Systems and methods for access-controlled interactions

• US 9,763,064 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Evernym, Inc. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruff, Timothy, Law, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Musa, Abdelnabi O
• Application Number:
  US14/856,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1621 Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

An interaction server controls access between a plurality of senders and/or users exchanging electronic interactions. A sender may identify a user with whom the sender desires to interact using a public identifier associated with the user. The interaction server may coordinate the desired interaction without revealing private information, such as information about private user resources (e.g., personal contact information, personal payment information, personal data, etc.). The interaction server may determine whether to provide an interaction by evaluating an access code, by determining whether a user is trusted, and/or the like. The interaction server may provide the interaction, a notice of the interaction, a payload associated with the interaction, and/or the like to a user resource associated with the public identifier if access is allowed.

Claims

1. A system for group messaging, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

process a message from a sending user resource of a sender to identify a destination channel for the message, the destination channel identified by a single unique identifier usable to receive a plurality of types of interactions;

identify two or more users subscribed to the channel, the two or more users comprising at least a first user and a second user, the first user configured to receive messages through a first user resource and the second user configured to receive messages through a second user resource, the first user resource reachable using first private contact data and the second user resource reachable using second private contact data;

determine that the sender is authorized to send to the channel based on the sender being subscribed to the channel or being an owner of the channel, wherein the channel allows subscribers to the channel to send messages to one or more user resources of other subscribers of the channel without exposing private contact data of the one or more user resources of the other subscribers;

identify the one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel, wherein the single unique identifier of the channel is exposed to each user subscribed to the channel and the private contact data of the one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel are private from the sender and the other users subscribed to the channel; and

forward the message to a user resource of the one or more user resources using the private contact data for each subscribed user without exposing the private contact data of the user resource to the sender or other subscribed users, wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding to a user resource of the first user using the first private contact data and a user resource of the second user using the second private contact data, and wherein at least one of a sender resource used to send the message and the user resource of the first user comprises a different resource type than the user resource of the second user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to forward the message without indicating a user resource of the sender from which the message was sent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to modify or convert the message from a first type to a second type, wherein the first type corresponds to a type of the message received from the sender and wherein the second type corresponds to a type of message corresponding to the user resource of the second user, and wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding the modified or converted message to the second user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first type and the second type are selected from the group consisting of an email message, a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, an instant message, an application message, a device notification, a social media message, a voice message, a phone call, a video message, a video call, multimedia data, a request for user data, an integrated public alert and warning system (IPAWS) alert, a chat message, a verification code, an authorization code, a wireless application protocol (WAP) message, and postal mail.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to select the resource of the first user from one or more user resources corresponding to the first user based on interaction rules for the first user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to send the sender an acknowledgement that the message from the sender has been received.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to determine that the message was delivered to a user resource or device corresponding to a user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to send an acknowledgement to the sender that the message was delivered to a user resource or device corresponding to a user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to process an acknowledgement from at least one user of the two or more users subscribed to the channel indicating that the at least one user received the message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the acknowledgement indicates that the user explicitly acknowledged receipt or responded to the message.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to forward an indication of the acknowledgement to the sender.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions to cause the computer system to initiate an escalation process for at least one user of the two or more users.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the escalation process comprises repeatedly routing at least one of the message, a notice of the message, and a payload associated with the message to the at least one user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the escalation process comprises routing at least one of the message, a notice of the message, and a payload associated with the message to a plurality of user resources associated with the at least one user.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein routing to a plurality of user resources associated with the specific user comprises routing to another user or another device within a vicinity of the at least one user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the escalation process comprises changing a volume on a device corresponding to the at least one user.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising ending the escalation process in response to receiving an indication that the at least one user received the message.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the computer system to initiate the escalation process in response to a timer expiring without receiving an indication that the at least one user received the message.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding to a user resource of at least one user in response to the at least one user being in or entering a predetermined area or predetermined distance from the sender.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the message from the sender comprises an indication of a subset of users of the channel to which to send the message, wherein the subset comprises the first user and the second user, and wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding the message only to user resources for users in the subset.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender comprises one or more of a device, a server, or an automated program.

