Contact information exchanging and content system and method for networking and marketing

• US 10,560,560 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardex Group Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cardex Group Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Elmasri, Rafik, Elmasri, David Wassim, Carvajal Millan, Juan Manuel, Barjel, Melad, Bell, Stephen, Barjel, Charlie
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donado, Frank E
• Application Number:
  US16/321,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20190173989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An application for storing on a server for download to a client device for executing on the client device. The client device comprising a processor executing steps for performing various functionalities including: •sharing entered contact information of a user with the client device of another person using the same or similar application when the respective client devices are in a prescribed proximity to each other, and that other person being able to reciprocate sharing of their entered contact information into their client device with the client device of the user; •viewing, optionally joining, and/or creating a meeting where contact information between the participants is shared by the client devices of users joining or engaged in the meeting; •a user accessing, viewing and/or searching a list of contact information objects captured by the client device of the user; •entering of profile data details associated with a user and storing these in the client device for the purposes of constituting contact information for sharing with the client device of another user operating the application.

Claims

1. A contact information exchanging and content system for networking comprising:

smart devices for target users and client users, that operate target user devices and client user devices, respectively, a target user being desirous of establishing a store of contact information on a smart device and desirous of receiving content from a client user, and the client user being a user desirous of propagating and distributing the content;

each of the target user devices and the client user devices having;

a user interface for communicating with an operator of the smart device, a network interface for communicating with a computer network, a processor for operating an application, and a store;

a server including an engine and a database; and

a beacon device associated with a client user, the beacon device having a beacon protocol including a network identifier unique to the system and beacon identifiers unique to the beacon device that are broadcast within a range of the beacon device to a responding target user device having the application entering the range and selectively cause contact information or content or both contact information and content to be pushed to the responding target user device;

the store of the target user device being designed to store;

(i) contact information related to a target user of the target user device;

(ii) contact information of other target user devices having the application; and

(iii) selectively received pushed content;

the application of the target user device having;

(a) contact functionality to;

(i) generate and store the contact information related to the target user of the target user device via the user interface of the target user device;

(ii) receive and store contact information of another target user via the network interface; and

(iii) communicate the contact information related to the target user of the target user device via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a contact information data file and store the contact information data file in the database; and

(b) content functionality to;

(i) selectively receive beacon identifiers;

(ii) selectively receive and store content pushed to the target user device upon receipt of the selected beacon identifiers; and

(iii) communicate the stored content via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a content data file and store the content data file in the database;

the application of the client user device having functionality to;

(i) generate client content for receipt by the target user device via the server; and

(ii) communicate the client content via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a content data file and store the content data file in the database;

all user devices, client devices and beacon devices associated with the network constituting network clients and each being assigned the network identifier to indicate when communicating to each other and the server that they belong to the network;

the engine being programmed, based on a selection at the user interface of the target user device of a beacon device for assignment to a type of content to be received at the target user device, to;

(i) receive the network identifier from network clients and also target user identifiers, client user identifiers and beacon identifiers to identify respective target users, client users and beacon devices associated with the network and establish communication therewith according to the particular functionality being invoked and store these within corresponding data files within the database;

(ii) receive the target user contact information and client content from the network interface and respectively process same to form corresponding data files that include a contact information data file and a content data file and securely store the corresponding data files in the database;

(iii) based on editing of at least content associated with the beacon device at the user interface of the target user device for assignment to the type of content to be received at the user interface, selectively cause;

(a) stored contact information associated with the target user of the target user device in respect of which a target user identifier is received to be accessed from the corresponding data file within the database and downloaded to the target user device; and

(b) stored content associated with the client target in respect of which beacon identifiers are received in conjunction with a target user identifier to be pushed and downloaded to the target user device associated with the target user identifier from the corresponding data file within the database; and

(iv) based on editing of at least contact information associated with the client user at the user interface of the client user device for assignment to all beacon devices associated with the client user, selectively cause stored contact information associated with the client user of the client user device to be accessed within the corresponding data file within the database and stored in all beacon devices having a beacon identifier asserted and associated with the client user.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine is programmed to push selected content associated with a client user to a target user device accepting a beacon identifier from a beacon device and sending the target user identifier of the target user device in conjunction with the beacon identifiers of the beacon device to the server upon receipt of the same.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein contact functionality includes one or more of:

(i) card exchanging;

(ii) meetings; and

(iii) quick share.

