Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title
SEARCHING EMAIL ADDRESS BY NUMERICAL CODES
Background of the Present Invention
Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a searching method, and more particularly to
a
method of searching a specific email by means of a numerical code including a
combination of a plurality of specific phone numbers, thus avoiding a user to
memorize
lengthy and sometimes irrational email addresses.
to , Description of Related Arts
After years of information technological advancement, it is indisputably to
claim that people nowadays have heavily and necessarily depended on some sorts
of
digital or electronic information exchange channels such as the Internet. With
this ever-
dependence on information technology, people are finding more convenient and
faster
ways of broadcasting and exchanging information in order to promote growth and
increase competitive edge for their respective own industry or just simply
increase the
living standard of them.
One popular method of rapidly and precisely transferring information is by
means of emails. Email systems utilize the Internet or World Wide Web (www) as
a
2o medium to transfer individual emails from the senders to the respective
recipients. More
explicitly, when a user want to transfer information, in the forms of written
texts or
computer files, to a particular recipient, the user only needs to prepare an
email, by using
some form of email software or otherwise, and then upload it to a mail server
connected
to the Internet. The recipient will then receive some sort of notification
when connected
to the Internet and open a certain mail receiving software. In order to
receive the email,
the recipient needs only to download the specific email from that mail server
to complete
the email transferring process. Then, the recipient can be able to obtain the
information as
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sent from the email sender. One advantage of such email system is that the
sender and the
recipient need not be connected to the Internet at the same time in order to
complete the
email transferring process. One can put an email in the mail server for a
specified period
of time.
5. Currently, there are two main categories of email systems, namely the Post
O~ce Protocol (POP) email system and the Web-Based email system. For the POP
email
system, as shown in Fig. 1, a particular email software must be installed to
the senders'
and recipients' computers. Under the POP email system, the sender (S) needs
first to draft
an email and upload it to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server (1)
through the
l0 Internet (I), the email is then transferred to the recipient's POP server
(2), wherein when
the recipient (R) accesses to the Internet (I), he/she can download the email
from the POP
server (2) to his/her computer to complete the email transferring process.
On the other hand, under the Web-Based email system, as shown in Fig. 2, the
sending and the retrieval of a particular email are completely through the
World Wide
15 Web (W). Accordingly, instead of email software, the sender (S) and the
recipient (R)
each needs a browser which is capable of sung web pages through the World Wide
Web (W), wherein the email is first uploaded to a web server (3) by the sender
(S) and
then downloaded to the recipient (R). The main advantage of this method is
that the
sender and the recipient can send and receive an email at any computer which
is
2o connected to the Internet. No additional email software is required.
Each of the emails is characterized by a unique email address which is made up
by characters, such as alphabets, numbers and punctuations, wherein all
correspondence
concerning a particular email is referred to its email address. As a matter of
fact, with the
ever-growing usage of information technology, there are tremendous but yet
still
25 increasing numbers of email addresses registered all over the world.
Currently, there are
over twenty millions established websites which can be accessed through World
Wide
Web all around the world, wherein the host of most of those websites could
have one or
more email addresses shown to their browsers for contact or information
exchange
purposes. Thus, there exists a huge amount of email addresses registered with
different
30 mail servers all around the world. In practices, there are a numbers of
Internet Service
Providers which provide email service to individuals or companies.
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Despite all advantages, one of the pressing problems associated with emails
are
with the email addresses. Currently, a particular email address is usually
determined by
the user of that email account. Given the tremendous number of email users,
plus the
unique nature of each of the email addresses, popular email addresses run out
quickly for
a particular mail server, i.e. they are soon registered or 'occupied' by
users. Therefore,
for those who cannot obtain an indicative or simple email address, they have
no choice
but to amend their desirable email addresses to a longer, more complicated
address. For
some popular mail servers, such as 'Yahoo' or 'Hotmail', the 'competitions'
are indeed
extremely keen.
l0 In addition, currently there is no authoritative agent and centralized
mechanism
to govern the distribution and allocation of email addresses. As a result, a
particular email
address can take any form made up from a plurality of characters, such as
alphabets and
numbers. Very often, an email address is totally irrational and possesses no
indicative
meaning at all to its owner.