22. A computer implemented method for group messaging, the method comprising:

processing a message a sending user resource of to identify a destination channel for the message, the message including a channel identifier usable to receive a plurality of types of interactions;

identifying two or more users subscribed to the channel, the two or more users comprising at least a first user and a second user, the first user configured to receive messages through a first user resource and the second user configured to receive messages through a second user resource, the first user resource reachable using first private contact data and the second user resource reachable using second private contact data;

determining that the sender is authorized to send to the channel based on the sender being subscribed to the channel or an owner of the channel, wherein subscribers to the channel are authorized to send messages to one or more user resources of other subscribers of the channel without exposing private contact data of the one or more user resources of the other subscribers;

identifying the one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel, wherein the channel identifier is exposed to each user subscribed to the channel and the private contact data of the one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel are private from the sender and the other users subscribed to the channel; and

forwarding the message to a user resource of the one or more user resources resources using the private contact data for each subscribed user without disclosing private contact data of the user resource to the sender or other subscribed users, wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding to a user resource of the first user using the first private contact data and a user resource of the second user using the second private contact data, and wherein at least one of a sender resource used to send the message and the user resource of the first user comprises a different resource type than the user resource of the second user.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein an indication of one or more user resources corresponding to a specific user are maintained by the specific user.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises updating, modifying, or deleting the indication of the one or more user resources for the specific user based on input from the specific user.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein when a user deletes the indication of the one or more user resources or unsubscribes from the channel, the user resources of the user no longer receive messages from the channel.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises modifying or converting the message from a first type to a second type, wherein the first type corresponds to a type of the message received from the sender and wherein the second type corresponds to a type of message corresponding to the user resource of the second user, and wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding the modified or converted message to the second user.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein the first type and the second type are selected from the group consisting of an email message, a short message service (SMS) message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message, an instant message, an application message, a device notification, a social media message, a voice message, a phone call, a video message, a video call, multimedia data, a request for user data, an integrated public alert and warning system (IPAWS) alert, a chat message, a verification code, an authorization code, a wireless application protocol (WAP) message, and postal mail.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises receiving an acknowledgement from at least one user of the two or more users subscribed to the channel indicating that the at least one user received the message.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises forwarding an indication of the acknowledgement to the sender.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises initiating an escalation process for a specific user of the two or more users in response to a delay in response to the message from the specific user, wherein the escalation process comprises one or more of:

repeatedly routing at least one of the message, a notice of the message, and a payload associated with the message; and

routing to a plurality of user resources at least one of the message, a notice of the message, and a payload associated with the message.

31. The computer implemented method of claim 22, further comprising determining whether the sender is authorized to send the message to the channel based on one or more of:

a code provided with the message;

whether the sender is subscribed to the channel;

or

one or more rules accepted by an owner of the channel.

32. A system for group messaging, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

process a message from a sender to identify a destination channel for the message, the destination channel identified by a channel identifier usable to receive a plurality of types of interactions;

determine that the sender is authorized to send to the channel based on one or more of,

a code provided with the message,

the sender being an owner of the channel,

the sender being subscribed to the channel, or

one or more rules accepted by an owner of the channel;

identify two or more users subscribed to the channel, the two or more users comprising at least a first user and a second user, the first user configured to receive messages through a first user resource and the second user configured to receive messages through a second user resource, the first user resource reachable using first private contact data and the second user resource reachable using second private contact data;

identify one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel, wherein the channel identifier is exposed to each user subscribed to the channel and private contact data of the one or more user resources corresponding to each user subscribed to the channel are private from the sender and the other users subscribed to the channel;

select a resource from the one or more user resources for at least one of the two or more users based on an interaction rule for the at least one of the two or more users;

forward the message to the selected user resource for each subscribed user using the private contact data without exposing private contact data of the selected user resource to the sender or other subscribed users, wherein forwarding the message comprises forwarding to a user resource of the first user using the first private contact data and a user resource of the second user using the second private contact data, and wherein at least one of a sender resource used to send the message and the user resource of the first user comprises a different resource type than the user resource of the second user;

receiving an acknowledgement from at least one user of the two or more users subscribed to the channel indicating that the at least one user received the message; and

forwarding an indication of the acknowledgement to the sender.