WO2004043110A1

WO2004043110A1 - Method for mailing goods via telephone number

Info

Publication number: WO2004043110A1
Application number: PCT/SG2003/000024
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kendro Hendra
Original assignee: Intouch Wireless Services Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2002-11-06
Filing date: 2003-01-30
Publication date: 2004-05-21
Also published as: AU2003214773A1

Abstract

A method for generating print media from a wireless communication device comprising acquiring an image for a media; inputting a telephone number of a telecommunications device of an intended recipient; creating media information from the image and telephone number; sending the media information to a server to enable the server to sort the media information, to retrieve from at least one database a mailing address for the intended recipient, to create the media, and to mail the media to the intended recipient.

Description

METHOD for MAILING GOODS via TELEPHONE NUMBER

Field of the* Invention

The present invention relates to a method for mailing goods via a telephone number and refers particularly, though not exclusively, to a method for printing goods transmitted over a telecommunications network.

Reference to Related Earlier Application

The present invention is aη improvement over the inventio disclose in US patent application seri number P7l76677^" filed 24 .June 2002 (the "earlier application"), the contents of which are hereby .incorporate by referehce; and a copy of which is attached" hereto forming part of this specification.

Definitions

Throϊighout hϊs specification,, a reference to a obile telecommunications device. includes a reference to' a mobilecett/hand telephone, personal digital assistant, notebook computer; laptop, computer, or other computer with 'telecommunications facilities or telecommunications device wit computation facility.

Throughout this specification a reference to a telecommunications network includes a referenc&.to a? local areanetwork, wide are network,, and the Internet

Background to th Inventio

\t\ thδ earlier application th re is disclosed a method of mailing physical goods whereby a user is require t enter a^; full mailing address using the. keypad, of a mobile telecommunications device; This may be quite inconvenient for the user and may take so e time for the user to enter. Also, if the user makes a simple typographiea! error, the printed, product may not be able to be delivered. For example, Austria may be entered when Australia was intended. If the rest of the address is correct, it is still undeliverable. Also, a user might not have the complete mailing address of an intended recipient. If the user were to enter the telephone number of the intended recipient, including country and area codes (if necessary), the image for the printed goods can be sent to a server in the relevant country/area where the domestic telecommunications authority can obtain the intended mail delivery address from their database. The database may be a white pages directory database, an accounts database of th telecommunications authority, or the like. Also, all mobile telecommunications: devices have a 'phone book where the user has stored a number of frequently used telephone numbers. Such a 'phone book may also be used rather than the user havjng to enter the relevant telephone number. If the telephone number is; the mobile/cell/hand telephone number of th intended recipient, it is a unique identifier for the intende recipient as for a given user in ύ country an area, there can be: onl one such number thus: identifying the intended recipient wϊthøut..error.

It is therefore- the principal object of the present invention to provide a method for mailing printed goods as described ϊ the earlier application where the recipient address is a number of a telecommunications deviceof th& recipient

Summary of the Invention

With the above and other objects in mind the present invention provides a method for generating print media: from a wireless communication device; the method comprising acquirin an image for a media; inputting a telephone number of a telecommunications device of art intended recipient; creating: media information from the image and: telephone number, sending the media information to a server to enable the server to sort the media information, to retrieve from at least one database a mailing address for the intended recipient, to create th media, and to mail the media to the intended recipient

ln^: another form the present invention provides a: method for generating: print media fro a Wireless communication device, the method comprisingcreceiving media information from the wireless communication device, the media information including an image and a telephone number of a telecommunications device of an intended recipient; ^' sorting the media information; using; a search engine to retrieve from at least one database a mailing address for an intended recipient by using the telephone number; creating the media; and mailing the media to the intended recipient

Preferably, a text message for the media is also inputted, and the media is one or more selected from the group consisting of: postcard, poster, sticker, greeting card, banner, sign, mug, plate, decalamania. The telephone number may include one or more selected from the group consisting of: an area code and a national code, and the retrieval is achieved using a search engine.

