I think it was pre-Google since the newspaper clipping said either MIT student or graduate. It must have been code he developed in school.
Now, how did he just so happen to end up with Miles' brother's family in that "village" outside of Chicago (wasn't that where they lived at the start of the show ?) ?
I don't think they started in Chicago, Paul (Charlie's dad, is that his name ?) told Charlie to get to Chicago and find Uncle Miles, so I'm thinking that Chicago was a ways away.