Due to the above-mentioned reasons, one can easily have a hard time
remembering email addresses. Some people, when they forget, try to guess the
email
address from a company name (e.g. IBM, SONY etc.) which he/she wants to
contact.
However, such strategy is somewhat ineffective even for famous organizations.
Thus, the
best way to remember an email address is to record it.
2o However, recordation by itself is not panacea, for there still are
limitations due
to the following reasons:
(a) Occasionally, if one is traveling or going for business trips, he/she may
not
have the opportunity to use the computer that he/she usually uses.
Furthermore, helshe
may not be able to access to his/her recordation for certain reasons. As a
result, some
desirable or necessary email addresses may not come with him/her. Then, when
the user
want to contact the host of those email addresses, he/she has to either search
again or call
for help from his/her home or company. Even the user is able to call for help,
say by
telephone, pronunciation similarity of the characters of the email addresses
may cause
significant confusion. For example, one is difficult to distinguish 'b' and
'd' in telephone
3o conversation. Therefore, the user may incorrectly regard 'b' as 'd', or
vice versa. Even if
the user can finally call for help, say by telephone, during the process of
searching the
email addresses, the user may have already wasted valuable business time. If
the user is
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in a region in which its time zone is different from his/her company's time
zone, the
searching time may be even further unnecessarily prolonged.
(b) In this information era where e-commerce dominates, especially for such
developed countries as the United States of America, email communication
cannot be
avoided. For some corporations, email communication is often the main
communication
method between departmental staff, or between the company and its customers.
In these
cases, a large amount of email addresses is involved. The question as to how
to handle
this large amount of irrational email addresses possesses great challenge to
company's
managerial level.
to In light of the above, a more systematic approach of handling tremendous
email
addresses may be used.
Summary of the Present Invention
A main object of the present invention is to provide a method of searching an
email address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
predetermined phone numbers, wherein the particular email address, and its
corresponding numerical code are registered together in a server, such that
when a user
wants to send an email to that specific email address, he/she can just provide
the
numerical code corresponding to that email address to the server, without
needing to deal
with the actual email address.
2o Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of searching
an
email address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
predetermined phone numbers, wherein the unique numerical code and its
corresponding
actual email address are registered together in a server to act as a unique
identifier of an
email account.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of searching an
email address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
predetermined phone numbers, wherein more than one numerical codes are allowed
to
register with a server to act as unique identifiers of that specific email, so
that a user can
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be able to send information to that particular email by specifying any one of
the
numerical codes associated with that email.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of searching an
email address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
predetermined phone numbers, wherein relatively lengthy and complicated email
addresses are organized by their corresponding numerical codes, so that
senders can be
able to retrieve a desired email address quickly and easily by using the
respective
numerical code. In other words, the time associated with searching and
retrieving
conventional lengthy and complicated email addresses are minimized.
to Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of searching
an
email address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
predetermined phone numbers, wherein the phone numbers are registered with the
email
holder's local telecommunication networks and are publicly available in
telephone
directories, so as to minimize the difficulty and problems arose in retrieving
the required
phone numbers, i.e. the numerical codes, such as calling back to home country
by a user
while he/she is traveling.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides an
email address searching method, comprising the steps of
(a) providing an information database, wherein a plurality of email addresses
2o stored in said information database are respectively assigned with specific
numerical
phone codes each of which is a combination of predetermined phone numbers of a
register of said respective email address;
(b) receiving a search request from an email sender by inputting a
combination of phone numbers as a search code for an email to be sent by said
email
sender; and
(c) matching the search code with the phone codes to search for the respective
phone code that matches identically with the search code so as to search out
the
corresponding email address assigned with the respective phone code.
