Method and apparatus for communicating with an entity automatically identified in an electronic communication
US6772188B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 21, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/329
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for receiving an electronic communication containing an identifier or indicia of an entity and, in response to a user's selection of the identifier, initiating communication between the user and the entity. Upon receipt of the electronic communication (e.g., document, electronic mail message, sound file), the system scans or parses it to locate one or more entity identifiers. An entity identifier may be a telephone number, electronic mail address, network address, name or virtually any other indicia that may serve to identify the entity. When a user selects an entity identifier, the system offers one or more methods of communicating with the associated entity, which methods may depend on the form of the entity identifier (e.g., a telephone number) and/or a preference specified by the user. The system initiates the selected form of communication in response to the user's selection.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.