferences, the first message recipient'"'"'s plurality of contact information, and the first message recipients plurality of message platforms;

thereby altering the message delivery parameters for at least two of the plurality of messaging relationships.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first message originator suggests the creation of a messaging relationship between the first message recipient and a second message originator and wherein the first message recipient is provided with an opportunity to accept or reject the relationship with the second message originator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the messaging mechanism suggests the creation of a messaging relationship between the first message recipient and a second message originator based on a geolocation for the first message recipient and a geolocation for the second message originator and wherein the first message recipient creates the messaging relationship in response to a visual image displayed to the first message recipient on a mobile communication device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message mechanism automatically establishes a plurality of messaging relationships between a plurality of message originators and a message recipient associated with the merged message recipient profile.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message mechanism automatically adjusts at least one of the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences, the plurality of contact information, and the plurality of message platforms based on the geolocation of the first message recipient.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of message recipient profiles for a plurality of message recipients, each message recipient profile comprising a plurality of message recipient messaging preferences;

creating a plurality of message originator profiles for a plurality of message originators, each message originator profile comprising a plurality of message originator messaging preferences;

establishing a first messaging relationship between a first message originator selected from the plurality of message originators and a first message recipient selected from the plurality of message recipients;

delivering at least one message to the first message recipient based on the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences and the plurality of message originator messaging preferences;

shielding the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences, the plurality of contact information, and the plurality of message platforms from the first message originator while delivering the at least one message;

evaluating the plurality of message recipient profiles by comparing the plurality of message recipient messaging preferences and merging at least two message recipient profiles based on similarities found in the at least two message recipient profiles to create a merged message recipient profile; and

providing a message recipient associated with the merged message recipient profile an opportunity to authorize a plurality of messaging relationships.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first messaging relationship is a critical messaging relationship established by an entity that has a pre-existing relationship with the first message recipient and wherein the first message recipient has the ability to sever the first messaging relationship.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first message originator suggests establishing a second messaging relationship between the first message recipient and a second message originator.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of establishing the first messaging relationship between the first message originator and the first message recipient comprises the steps of at least one action selected from the following group of actions:

sending a suggestion for the first messaging relationship from a messaging mechanism; and

using a mobile communication device to scan a QR code to establish the first messaging relationship; and

downloading an app to a mobile communication device initiated by the first message recipient; and

displaying a list of potential message originators to the first message recipient via a user interface and establishing the first messaging relationship based on a response to the list of potential message originators submitted by the first message recipient; and

using a GPS coordinate to establish the first messaging relationship.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising a second messaging relationship established between the first message recipient and a second message originator wherein the second messaging relationship is based on a selection made by the second message originator and wherein the first message recipient authorizes the establishment of the second messaging relationship.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising a second messaging relationship established between the first message recipient and a second message originator wherein the second messaging relationship is based on at least one identifying characteristic related to the first message recipient that has been provided to the second message originator and wherein the first message recipient authorizes the establishment of the second messaging relationship.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of establishing a plurality of messaging preferences for the first message recipient comprises step of identifying a plurality of message categories and associating at least one of the plurality of message categories with the first message originator so as to provide for the delivery of a plurality of messages from the first message originator that belong to the at least one of the plurality of message categories while preventing the delivery of a plurality of message from the first message originator that do not belong to the at least one of the plurality of message categories.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of establishing a plurality of messaging preferences for the first message recipient comprises step of identifying a plurality of message categories and associating at least one of the plurality of message categories with at least one of a plurality of specific message delivery options.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of specific message delivery options comprise at least an SMS message and a phone call and a social media post.