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The email address searching method of the present invention further comprises,
after the step (c), a step (d-1 ) of, when the respective phone code is found,
sending the
email to the email address assigned with the phone code matched with the
search code.
The email address searching method of the present invention further comprises,
after the step (c), a step (d-2) of, when none of the phone codes is matched
with the
search code, requesting the email sender to re-input another search code.
According to the email address searching method of the present invention, the
combination of phone numbers of each of the search code and the phone codes
includes a
registered phone number of the register of the respective email address,
wherein the
1o registered phone number comprises a country code number, an area code
number, and a
local phone number.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional POP email system.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional Web-Based email system.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a method of searching a specific email
address by
means of a unique numerical code including a combination of specific phone
numbers
according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a flow chart of the Visual Basic Script of the search request web
page according
to the above first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a flow chart of the Visual Basic Script of the searching process
according to the
to above preferred first embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an alternative mode of the email
address searching
method according to the above first preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a method of searching a specific email
address by
means of a unique numerical code including a combination of specific phone
numbers
according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an alternative mode of the method of
searching a
specific email address by means of a unique numerical code including a
combination of
specific phone numbers according to the above second preferred embodiment of
the
present invention.
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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to Figs. 3 to 8 of the drawings, a method of searching an email
address by means of a unique numerical code including a combination of
specific phone
numbers according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated,
wherein the email address searching method comprises the steps of:
(a) providing an information database 40, wherein a plurality of email
identifiers stored in said information database 40 are respectively assigned
with specific
numerical phone codes each of which includes a combination of predetermined
phone
numbers of a register of said respective email address;
(b) receiving a search request from an user, such as an email sender S, by
inputting a combination of phone numbers as a search code for an email to be
sent by
said email sender S; and
(c) matching the search code with the phone codes to search for the respective
phone code in the information database 40 that matches identically with the
search code
so as to search out the corresponding email identifier assigned with the
respective phone
code.
According to the email address searching method of the present invention, the
combination of phone numbers of each of the search code and the phone codes
includes a
registered phone number of the register of the respective email address,
wherein the
2o registered phone number comprises a country code number, an area code
number, and a
local phone number.
According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
information database 40 is linked with an information center which is arranged
to be
connected to the Internet. In the step (b), the search request sent from the
email sender (S)
is received by the information center, wherein the search request is sent
along with an
email sending request from the email sender (S) and the email sending request
includes
the search code.
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According to the first preferred embodiment, the email address searching
method of the present invention is primarily used through the email processing
website of
the Internet, and is intended to work with a POP email system. The information
center is
pre-loaded into a computer system, which is connected with a plurality of
computer
systems through the Internet. Accordingly, the information center is linked to
the World
Wide Web (WWW) wherein any computer system linked to the World Wide Web can
also connect to the information center.
The information center comprises an email processing website 10 which
comprises a particular website server 11 connected to the World Wide Web (V~,
wherein
l0 the email processing website 10 comprises a search request web page 20. The
search
request web page 20 can be a home page of that email processing website 10, or
it can be
one of the web pages under the email processing website 10.
Since the information center is connected to the World Wide Web through
Internet, thus any other computer systems that are also connected to the World
Wide Web
can access to the information database by connecting to the email processing
website 10.
Accordingly, the search request web page 20 is designed and programmed by any
one of
software which supports World Wide Web application, such as XH~'TML, HTML, ~,,
PHP, ASP, CSS, JSP, C, C++, CG120, Java, Java-script, ActiveX, and etc..
through high
level language such as Visual Basic Script.
2o The information database 40 is provided in the website server 11 and stores
email identifiers and their corresponding phone codes. The email identifiers
can be the
conventional identification of a particular email account, such as an email
address.
According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, for each
of the email address stored, a unique phone code is assigned to a
corresponding email
identifier so that each email account is not only characterized by its email
address, but
also by a unique phone code corresponding to that email address.
