Unifying Web And Phone Presence

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented method that includes obtaining, at a computer system, a plurality of contact identifiers for a computer account holder, wherein the identifiers represent a plurality of different communication modes; identifying a handle for the account holder, wherein the handle is associated with a uniform resource locator; and correlating the handle with the plurality of contact identifiers, and storing the handle and plurality of contact identifiers together so as to permit retrieval of the contact identifiers in response to identification of the handle.

1 . A computer-implemented communication management method, comprising;
 receiving, at a computer system and submitted by a computing device, a handle for an account holder;   associating the received handle with an account that is identified for the account holder based on the handle, wherein the account includes multiple different contact identifiers that are for communicating with the account holder and that correspond to a plurality of different communications modes, wherein each of the different communication modes defines a form of communication that is distinct from the other communication modes;   causing to be electronically connected, using a preferred contact identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of different communication modes, the computing device for communication with a device associated with the account, the causing performed in response to a determination of the current preferred contact identifier from among the multiple different contact identifiers as indicated by the account holder or a third party who is using the computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the current preferred contact identifier comprises analyzing information that identifies a preferred communication mode and that is received with the handle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the computing device has communication capabilities corresponding to one of the plurality of communication modes, and the computing device automatically provides information about the communication capabilities to the computer system along with the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the current preferred contact identifier comprises analyzing a rule for making communication contact with the account holder that is based on a preference provided to the computer system by the account holder. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the preference specifies a particular contact identifier for one of the modes of communication, and the computer system electronically connects the computing device with the account holder by mapping the handle to the particular contact identifier. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the modes of communication include telephone connections and electronic mail connections, and the contact identifiers include one or more different telephone numbers and one or more different electronic mail addresses. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing to be electronically connected the computing device for communication with the device associated with the account is performed without providing the current preferred contact identifier to the computing device, so that the current preferred contact identifier stays undisclosed to a user of the computing device. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented communication management method, comprising:
 obtaining, at a computer system, a plurality of different contact identifiers for a computer account holder, wherein the contact identifiers represent mechanisms for contacting the computer account holder by a plurality of different communication modes that each define a form of communication that is distinct from the other communication modes;   identifying a handle for the account holder, wherein the handle is associated with a uniform resource locator; and   correlating the handle with the plurality of contact identifiers, and storing information for carrying out a rule for selecting a current preferred contact identifier indicated by the account holder in response to receipt of the handle from a third party user of a communication device that is remote from the computer system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising receiving the handle from the third party, selecting a contact identifier that is from the plurality and is associated with the handle, and connecting the third party for communication with the account holder according to the selected contact identifier, using a communication mode corresponding to the selected contact identifier. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising identifying a mode indicator in information received with the handle from the third party, and selecting the contact identifier after selecting the communication mode corresponding to the mode indicator. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mode indicator comprises a prefix or suffix for the handle in a string that includes the handle and is submitted by a device of the third party. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein selecting the contact identifier comprises analyzing one or more contact rules established by the account holder, and selecting the contact identifier that best matches the contact rules. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising connecting the third party for communication with the account holder without providing the selected contact identifier to the third party so as to maintain the contact identifier secret from the third party. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising identifying a relationship status of the third party relative to the account holder, and controlling which of the plurality of contact identifiers is used to make the connection based on the relationship status. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the handle comprises an alphabetic name for the computer account holder. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the handle comprises a uniform resource locator that includes a name. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the handle comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the handle comprises a uniform resource locator that includes a telephone number. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different communication modes comprise two or more different modes comprising a telephone connection, an electronic mail communication, a text message, and a personal web page. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, in response to a third party submission of the handle, information for presentation to the third party that permits the third party to select a communication mode, from among the plurality of different communication modes, to communicate with the account holder. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented communication system for identifying contact identifiers for an account holder:
 an interface to obtain a first and second contact identifier for a computer account holder, wherein the first contact identifier is used to establish a verbal communication with the account holder and the second contact identifier is used to establish a textual communication with the account holder;   an account manager to identify a handle for the account holder, wherein the handle is associated with a uniform resource locator; and   a correlator to correlate the handle with the first and second contact identifiers, and to select one of the first and second contact identifiers, based on a preference of the account holder, for creating a communication session between a device of the account holder and a device that submits the handle.   
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented communication system for assisting in forming communication sessions, comprising;
 an interface to receive a handle from a user of a computing device, wherein the handle is associated with a uniform resource locator;   a central database associating a group of contact identifiers for an account holder to the uniform resource locator, wherein the contact identifiers differ from each other and include contact identifiers for a plurality of different modes of communication, including a telephone mode and an electronic mail mode; and   a communication mode selector to receive a mode indicator and one or more contact identifiers from the database and to select a current preferred contact identifier for the account holder for connecting a third party for communication with the account holder in response to a submission of the handle by the third party.