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US 2010/0306324 A1Published application
Anonymously and autonomously bridging return system and method
OwnerAllan J. Bontempo, Bryan D. Davisinventors
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Abstract
A method and arrangement to facilitate a direct, anonymous communication between an owner and a finder regarding an article.
Claims17
A method for facilitating a return of a lost article, comprising:
- entering personal information into a storage arrangement confidentially linking a marking to an owner;
- one of affixing a physical identification tag with the marking or affixing the marking to the article, the marking containing text message information to the storage arrangement;
- activating an account in the storage arrangement on a receiving of a text message from the owner;
- entering a text message using the text message information of the marking into a communication device linked to a storage arrangement and a wireless network upon a finding of the article by a finder;
- receiving the text message information from the finder by the storage arrangement over the wireless network;
- one of decoding and cross-referencing the text message from the finder by the storage arrangement and identifying the owner who is associated with the text message information;
- generating a found message, on the storage arrangement, based upon the text message;
- relaying the found message from the storage arrangement to the owner over the wireless network;
- receiving a response message by the owner;
- and
- bridging a text message conversation between the owner and the finder, wherein an owner's identity is anonymous.
8 more elements
An arrangement for returning a lost article, comprising:
- at least one of a physical identification tag and a marking, wherein the at least one tag and marking has a serial number and a text message address;
- and
- a confidential computer storage arrangement, the computer storage arrangement loaded with owner information operably coupled to at least one owner cellular telephone and the text message address and wherein the confidential computer storage arrangement is configured to receive a cellular telephone text messages at the message address specified in the marking.
A program storage device configured to perform a method to facilitate a conversation regarding a lost article, comprising:
- (a) an owner identification input module that permits an input of an owner's contact information and serial numbers;
- (b) a storage module that stores the owner's contact information and cross-references the information to the serial numbers;
- (c) a finder text message receiving module for receiving a first text message from a finder of a lost item;
- (d) a verification module for analyzing content of the first text message and checking the storage module to determine who the owner is that is associated with the information contained in the first text message;
- (e) a notification module that is capable of generating a text message to the owner that indicates that a lost item has been found and that identifies the finder by one or more of name, cell-phone number or email address;
- (f) an owner text message receiving module that is capable of receiving a text message from an owner;
- (g) an owner identity masking module that is capable of removing the owner identification information from the text message from the owner;
- and
- (h) a text forwarding module that is capable of forwarding the text message from the owner to the finder without the owner's identifying information.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.