Computer, computer-readable medium, and related method for posting a message related to a vehicle license plate

• US 20090119599A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John Andrew Hazen
• Original Assignee: John Andrew Hazen
• Inventors: Hazen, John Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/982,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119599A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A computer-readable medium, a computer including the computer-readable medium, and a related method for adding a message regarding a vehicle having a license plate to a web page that is associated with a website. The web page is configured to be displayed on a computer monitor for viewing by a user. The method includes receiving an electronic communication that includes information regarding the license plate and a message that is related to the vehicle, and adding the information regarding the license plate and the message to the web page. The user who views the web page that includes the information regarding the license plate and the message can be anyone who accesses the website.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium that is included in a first computer, wherein the computer-readable medium contains a program that is configured to interact with information that is stored in a database, and the first computer is configured to be coupled to a second computer having a monitor that is configured to display, for viewing by a user, a plurality of web pages that are associated with a website, the program comprising additional information used to generate the plurality of web pages, wherein:

a. one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to include a message that;

i. is associated with a vehicle license plate, and

ii. is stored in the database; and

b. the one of the plurality of web pages that is configured to include the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate is viewable to anyone who accesses the website.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein when the one of the plurality of web pages is displayed on the monitor, the message has associated with it information regarding the vehicle license plate and a date and a time when the message was added to the one of the plurality of web pages.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein:

a. license plate information that is associated with the vehicle license plate is stored in the database; and

b. the license plate information is selected from the group consisting of a license plate number and a geographic territory that issued the license plate.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein another one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to facilitate a search that is initiated by the user through the information that is stored in the database for a message that is associated with a specific vehicle license plate.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein:

a. the website has associated with it a registered user;

b. a vehicle license plate is associated with the registered user; and

c. the program is configured to prompt the generation and transmission of a notification message to the registered user when a message that is associated with the registered user'"'"'s vehicle license plate is added to the information that is stored in the database.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the notification message is selected from the group consisting of an electronic-mail message and a short message service message.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle license plate that is associated with the registered user need not be for a vehicle that is owned or leased by the registered user.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein another one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to facilitate the entry by the user of the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate and stored in the database.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate was part of an electronic-mail message.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the electronic-mail message had an electronic-mail address that included information related to the vehicle license plate.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the program parsed the license plate information and the message that is to be included in the one of the plurality of web pages from the electronic-mail message.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the website is a social networking website.

13. A first computer that is configured to be coupled to a second computer via a network, wherein the second computer has a monitor that is configured to display for viewing by a user a plurality of web pages that are associated with a website, the first computer comprising:

a. a computer-readable medium having a program that;

i. is configured to interact with information that is stored in a database, and

ii. includes additional information that is used to generate the plurality of web pages;

b. wherein;

i. one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to include a message that is associated with a vehicle license plate and is stored in the database, and

ii. the one of the plurality of web pages that is configured to include the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate is viewable to anyone who accesses the website.

14. The first computer according to claim 13, wherein another one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to facilitate a search that is initiated by the user through the information that is stored in the database for a message that is associated with a specific vehicle license plate.

15. The first computer according to claim 13, wherein another one of the plurality of web pages, when displayed on the monitor, is configured to facilitate the entry by the user of the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate and stored in the database.

16. The first computer according to claim 13, wherein:

a. the website has associated with it a registered user;

b. a vehicle license plate is associated with the registered user; and

c. the program is configured to prompt the generation and sending of a notification message to the registered user of the website when a message that is associated with the registered user'"'"'s vehicle license plate is added to the information that is stored in the database.

17. The first computer according to claim 13, wherein:

a. the message that is associated with the vehicle license plate was input to the first computer via an electronic-mail message;

b. the electronic-mail message had an electronic-mail address that included information related to the vehicle license plate; and

c. the program parsed the vehicle license plate information and the message that is to be included in the one of the plurality of web pages from the electronic-mail message.

18. The first computer according to claim 13, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a local-area network, a wide-area network, a regional network, and a wireless network.

19. A method for adding a message regarding a vehicle having a license plate to a web page that is associated with a website, the web page is configured to be displayed on a computer monitor for viewing by a user, the method comprising:

a. receiving an electronic communication that includes information regarding the license plate and a message that is related to the vehicle; and

b. adding the information regarding the license plate and the message to the web page;

c. wherein the user who views the web page that includes the information regarding the license plate and the message can be anyone who accesses the website.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein:

a. the website has associated with it a registered user;

b. a vehicle license plate is associated with the registered user; and

c. the method further comprises generating and transmitting a notification message to the registered user when a message that is associated with the registered user'"'"'s vehicle license plate is added to the web page.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the notification message is selected from the group consisting of an electronic-mail message and a short message service message.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the electronic communication that includes information regarding the license plate and the message that is related to the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of an electronic-mail message and a message that was input using another web page that is associated with the website and was displayed on a computer monitor.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein:

a. the electronic communication is an electronic-mail message; and

b. the electronic-mail message was sent from an electronic device selected from the group consisting of another computer, a cellular phone, and a smartphone.