There may be a plurality of databases, each of the plurality of databases being of a telecommunications service provider. The databases may include an accounts database of the telecommunications service provider and/or a White Pages database of the telecommunications service provider. The telecommunications service provider may be in an area of the intended recipient

Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily put into practical effect, there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only a preferred embodiment of the present invention; the description being with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure is a schematic representation of the system architecture; and

Figure 2 is a flow char of the operation of the method.

Description of the Preferred. Embodiment

To first- refer to Figure there is shown a system that is a variation of that shown ϊrr Figures 3 and 4 of the earlier application. The box "server 30" in each of figures 3 and 4 of the earlier application is replaced with what is shown in Figure 1.

Here, the user does not enter the complete mailing address of the intended -recipient but enters the telephone number of a telecommunications device of the intended recipient If the intended recipient is outside the immediate areas of the locale f tile user, the area code of the intended recipient must be included as part of the telephone number. If the intended recipient is in a different country to the locale of the user, the international code of the country of the intended recipient is also entered. Therefore, the telephone number of the intended recipient may include national code (if required) + area code (if required) + telephone number of the intended recipient.

The telephone number may be manually entered by the user, recalled from the 'phone book of the user's mobile telecommunications device, or a combination of the two. For example, the user's mobile telecommunications device 'phone book may have the intended recipient's telecommunications device number entered, but not the area code and/or national code. The system may therefore request the user to key in such additional information^ that may be required to ensure correct and complete data, and thus correct delivery. This ma include area and/or national codes. If inputted manually, the user may be asked if they want to save the data as entered.

The system ma know to request the additional information if the user is outside the area of their normal telecommunications service provider. The request may be by a prompt to the user to enter the missing data if the data supplied is noted by the system as being insufficient for correct delivery, or may be a prompt before the user enters the number of the telecommunications deviceof the intended recipient

upon the transaction being initiated by the user, the server 30 receives the captured image, and the telephone number of telecommunications device of the intended recipient. The

bli it t b f d t th

If there is ambiguity, there may be a lookup function to locate the correct address. If more than one possibility, the server may refer the. possibilities to the user to decide on the correct address required, or may ask for more data from the user to clarify the exact intended recipient Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description a preferred embodiment of the present invention it will be understood by those skilled in the technology that many variations in details of design, construction or operation may be made without departing from the present invention.

The present invention extends to all features disclosed either individually, or in all possibl permutations arid combinations.

Claims

The Claims

1. A method for generating print media from a wireless communication device, the method comprising;

(a) acquiring ah image for a media; (b) inputting a telephone number of a telecommunications device of an intended recipient

(c) creating media information from the image and telephone number;

(d) sending the media information t a server to enable the serve to sort the media information, to retrieve, from at least one database a mailing: address for the intended recipient; to creat the media; . and to mail the media to the intended recipient

A method for generating print media from a wireless communication device, the- method⁵ comprising: (a) receiving: media information from the wireless communication device, the media information includin an image an a telephone number of a telecommunications: device of an intende recipient (b) sortingthe media Information?

(c). usin a search engine to retrieve from at least one database a mailing address for an intended recipient b usin the telephone number;

(d) creating themedia; and

(e) mailing the medϊa'to the intended: recipient

3÷

4. A method as claime ire any one of claims Λ to 3, wherein the media- is one or mor selected from the group consisting of: postcard poster, sticker, greetin card, banner, sign, mug,, plate, decala ania.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the telephone number includes one or more selected from the group consisting of: an area code and a national code.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the retrieval is achieved: using a search engine.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein there is a plurality of databases, each of the plurality of databases being of a telecommunications service provider:

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the databases include an account database of the telecommunications service provider.

9. A method as claimed^ in claim 7 Or clairn 8, wherei the databases include a White

Piages database of t e telecommunications service provider

10. A metho as claimed in any- on of claims 7 to 9, wherein the telecommunications, service provider is in an area of theintended-recipient