Each of the phone codes consists of a combination of phone numbers in a
sequence of
Country Code - Area Code - Local Phone Number
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wherein the local phone number is the local phone number of the corresponding
email address register, the area code is the official telephone area code
number of that
email address register, and the country code is the international telephone
country code
number of that email address register. Depending on the nature of the email
address
registers, the email address register can be a corporation, an institution, or
a company.
Nevertheless, each of them should have a local contact telephone number. It is
worth to
stress that the uniqueness of each phone code can be ensured by combining the
local
phone number with the area code and the country code in which the
corresponding email
address register is assigned by local telecommunication authority.
to For example, if a register of an email address, chungyulin(a~lins.com, has
a
registered local phone number "5719812" in Los Angeles which has an area code
"626"
in the United States which has a country code "1 ", the corresponding phone
code of the
email address of the register, chungyulin(n(~lins.com, is "16265719812".
Given the function of the above-mentioned search request web page 20, the
search request web page 20 preferably contains at least a section that allows
the user of
this searching method to input a numerical search code which is known to the
email
sender (S). The numerical search code is the phone code of the email account
that the
email sender (S) intents to reach. In other words, the numerical search code
must also be
inputted in the sequential format of:
2o Country Code - Area Code - Local Phone Number.
Thus, the email sender (S) is required to enter the corresponding numerical
phone code in order to search for the email address that he/she wants to
reach. According
to the first preferred embodiment, in the step (c), the search code is
searched from the
information database 40 by matching the search code with the phone codes
stored in the
~ information database 40 to achieve a search result which includes a
respective email
address of the recipient (R) of the email to be sent.
For example, if the email sender wants to send an email to the register of the
email address chun~yulin(~a,lins.com however the email sender forgets such
email
address or not sure whether the email address should be chunglin(a~lins.com,
3o chun , ulin ,lin.com or others while the email sender remembers the phone
number of
the recipient, i.e. the register of the phone number and email address, the
email sender
to
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can still send the email to the recipient by inputting a search code
consisting of the
combination of the country code number, area code number and the local phone
number
of the recipient, i.e. the "16265719812". Since such phone number, country
code + area
code + local phone number, is a unique number of the register that would
absolutely not
identical with any other phone number, the search code can match the phone
code
"16265719812" assigned for the designated chunuvulin(a~lins.com. So that the
email can
be sent to the correct email address without remembering what is it.
According to the present invention, when none of the phone codes is matched
with the search code, the email address searching method of the present
invention further
1 o comprises, after the step {c), a step (d-2) of requesting the email sender
to re-input
another search code.
To the email sender (S), when the respective phone code is found, the email
address searching method of the present invention further comprises, after the
step (c), a
step (d-1 ) of sending the email to the email address assigned with the phone
code
matched with the search code.
The searching process in the step (c) is carried out by comparing the entered
numerical search code with each of the stored phone codes which represent
individual
email addresses respectively. If the numerical search code matches one of the
stored
phone codes, a search result which contains the email address assigned 'with
that phone
2o code is achieved. Then, the found email address plus the email sender's
email will be
sent to his/her SMTP email server 50 which in turns send the email to the
recipient's (R)
POP email server 60 through the Internet (I). Then, the recipient (R) can
retrieve the
email from the email sender (S) by downloading the email from his/her POP
email server
60 through the Internet (I).
However, in the step (d-2), if the numerical search code does not match with
any of the phone codes stored in the information database 40, a re-enter web
page will be
immediately prompted to allow the user to re-enter a new numerical search code
or
amend the pervious unmatched search code. Of course, the email prepared by the
email
sender (S) will not be sent to any recipient.
3o It is worth to mention that the email address searching method of the
present
invention is not limited to single numerical code searching. Thus, for each of
the email
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identifier stored in the database 40, it can be assigned with more than one
phone codes.
When the numerical search code matches with any one of the phone codes
assigned for
such particular email address, the email will be sent to that particular email
address,
following the procedures as stated above. Furthermore, the local phone number
is not
limited to personal phone number. It can be a company's contact number, or the
mobile
phone number of the email account's owner.
