COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD USING UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS

Abstract

A communication system in which a plurality of unique identifiers (license plates) from certain defined classes of unique identifiers (i.e. license plates) are converted into electronic addresses enabling digital communication, content, and commerce to be transferred to the associated address. A verified rightful holder of the unique identifier can claim rights which can grant access to the digital data that has been transferred to the assigned electronic address. A sender, without knowing the identity of the holder of the unique identifier, may communicate a message to the converted corresponding electronic address in the hopes that the holder will claim the email address through a verification process. A central domain repository may be used to determine and publish a uniform convention for the unique identifier, to establish a standard that is universal.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the method comprising: establishing an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; receiving, at a gateway server, an electronic communication including content, the electronic communication being addressed to one of the plurality of electronic addresses wherein the one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponds to a conversion of one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers using a published convention of conversion viewable prior to sending of the electronic communication; receiving, at the gateway server, a communication access request from a first user relating to the one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers; receiving, from the first user, an authorization for release of information from an entity that issues the unique identifiers; verifying legitimacy of the communication access request; and enabling, responsive to the verifying, electronic access to the content by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the verifying legitimacy includes verifying that a sender of the communication access request is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 further including generating at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

7. A computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic communication using unique identifiers, the method comprising: establishing an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; receiving, at a gateway server, an electronic communication including content, the electronic communication being addressed to one of the plurality of electronic addresses wherein the one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponds to a conversion of one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers using a published convention of conversion viewable prior to sending of the electronic communication; receiving, at the gateway server, an electronic request to communicate content to a recipient associated with the one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers; receiving, from the recipient, an authorization for release of information from an entity that issues the unique identifiers; verifying legitimacy of the recipient; and generating a message containing the content using the one of the plurality of electronic addresses associated with the one identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the verifying legitimacy includes verifying that the recipient is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

12. The method of claim 7 further including generating at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium including codes for causing a computer to: establish an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; receive an electronic communication including content, the electronic communication being addressed to one of the plurality of electronic addresses wherein the one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponds to a conversion of one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers using a published convention of conversion viewable prior to sending of the electronic communication; receive a communication access request relating to one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers; receive, from the first user, an authorization for release of information from an entity that issues the unique identifiers; verify legitimacy of the communication access request; and enable, responsive to the legitimacy verification, electronic communication using the one of the plurality of electronic addresses corresponding to the one identifier.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the plurality of unique identifiers comprise a plurality of license plate numbers.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the electronic communication comprises electronic mail.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the electronic communication comprises posting information upon a website.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the codes for causing the computer to verify legitimacy further include codes to verify that a sender of the communication access request is a rightful holder of a one of the plurality of license plate numbers corresponding to the one identifier.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 further including codes for causing the computer to generate at least one of the plurality of electronic addresses based upon one of the plurality of unique identifiers.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. A communication system using unique identifiers, the system comprising: an electronic repository in which a plurality of unique identifiers are respectively associated with a corresponding plurality of electronic addresses; and a messaging server arrangement configured to receive an electronic request to communicate information to a recipient associated with one identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers and verify legitimacy of the recipient wherein the messaging server arrangement is further configured to generate a message containing the information using a one of the plurality of electronic addresses associated with the one identifier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram of the process in converting a unique identifier, in this example a license plate, to an email address.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2 is a flowchart diagram of a theoretical license plate to email address conversion.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, in accordance with the invention, is a diagram of the relationship between the central domain repository (site administrator), central domain repository mail server, central domain repository website, the sender of a digital communication using the invention, the unique identifier, the central domain repository contract and verification process of the rightful holder of the unique identifier, the rightful holder of the unique identifier, the published conversion convention. Sender of digital communication views website, learns about the ability to send communications to license plate holders, according to the invention process and method. The sender views a license plate, converts into an email address according to the invention, and sends communication. The central domain repository receives the digital communication on a mail server assigned according to the invention and the central domain repository site administrator audits the message. A rightful holder of the license plate visits the central domain registry and views to see if any communications were sent to his or her license plate, in turn a rightful holder can contract and be verified by the central domain repository as the verified rightful holder of the license plate. The central domain repository grants access to the mail server to the rightful holder to have access to an email account corresponding for email addressed to the license plate.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram of the verification of the rightful holder of a unique identifier, according to the invention.