Systems and methods to facilitate a communication associated with a destination identifier

• US 20030016799A1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Yu, Philip Shi-lung, Greene, David P.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/120
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate a communication associated with a destination identifier. According to one embodiment, a request to facilitate a communication in association with a destination identifier is received from a party, the destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication. The destination identifier may comprise, for example, an automobile license plate number or a Social Security number. Information is then transmitted to enable the requested communication. For example, a message from a requesting party may be forwarded to an electronic mail address associated with a license plate number.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating communication, comprising:

receiving from a party a request to facilitate a communication in association with a destination identifier, the destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication; and

transmitting information to enable the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier is associated with a communication address, and said transmitting comprises transmitting information to the communication address.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the communication address based on the destination identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining is performed via at least one of:

(i) retrieving a pre-stored communication address based on the destination identifier, and (ii) receiving the communication address from a third-party service.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication address comprises at least one of:

(i) an electronic mail address, (ii) an instant message address, (iii) an Internet Protocol address, (iv) a telephone number, and (v) Bluetooth information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier comprises at least one of:

(i) an automobile identifier, (ii) a license plate number, (iii) a governmental identifier, (iv) a Social Security number, (v) a credit card number, (vi) biological information, (vii) genetic information, (viii) a facial image, (ix) a retinal pattern, (x) a fingerprint, and (xi) a voice print.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier is associated with a plurality of communication addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of destination identifiers are associated with a communication address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier comprises at least one of:

(i) text information, (ii) audio information, and (iii) image information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the party comprises a consumer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the party comprises at least one of:

(i) an advertiser, (ii) an enterprise, (iii) a merchant, (iv) a governmental authority, (v) a security service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier comprises an automobile identifier, and said receiving comprises:

receiving automobile identifiers associated with at least one of;

(i) automobiles associated with a pre-determined area, (ii) automobiles moving through a pre-determined area, and (iii) automobiles satisfying a pre-determined condition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes at least one of:

(i) the destination identifier, (ii) a communication address preference, (iii) an identifier of the party associated with the request, (iv) a communication address of the party associated with the request, (v) message information, (vi) text message information, (vii) audio message information, (viii) image message information, (ix) advertisement information, and (x) payment information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting comprises:

determining a communication address associated with the destination identifier; and

transmitting the communication address to the party associated with the request.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes message information, and said transmitting comprises:

determining a communication address associated with the destination identifier; and

transmitting the message information to the communication address.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting to the party associated with the request a confirmation indicating that the communication has been facilitated.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining supplemental information associated with the destination identifier; and

transmitting the supplemental information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the supplemental information comprises at least one of:

(i) demographic information, (ii) preference information, (iii) location information, (iv) location history information, and (v) activity information.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination identifier is associated with one of:

(i) a pre-determined destination party, and (ii) a set of destination parties.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging for a payment to be provided in exchange for the communication being enabled.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the payment is provided by at least one of:

(i) the party associated with the request, (ii) a party associated with the destination identifier, (iii) a third-party service.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the payment is associated with at least one of:

(i) a monetary amount, (ii) a subscription payment, (iii) an offer amount, and (iv) a non-monetary payment.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the communication will be enabled based on the destination identifier.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said receiving and said transmitting are performed via at least one of:

(i) a telephone network, (ii) a wireless network, (iii) a Bluetooth network, (iv) an Internet Protocol network, (v) the Internet, (vi) a public network, and (vii) a private network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said receiving is performed via a first communication network and said transmitting is performed via a second communication network.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said receiving and said transmitting are performed via at least one of:

(i) a consumer device, (ii) an automobile device, (iii) an advertiser device, (iv) a merchant device, (v) a computer, (vi) a portable computing device, (vii) a personal digital assistant, (viii) a telephone, (ix) a wireless telephone, (x) a kiosk, (xi) a pager, and (xii) a camera.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said storage device further stores at least one of:

(i) a destination information database, and (ii) a communication request database.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

a communication device coupled to said processor and adapted to communicate with at least one of;

(i) a communication device, (ii) a consumer device, (iii) a destination device, (iv) a third party service device, (v) a communication controller, and (vi) a payment device.

27. A computer-implemented method of facilitating communication, comprising:

receiving from a consumer a request to facilitate a communication, the request including a license plate number;

determining an electronic mail address associated with the license plate number;

transmitting information to enable the communication between the consumer and the electronic mail address; and

arranging for the consumer to provide payment of a monetary payment.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

receive from a party a request to facilitate a communication in association with a destination identifier, the destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication, and

transmit information to enable the communication.

31. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method of facilitating communication, said method comprising:

receiving from a party a request to facilitate a communication in association with a destination identifier, the destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication; and

transmitting information to enable the communication.

32. A method performed by a party to facilitate communication, comprising:

transmitting a request to facilitate a communication, the request including a destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication; and

arranging to provide payment in exchange for having the communication enabled.

33. A method of facilitating communication, comprising:

receiving from a sender a communication request including a sender communication address and a destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication; and

transmitting the sender communication address to a destination communication address associated with the destination identifier.

34. A method of facilitating communication, comprising:

receiving from a first party a request to facilitate a communication associated with a destination identifier, the destination identifier being associated with a second party and having a purpose other than communication;

determining a destination communication address associated with the second party; and

transmitting information associated with the destination communication address to enable communication between the first party and the second party.