Also, when the register assigns one or more phone codes to his/her registered
email address, the information center will proceed a code search to determine
whether the
inputted phone code has been assigned to any other email address yet,
otherwise children
to or the spouse may use the same phone number to their own registered email
address.
When the email address register assigns phone code to his/her registered email
address, the information center may request the email address register to
verify that the
email address register must be the owner of such elected phone number to
prevent one's
own phone number from being occupied by another.
As illustrating in Fig. 4, for the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the sequential executions of the search interface dynamic web page
programs
200, 201, 202, 203, 204 of the search request web page 20 are illustrated as
follows:
Program 200: Set the language of the search request web page 20 to be
used, which is the same as that of the website browser.
2o Program 201: Enable Hypertext for the search request web page 20 in the
Internet.
Program 202: Set the format of all the fonts and forms shown in the
search request web page 20.
Program 203: Allocate a specific code location 21 in the search request
web page 20 that allows the browser of the search request
web page 20 to enter the numerical search code of the
email address that he/she wants to reach.
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Program 204: After complete the program 202, execute the searching
process.
As shown in Fig. 5, for the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention,
the sequential executions of the programs 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, and 305 of
the search
program 30 are illustrated as follows:
Program 300: Setting the language or the communication medium of the
searching process, which should be identical to that of the
website browser.
Program 301: Enabling Hypertext of the searching process in the Internet.
l0 Program 302: Checking the validity of the inputted numerical search code;
i.e. to check whether the imputed numerical search code is
recognizable by the searching program or not, such as
whether there is space remained unfilled in the code
location 21 in the search request web page 20, so as to
ensure adequate recognized information is inputted to
execute the searching process
Program 303: Contacting the information database 40.
Program 304: Executing the step (c), that is to match the search code with
the phone codes to search for the respective phone code in
the information database 40 that matches identically with
the search code so as to search out the corresponding email
identifier assigned with the respective phone code. If the
corresponding phone code that matches with the search
code is found, launch the mail software and proceed the
connection with the SMTP email server of the correspond-
ing email address assigned with the found phone code. If
no phone code matches the search code, proceed the next
program.
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Program 305: Receiving the signal from Program 304 that there is no
phone code matching with the search code, immediately
transfer a message to the email sender for requesting to re-
enter another search code in the code location 21 in the
search request web page 20.
Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, when an email sender (S) completes an email and
enters the particular website 10 by connecting to the World Wide Web (W) via a
wire
transmission, such as local phone lines, TV cables, and etc., or wireless
transmission,
such as cellular phone, PDA, satellite phone, and etc., the email sender (S)
may click into
to the search request web page 20 and then input the search code in the code
location 21 in
the search request web page 20, wherein the search code includes a combination
of
specific phone numbers owned by the designated recipient (R) of the email to
be sent,
wherein the combination of specific phone numbers, in sequential order,
consists of the
country code + area code + local phone number which can be a personal
telephone
number or a corporate telephone number of the recipient (R). For example, 1
(America) - 626 (Los Angeles) - 1234567 (local phone number).
The local phone number can be a cellular phone number. For some countries,
such as Taiwan, there is no area code for cellular phone number. For example,
when
using Taiwan cellular number as the phone code or search code, the country
code number
2o for Taiwan is "886" and the cellular phone number is "912-345-678".
Therefore, the
phone code of the email address should be "886912345678" and the search code
to be
inputted to search for such email address by means of the corresponding phone
code must
be "886912345678" too. Accordingly, a cellular phone can be used to input the
search
code where the code location is displayed on a screen of the cellular phone
that connects
~ to the Internet via a wireless communication network.
