Aol Inc.

Mercury Kingdom Assets Limited

John Keeling

Granville R Fairchild

Dan Pacheco

Myron Rosmarin

Bill Frischling

Barry Appelman

An online service provider (OSP) operates online data centers to store members' data objects relating to various online member services of the OSP. An aggregated catalog lists members' data objects residing in the online data centers and also those residing in member computers' local storage. An aggregator monitors contents of the online storage facilities to detect new storage of prescribed types of data objects owned by the members, and also communicates with member computers to identify prescribed types of data objects newly stored in the respective local storage. The aggregator updates the aggregated catalog to list the newly stored data objects. Responsive to a request by a member, a finder searches the aggregated catalog and utilizes results of the search to provide, for display at the requesting member's computer, a consolidated listing of online data objects and locally stored data objects owned by the requesting member.

Method and apparatus providing omnibus view of online and offline content of various file types and sources

A subscriber who seeks to block access to contact information may receive identifying information for people attempting to access the subscriber's contact information. The subscriber also may be provided interfaces to enable the attempting person to contact the subscriber, in a variety of escalating forms, without revealing the subscriber's contact information. In a particular implementation, a request is received from an information seeker for contact information for a subscriber. A data structure is accessed that includes an indication that the subscriber should be provided with information relating to requests received for the subscriber's contact information. A message address for the subscriber is accessed, and a message is sent to the subscriber indicating the request for the subscriber's contact information. The requested contact information for the subscriber is withheld from the information seeker absent an indication from the subscriber that the requested contact information may be provided to the information seeker.

Messaging gateway for directory and anonymous services

Growing community of inventors

Reston, VA, United States of America

John Keeling