System and method for providing a service

• US 7,493,381 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Overseas Bank Limited
• Original Assignee: National University of Singapore
• Inventors: Garg, Hari Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, LaShonda T
• Application Number:
  US10/862,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method of providing a service, comprising the steps of contacting one of a plurality of server electronic addresses from a first electronic address; identifying, at the server electronic address, the first electronic address from which the contact is made; and providing a service based on a service definition depending on a combination of the server electronic address and the first electronic address, and wherein the service definition comprises one or more second electronic addresses for execution of the service.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service, comprising the steps of;

performing a communication to one of a plurality of server electronic addresses of a communication server from a first electronic address;

identifying, at the communication server, the first electronic address from which the communication is made;

providing a service based on a pre-stored service definition at the communication server, the pre-stored service definition being identified by the communication server by a combination of the server electronic address and the first electronic address such that different service definitions apply for different combinations of different server electronic addresses with an identical first electronic address and for different combinations of the server electronic address with different first electronic addresses;

wherein the pre-stored service definition comprises one or more second electronic addresses for execution of the service; and

wherein the service comprises providing at least a content of the communication to the one or more second electronic addresses.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition is set up by a person associated with the first electronic address.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition is set up by a person associated with the second electronic addresses.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more second electronic addresses include at least one of the first electronic address and the server electronic address.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises one or more of a group comprising making a voice call to the one or more second electronic addresses, leaving a message at the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an email to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an SMS to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending a fax to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an IM to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an MMS to the one or more second electronic addresses, making a calling card call to the one or more second electronic addresses, making an access sequence call to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending audio data to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending video data to the one or more second electronic addresses, and sending multi-media data to the one or more second electronic addresses.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises one or more of a group comprising receiving a voice call from the one or more second electronic addresses, recording a message from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an email from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an SMS from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving a fax from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an IM from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an MMS from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving a calling card call from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an access sequence call from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving audio data from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving video data from the one or more second electronic addresses, and receiving multi-media data from the one or more second electronic addresses.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein contacting the server electronic from the first electronic address comprises one or more of a group comprising making a voice call to the server electronic address, sending an email to the server electronic address, sending an SMS to the server electronic address, sending a fax to the server electronic address, sending an IM to the server electronic address, sending an MMS to the server electronic address, making a calling card call to the server electronic address, making an access sequence call to the server electronic address, sending audio data to the server electronic addresses, sending video data to the server electronic addresses, and sending multi-media data to the server electronic addresses.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises conversion of one communication format into another communication format.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises recording a communication at least one of to and from the one or more second electronic addresses.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises a third electronic address, and the execution of the service comprises contacting the second electronic address from the third electronic address.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service definition comprises a third electronic address, and the execution of the service comprises contacting the second electronic address from the third electronic address and connecting the third electronic address to the server electronic address.

25. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a voice call, the service definition further comprises a third electronic address, wherein the first, second and third electronic addresses comprise respective phone numbers;

and the server making a phone call to the second electronic address from the third electronic address, and connecting the first electronic number to the second electronic number via the server electronic number and the third electronic number, such that at least voice content of the communication is provided to the second electronic address.

12. A system for providing a service, the system comprising:

an electronic device having a first electronic address;

a server having associated with it a plurality of server electronic addresses;

a database accessible by the server;

wherein the electronic device performs a communication to one of the server electronic addresses;

the server identifies the first electronic address from which the communication is made;

the server initiates a service based on a service definition stored in the database depending on a combination of the server electronic address and the first electronic address such that different service definitions apply for different combinations of different server electronic addresses with an identical first electronic address and for different combinations of the server electronic address with different first electronic addresses;

wherein the service definition comprises one or more second electronic addresses for execution of the service; and

wherein the service comprises providing at least a content of the communication to the one or more second electronic addresses.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the server further comprises a user-interface unit for setting up the service definition by a person associated with the first electronic address.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the server further comprises a user-interface unit for setting up the service definition by a person associated with the second electronic addresses.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the one or more second electronic addresses include at least one of the first electronic address and the server electronic address.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the service definition comprises one or more of a group comprising making a voice call to the one or more second electronic addresses, leaving a message at the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an email to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an SMS to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending a fax to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an IM to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending an MMS to the one or more second electronic addresses, making a calling card call to the one or more second electronic addresses, making an access sequence call to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending audio data to the one or more second electronic addresses, sending video data to the one or more second electronic addresses, and sending multi-media data to the one or more second electronic addresses.

17. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the service definition comprises one or more of a group comprising receiving a voice call from the one or more second electronic addresses, recording a message from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an email from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an SMS from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving a fax from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an IM from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an MMS from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving a calling card call from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving an access sequence call from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving audio data from the one or more second electronic addresses, receiving video data from the one or more second electronic addresses, and receiving multi-media data from the one or more second electronic addresses.

18. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein contacting the server electronic address from the first electronic address comprises one or more of a group comprising making a voice call to the server electronic address, sending an email to the server electronic address, sending an SMS to the server electronic address, sending a fax to the server electronic address, sending an IM to the server electronic address, sending an MMS to the server electronic address, making a calling card call to the server electronic address, making an access sequence call to the server electronic address, sending audio data to the server electronic addresses, sending video data to the server electronic addresses, and sending multi-media data to the server electronic addresses.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the server converts one communication format into another communication format as part of the initiating of the service.

20. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the server records a communication at least one of to and from the one or more second electronic addresses as part of the execution of the service.

21. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the service definition comprises a third electronic address, and the execution of the service comprises contacting the second electronic address from the third electronic address.

22. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the service definition comprises a third electronic address, and the execution of the service comprises contacting the second electronic address from the third electronic address and connecting the third electronic address to the server electronic address.

24. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the communication comprises a voice call, the service definition further comprises a third electronic address, wherein the first, second and third electronic addresses comprise respective phone numbers;

and a server making a phone call to the second electronic address from the third electronic address, and connecting the first electronic number to the second electronic number via the server electronic number and the third electronic number, such that at least voice content of the communication is provided to the second electronic address.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable code means for instructing a computer controlled system to execute a method of providing a service, the method comprising the steps of;

performing a communication to one of a plurality of server electronic addresses from a first electronic address;

identifying, at the server electronic address, the first electronic address from which the communication is made;

providing a service based on a service definition depending on a combination of the server electronic address and the first electronic address such that different service definitions apply for different combinations of different server electronic addresses with an identical first electronic address and for different combinations of the server electronic address with different first electronic addresses;

wherein the service definition comprises one or more second electronic addresses for execution of the service; and

wherein the service comprises providing at least a content of the communication to the one or more second electronic addresses.