After key in the search code "country code number - area code number - local
phone number" in the code location 21 of the search request web page 20,
wherein if
there is no area code number, then no area code number is needed to key in and
simply
key in the country code number and the local phone number, the web page
programs 200,
201, 202, 203, and 204, as shown in Fig. 4, will execute their program
commands in
sequence and then immediately execute the comparison of the search code with
the phone
codes and their corresponding email addresses stored in the information
database 40
through executing the program commands of the programs 300, 301, 302, 303, and
304
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of the search program 30. When any one of the phone codes stored in the
information
database 40 is found that identically matches with the search code inputted in
the code
location 21 of the search request web page 20, immediately transmit the
specific email
address assigned with said found phone code to the SMTP email server 50 of the
email
sender (S) through the Internet (I) and send the email sender's (S) email via
the SMTP
email server 50 to the POP email server 60 of the recipient (R) through the
Internet (I).
Accordingly, the recipient (R) can download and access the email from the
email sender
(S) from his/her POP email server 60.
Also, when there is no phone code in the information database 40 found
l0 matching with the search code after execution of the programs 300, 301,
302, 303, and
304 of the search program 30, the program 305 immediately send a command such
as
"Please Re-Enter A Correct Phone Number Combination" in the search request web
page
20 to inform the email sender (S), wherein the email sender (S) must enter
another correct
phone number combination in order to proceed another comparison search.
Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, an alternative mode of the email address
searching method according to the above first preferred embodiment of the
present
invention is illustrated, wherein the search website 10' is linked to a
plurality of website
servers 11', wherein each of the website servers comprises an information
database 40'
which stores a plurality of email identifiers such as email addresses and
their phone codes
2o respectively. In other words, the information database 40' of the search
website 10' is
significantly expanded.
Accordingly, the step (c) the email address searching method according to the
alternative mode of the first preferred embodiment further comprises the steps
of
(c-1 ) searching the numerical search code from the plurality of information
databases simultaneously; and
(c-2) matching the search code with the phone codes stored in the information
databases to search for the respective phone code that matches identically
with the search
code so as to search out the corresponding email identifier, such as the email
address,
assigned with the respective phone code.
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In the first alternative mode, the searching process is carried out by
comparing
the entered numerical search code with each of the stored phone codes which
represents a
unique website from the plurality of information databases 40'. If the
numerical search
code matches one of the stored phone codes, a search result which contains the
designated email address represented by that phone code will be achieved.
Then, the
email prepared by the user, such as the email sender (S), will be
automatically sent to the
SMTP email server 50' of the user wherein the email will be finally sent to
the recipient's
(R) POP server 60' under the designated email address.
However, if the numerical search code doesn't match with all the stored phone
to codes in the information databases 40', a web page will be automatically
opened which
allows the email sender (S) to enter another numerical search code, and
preferably,
informs the email sender (S) that the previous search turns out to be no
matched email
address in the information databases 40'. Of course, the above communication
processes
are, as usual, embodied to be accomplished by means of the Internet.
Referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings, an email address searching method
according to the a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated,
wherein the second preferred embodiment is pretty much the same as the above
first
preferred embodiment, except the information center introduced in step (a),
and that the
searching method operates in a pre-loaded email processing software rather
than an email
, processing website. According to the second preferred embodiment, an email
processing
software 70 is pre-loaded into the user's computer system (P) which is
connected to a
particular server through the Internet, wherein the email processing software
70
comprises a search request interface providing a code location 71 which
contains a
section to allow the user such as an email sender (S) to input the numerical
search code to
the email processing software 70 and to execute the searching and matching
process in
the step (c). The information database 40, which stores the email identifiers
such as
email addresses and their corresponding phone codes, is provided in a server
connected
with the Internet, that the user's computer system connects thereto.
Similar to the first preferred embodiment, the searching process according to
the
3o second preferred embodiment of the present invention is carried out by
comparing the
entered numerical search code with each of the phone codes stored in the
information
database 40 of the server through the Internet and each represents an
individual email
address. If the inputted numerical phone code matches one of the stored phone
codes, a
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search result which contains the designated email address represented by that
phone code
is achieved. Then, the designated email address plus the email sender's (S)
email will be
sent to the recipient's (R) SMTP email server 50 which in turns send the email
to the
recipient's (R) POP email server 60 through the Internet. Afterward, the
recipient (R) can
retrieve the email from the email sender (S) by downloading the email from
his/her POP
email server 60 through the Internet.