4. A smart device for a user that:

(i) operates target user devices and client user devices, respectively, a target user being desirous of establishing a store of contact information on a smart device and desirous of receiving content from a client user, and the client user being a user desirous of propagating and distributing the content; and

(ii) communicates with;

(a) a server including an engine and a database; and

(b) a beacon device associated with a client user, the beacon device having a beacon protocol including a network identifier unique to the system and beacon identifiers unique to the beacon device that are broadcast within a range of the beacon device to a responding target user device entering the range and selectively cause contact information or content or both contact information and content to be pushed to the responding target user device;

the smart device including;

a user interface for communicating with an operator of the user device,

a network interface for communicating with a computer network,

a processor for operating an application, and

a store;

wherein

(A) the store of the target user device is designed to store;

(i) contact information related to a target user of the target user device;

(ii) contact information of other target user devices having the application; and

(iii) selectively received pushed content;

(B) the application of the target user device comprises;

(a) contact functionality to;

(i) generate and store the contact information related to the target user of the target user device via the user interface of the target user device;

(ii) receive and store the contact information of another target user via the network interface; and

(iii) communicate the contact information related to the target user of the target user device via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a contact information data file and store the contact information data file in a database; and

(b) content functionality to;

(i) selectively receive beacon identifiers;

(ii) selectively receive and store content pushed to the target user device upon receipt of the beacon identifiers; and

(iii) communicate the stored content via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a content data file and store the content data file in the database;

(C) the application of the client user device having functionality to;

(i) generate client content for receipt by the target user device via the server; and

(ii) communicate the client content via the network interface to the server for processing by the engine to form a content data file and store the content data file in the database;

(D) all user devices, client devices and beacon devices associated with the network constituting network clients and each being assigned the network identifier to indicate when communicating to each other and the server that they belong to the network;

(E) the engine being programmed, based on a selection at the user interface of the target user device of a beacon device for assignment to a type of content to be received at the target user device, to;

(i) receive the network identifier from network clients and also target user identifiers, client user identifiers and beacon identifiers to identify respective target users, client users and beacon devices associated with the network and establish communication therewith according to the particular functionality being invoked and store these within corresponding data files within the database;

(ii) receive the target user contact information and client content from the network interface and respectively process same to form corresponding data files that include a contact information data file and a content data file and securely store the corresponding data files in the database;

(iii) based on editing of at least content associated with the beacon device at the user interface of the target user device for assignment to the type of content to be received at the user interface, selectively cause;

(a) stored contact information associated with the target user of the target user device in respect of which a target user identifier is received to be accessed from the corresponding data file within the database and downloaded to the target user device; and

(b) stored content associated with the client device in respect of which beacon identifiers are received in conjunction with a target user identifier to be pushed and downloaded to the target user device associated with the target user identifier from the corresponding data file within the database; and

(iv) based on editing of at least contact information associated with the client user at the user interface of the client user device for assignment to all beacon devices associated with the client user, selectively cause stored contact information associated with the client user of the client user device to be accessed within the corresponding data file within the database and stored in all beacon devices having a beacon identifier asserted and associated with the client user.

5. A method for networking contact information and content involving a plurality of network clients including:

(i) a target user device for a target user able to use the method with respect to establishing a store of contact information and receiving content, (ii) a client user device for a client user able to use the method for propagating and distributing content to target user devices, and (iii) a beacon device associated with a client user to enable the propagating and distribution of content; and

a network server for communicating with the network clients, the method comprising;

A) assigning a network identifier to all network clients;

B) in the target user device;

selectively receiving, storing and updating;

(i) contact information related to the user of a target user device, and (ii) contact information related to one or more target users of other target user devices accepted by the target user;

selectively receiving a target user identifier of another target user in exchange for supplying contact information of the target user of the target user device to the target user device of the other user; and

ranging for a network identifier of a beacon device associated with a client user for receiving beacon identifiers of the beacon device;

after receiving the beacon identifiers, opening communications with the server and sending the user identifier and the beacon identifiers to the server; and

selectively receiving contact information associated with the target user and content of the client user associated with the beacon device from the server;

C) in the client user device;

selectively sending a client user identifier to the server to enable a client user to access content associated with prescribed beacon devices of the client user stored on the server;

D) in the beacon device;

ranging the network identifier to target user devices within a range of the beacon device; and

in response to a target user device during ranging, sending the beacon identifiers to the target user device;

E) in the server;

receiving target user identifiers, client user identifiers and beacon identifiers to identify respective target users, client users, network clients and beacon devices associated with the network and establish communication therewith according to the particular functionality being invoked and storing these;

securely storing contact information of target users and, based on a selection of the target user device of a beacon device for assignment to a type of content to be received at the target user device, content of clients by way of direct communication with target user devices of users and client user devices of network clients after establishing communications therewith; and

permitting access thereto by prescribed network clients according to the particular functionality being invoked;

based on editing of at least content associated with the beacon device at the user interface of the target user device for assignment to the type of content to be received at the user interface, selectively causing;

(i) stored contact information associated with the target user of the target user device in respect of which a target user identifier is received to be accessed and downloaded to the target user device; and

(ii) stored content associated with the client user of the beacon device in respect of which beacon identifiers are received in conjunction with a target user identifier to be pushed and downloaded to the target user device associated with the target user identifier; and

based on editing of at least contact information associated with the client user at the user interface of the client user device for assignment to all beacon devices associated with the client user, selectively causing stored contact information associated with the client user of the client user device to be accessed and stored in all beacon devices having a beacon identifier asserted and associated with the client user.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein in the target user device:

supplying contact information of the target user to the target user device of the other target user is provided by way of the server; and

receiving content of the client user is pushed by the server.