Contact alerts for unconnected users

• US 6,167,426 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SimpleAir, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wireless Internet Inc.
• Inventors: Payne, John M., Von Kaenel, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US08/970,655
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.3, 395/200.33, 395/200.62, 340/825.44, 340/311, 455/557, 455/422, 455/553, 345/326, 709/200, 709/232, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Users access an on-line address service to register their name (which may be a pseudonym or other fictitious or imaginary identity) and a unique contact address that may be used directly or indirectly to address a message over another communication network to an associated listening device. Once a potential user has registered his on-line identity and contact information, other users accessing the address service can then designate one of the listed names, either by selecting the name from a display list of registered names (if all registered names are displayed) or by entering the designated name onto an appropriate form, whereupon the computer hosting the address service will broadcast a message addressed to the identified person'"'"'s associated listening device. Once the message is received, the listening device notifies the associated user by causing the user'"'"'s computer to initiate an appropriate visual and/or audio alert display concerning the contact attempt. The user is then given an opportunity to connect to the on-line network and access a designated site to obtain further information about the attempted contact and/or to establish a direct connection with the interactive on-line activity from which the contact attempt originated, at the same time automatically launching any required browser or application software.

Claims

1. A method for connecting users to a first communication network, comprising:

providing an address service connected to the first communication network on which a user may register a name and an associated address on a second communication network;

using the first communication network to access the address service;

designating a name registered on the address service;

in response to the designation of said registered name, automatically broadcasting a message over the second communication network to the registered address associated with the selected name, said message identifying an interactive activity to be conducted over the first communication network;

using a receiving device not connected to the first communication network to receive said message;

in response to the reception of said message by said receiving device, automatically generating a user prompt to commence the identified interactive activity; and

in response to a positive acknowledgment of said user prompt, automatically connecting an interactive device to the first communication network and commencing the identified interactive activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is the Internet, and the second communication network is a wireless paging network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user prompt comprises a hyperlink to a site on the Internet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said Internet site includes a display of further information about the attempted contact.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said further information includes information identifying the person from whom the contact attempt originated.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said further information includes a message from the person from whom the contact attempt originated.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said further information includes information identifying a particular interactive Internet activity.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein each user registers a screen name and an associated contact address of an associated listening device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said screen name is a pseudonym or other factitious or imaginary identity.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said contact address is a serial number programmed into the associated listening device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said contact address is converted into an activation code by the address service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said activation code is available only to the address service and to the user who originally registered the information.