US 11,671,531 B1Granted

Techniques for managing communications between devices

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJagadesh Babu Mudireddy, Tapojoy Chatterjee

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Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for managing communications between a user and a third-party such that the confidentiality of the user's contact information is maintained. In some embodiments, the user may indicate interest in establishing contact with a third-party. In response, a service provider computer may obtain the user's contact information and transmit data different from that contact information to the third-party. Later, when the third-party wishes to establish contact, it may provide the data to the service provider computer. If the data received matches the data provided previously, the service provider computer may establish a communications channel between the user and the third-party. Establishing the communications channel may include forwarding a telephone call, merging multiple telephone calls, forwarding an email, or the like. Utilizing the techniques discussed herein, the confidentiality of the user's contact information may be maintained.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a service provider computer, contact information associated with a user, the contact information indicating particular data to be utilized for contacting the user;
maintaining a record of the contact information;
providing, by the service provider computer to a user device, content associated with a third party;
receiving, from the user device, an indication that the content has been selected by the user;
in response to receiving the indication that the content has been selected, generating, by the service provider computer, an access code related to the user and the third party, the access code being generated based at least in part on at least a portion of the contact information associated with the user;
transmitting, by the service provider computer to a third-party computer associated with the third party, the access code, the access code being different from the contact information associated with the user;
storing the access code in the record;
receiving, from the third-party computer, a contact request comprising the access code;
comparing the access code that was received in the contact request to the access code that was stored in the record;
and
based at least in part on determining the access code received in the contact request matches the access code stored in the record, establishing, by the service provider computer, a communication channel between the user device and the third-party computer while maintaining confidentiality of the contact information associated with the user, the communications channel enabling bi-directional exchanges regarding the content between the user device and the third-party computer via the service provider computer, the service provider computer restricting particular exchanges via the communications channel based at least in part on a set of user-defined restrictions comprising a number of permissible contacts, a duration of permissible contact, or an allowed time-period for permissible contacts.

8 more elements

A service provider computer, comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a memory storing executable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the service provider computer to perform operations comprising, at least:
maintaining contact information associated with a user within a record;
receiving, from a user device, an indication that third-party content has been selected;
generating one or more access codes related to the user and the third party, each access code being generated based at least in part on at least a respective portion of the contact information associated with the user;
transmitting, to a third-party computer, the one or more access codes related to contacting the user, the one or more access codes being different from the contact information associated with the user;
storing, in the record, the one or more access codes related to contacting the user;
receiving, from the third-party computer, a contact request comprising at least one access code of the one or more access codes related to contacting the user;
comparing the at least one access code that was received in the contact request to the one or more access codes related to contacting the user that was stored in the record;
and
based at least in part on determining the at least one access code received in the contact request matches the one or more access codes stored in the record, establishing a communication channel for contact between the user device and the third-party computer, the communication channel enabling bi-directional exchanges between the user device and the third-party computer via the service provider computer, the service provider computer restricting particular exchanges via the communications channel based at least in part on a set of user-defined restrictions comprising a number of permissible contacts, a duration of permissible contact, or an allowed time-period for permissible contacts.

9 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, causes the computer device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication that third-party content has been selected by a user of a user device;
obtaining contact information associated with the user, the contact information being previously stored in a record;
generating one or more access codes related to the user and the third party, each access code being generated based at least in part on at least a respective portion of the contact information associated with the user;
transmitting, to a third-party computer associated with a third party that provided the third-party content, the one or more access codes being related to contacting the user, the one or more access codes being different from the contact information associated with the user;
receiving, from the third-party computer, a contact request comprising at least one access code of the one or more access codes related to contacting the user;
comparing the at least one access code that was received in the contact request to the one or more access codes related to contacting the user that was stored in the record;
based at least in part on determining the at least one access code received in the contact request matches the one or more access codes stored in the record, establishing a communication channel for contact between the user device and the third-party computer, the communication channel enabling bi-directional exchanges between the user device and the third-party computer via the computing device, the computing device restricting particular exchanges via the communications channel based at least in part on a set of user-defined restrictions comprising a number of permissible contacts, a duration of permissible contact, or an allowed time-period for permissible contacts;
and
communicating, via the communication channel, with the user device associated with the user on behalf of the third-party computer.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.