For example, as shown in Fig. 7, when an email sender (S) selects to send an
email through the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
email
sender (S) can open the email processing software 70 in his/her computer and
enters a
to combination of specific phone numbers as a search code, "country code
number + area
code number + local phone number".
For example:
(a) 1 (country code of the United States) - 626 (area code of Los Angeles)
1234567 (local phone number of the recipient (R)), so that the search code is
"16261234567";or
(b) 886 (country code of Taiwan) - 912-345-678 (cellular phone number of
the recipient (R) in Taiwan), so that the search code is "886912345678".
When the email sender (S) completes an email and enters the search code in a
code location 71 of the email processing software 70 of the user's computer
system (P)
2o which is connected to the information database 40 in the server through the
Internet by
means of a wire transmission, such as local phone lines, TV cables, and etc.,
or wireless
transmission, such as cellular phone, PDA, satellite phone, and etc., a search
program 80
installed in the user's computer system (P) is activated to proceed a
comparison search to
match the search code with all the phone codes stored in the information
database 40,
wherein each of the phone codes is an unique numerical code consists of a
combination
of specific phone numbers owned by the register of the corresponding email
address,
same as the first preferred embodiment, wherein the combination of specific
phone
numbers, in sequential order, consists of the country code + area code + local
phone
number which can be a personal telephone number or a corporate telephone
number of
3o the recipient (R), i.e. the register of the respective email address.
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When any one of the phone codes stored in the information database 40 is found
that identically matches with the search code inputted in the code location 71
of the email
processing software 70, immediately send the email sender's (S) email to the
SMTP
email server 50 through the Internet (I), and then the SMTP email server 50
will send the
email to the POP email server 60 of the recipient (R) through the Internet
(I).
Accordingly, the recipient (R) can download and access the email from the
email sender
(S) from his/her POP email server 60.
Also, when there is no phone code in the information database 40 found
matching with the search code, the email prepared by the email sender (S) will
not be
l0 sent to any recipient (R). Then , the search program 80 immediately sends a
command
such as "Please Re-Enter A Correct Phone Number Combination" to the email
processing
software 70 to inform the email sender (S), wherein the email sender (S) must
enter
another correct phone number combination in the code location 71 in order to
proceed
another comparison search.
As a slight modification to the above second preferred embodiment of the
present invention, an alternative mode is illustrated in Fig. 8 of the
drawings, wherein the
searching process is carried out by comparing the entered numerical search
code with
each of the phone codes stored in a plurality of information database 40' in
different
servers of the Internet. If the numerical search code matches anyone of the
stored phone
2o codes in any of the information databases 40', a search result which
contains the
designated email address assigned with said matched phone code will be
achieved. Then,
the email prepared by the email sender (S) will be automatically sent to the
SMTP email
server 50 of the email sender (S), wherein the email will be finally sent to
the recipient's
(R) POP email server 60 of the recipient's (R) email address. It is worth to
mention that
the email transferring system in the alterative mode of the second embodiment
is POP
email system, i.e. using an email processing software 70 as a computer-user
interface
rather than a web page.
If the numerical search code doesn't match with all the stored phone codes in
any of the information databases 40', a command will be sent to the email
processing
software 70 to .request the email sender (S) to enter another numerical search
code, and
preferably, informs the email sender (S) that the previous search turns out to
be no
matched email address in the information databases 40'. Of course, the above
communication processes are, as usual, accomplished through the Internet.
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From the forging description, the present invention provides a method of
searching an email address by using a unique phone code of that email account,
therefore
reducing the troublesome and problems arising from searching or accessing
lengthy email
addresses. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will understand that the
embodiment of the
present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary
only and
not intended to be limiting.
It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully
and
effectively accomplished. The all embodiments have been shown and described
for the
purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the
present invention
to and is subject to change without departure form such principles. Therefore,
this invention
includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the
following
claims.
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