IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,781,072
Granted Patent B2
US 9,781,072 · App. 14/791,839 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Unifying web and phone presence

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,781,072
App. No.
14/791,839
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented method that includes obtaining, at a computer system, a plurality of contact identifiers for a computer account holder, wherein the identifiers represent a plurality of different communication modes; identifying a handle for the account holder, wherein the handle is associated with a uniform resource locator; and correlating the handle with the plurality of contact identifiers, and storing the handle and plurality of contact identifiers together so as to permit retrieval of the contact identifiers in response to identification of the handle.

Claims (48)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system and from a first user, contact information from the first user, the contact information comprising a plurality of contact identifiers including

(i) a first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a first mode of communication, and

(ii) a second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a second mode of communication that is different from the first mode of communication;

associating the contact information with a universal handle that is for the first user and that comprises a phone number, wherein associating the contact information with the universal handle includes mapping the universal handle to each contact identifier among the plurality of contact identifiers, including the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication, and wherein the universal handle is different from each of the plurality of contact identifiers and may be used to access the first user using both the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and also the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

receiving, at the computer system and from a second user, a communication request that comprises the universal handle for the first user;

in response to receiving the request, using the universal handle, by the computer system, to identify the contact information for the first user, including the first contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

after identifying the contact information for the first user, determining a preferred mode of communication of the first user based at least on preference information from the first user;

selecting a contact identifier from among the contact information from the first user based at least on the determined preferred mode of communication of the first user; and

connecting the first user with the second user using the identified contact identifier for the first user in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a contact identifier is further based on an identity of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact identifier is an email address and the second contact identifier is a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected contact identifier is an email address, the method further comprising providing the email address to the second user in a draft email message addressed to the first user.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising causing a computing device of the second user to send the draft email message to the first user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected contact identifier is a telephone number, the method further comprising causing a computing device of the second user to call a computing device of the first user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected contact identifier is a telephone number, the method further comprising providing the telephone number to the second user in a draft text message addressed to the first user.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising causing a computing device of the second user to send the draft text message to a computing device of the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a personal email address, a work email address, a cellular telephone number, a home telephone number, a work telephone number, a home page, a blog, and an instant message account.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving preference information from the first user indicating the preferred mode of communication.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact information comprises at least a personal email address and a work email address and wherein the determined preferred mode of communication of the first user is email, wherein selecting a contact identifier for the first user is further based on the identity of the second user.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact information comprises at least a personal telephone number and a work telephone number and wherein the determined preferred mode of communication of the first user is telephone, wherein selecting a contact identifier for the first user is further based on the identity of the second user.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable devices that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, causes the processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user, contact information from the first user, the contact information comprising a plurality of contact identifiers including

(i) a first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a first mode of communication, and

(ii) a second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a second mode of communication that is different from the first mode of communication;

associating the contact information with a universal handle that is for the first user and that comprises a phone number, wherein associating the contact information with the universal handle includes mapping the universal handle to each contact identifier among the plurality of contact identifiers, including the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication, and wherein the universal handle is different from each of the plurality of contact identifiers and may be used to access the first user using both the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and also the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

receiving, from a second user, a communication request that comprises the universal handle for the first user;

in response to receiving the request, using the universal handle to identify the contact information for the first user, including the first contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

after identifying the contact information for the first user, determining a preferred mode of communication of the first user based at least on preference information from the first user;

selecting a contact identifier from among the contact information from the first user based at least on the determined preferred mode of communication of the first user; and

connecting the first user with the second user using the identified contact identifier for the first user in response to the request.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting a contact identifier is further based on an identity of the second user.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the selected contact identifier is an email address, the operations further comprising providing the email address to the second user in a draft email message addressed to the first user.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the selected contact identifier is a telephone number, the operations further comprising causing a computing device of the second user to call a computing device of the first user.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the selected contact identifier is a telephone number, the operations further comprising providing the telephone number to the second user in a draft text message addressed to the first user.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a personal email address, a work email address, a cellular telephone number, a home telephone number, a work telephone number, a home page, a blog, and an instant message account.

19. One or more tangible computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user, contact information from the first user, the contact information comprising a plurality of contact identifiers including

(i) a first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a first mode of communication, and

(ii) a second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using a second mode of communication that is different from the first mode of communication;

associating the contact information with a universal handle that is for the first user and that comprises a phone number, wherein associating the contact information with the universal handle includes mapping the universal handle to each contact identifier among the plurality of contact identifiers, including the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication, and wherein the universal handle is different from each of the plurality of contact identifiers and may be used to access the first user using both the first contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and also the second contact identifier that is associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

receiving, from a second user, a communication request that comprises the universal handle for the first user;

in response to receiving the request, using the universal handle to identify the contact information for the first user, including the first contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the first mode of communication and the second contact identifier associated with contacting the first user using the second mode of communication;

after identifying the contact information for the first user, determining a preferred mode of communication of the first user based at least on preference information from the first user;

selecting a contact identifier from among the contact information from the first user based at least on the determined preferred mode of communication of the first user; and

connecting the first user with the second user using the identified contact identifier for the first user in response to the request.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044695/0115 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2015
From: PAQUET, VINCENT F.; RAMAN, TIRUVILWAMALAI VENKATRAM
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 036214/0968 →