System and method for sharing contact information

• US 20020156895A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael T.
• Application Number:
  US09/839,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for sharing contact information. In one arrangement, the method comprises the steps of storing a user'"'"'s contact information in a database accessible over a network, receiving identification of a person that the user wishes to authorize for access the user'"'"'s contact information, enabling the person to access to the user'"'"'s contact information, and transmitting the user'"'"'s contact information to a computing device of the authorized person from the database via the network in response to a request for this information. According to this method, therefore, the user can store and re-store (i.e., update) his or her contact information such that others can access the most current contact information for the user.

Claims

1. A method for sharing contact information, comprising:

storing a user'"'"'s contact information in a database accessible over a network;

receiving identification from a user of a person to authorize for access the user'"'"'s contact information;

enabling the person to access the user'"'"'s contact information; and

transmitting the user'"'"'s contact information to a computing device of the authorized person from the database via the network in response to a request for this information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the user'"'"'s contact information comprises storing the user'"'"'s contact information on a network server accessible through the network that is used as a central repository of contacts information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving identification comprises receiving one of the person'"'"'s email address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the person to access the user'"'"'s contact information comprises adding the person'"'"'s identity to an approved list associated with the user'"'"'s contact information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving an indication from the user as to what pieces of contact information to make accessible to the authorized person.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of revoking a person'"'"'s access to the user'"'"'s contact information in response to the user'"'"'s request to revoke the access.

8. A method for sharing contact information, comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s identification that conveys the user'"'"'s authorization to access contact information;

receiving a request to view contact information;

retrieving the requested contact information from a remote database via a network; and

presenting the contact information to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of receiving a request to view contact information comprises receiving a request from a remote computing device via the network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of retrieving the requested contact information comprises retrieving the contact information from a network server accessible through the network that is used as a central repository of contacts information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network is the Internet.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing the retrieved contact information in a local database.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying the contact information comprises displaying the contact information to the user with a computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising the means for receiving an indication from the user as to what pieces of contact information to make accessible to the persons.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for revoking a person'"'"'s access to the user'"'"'s contact information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for receiving a request comprises a link to the contact information on the network.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for retrieving the requested contact information comprises network interface devices adapted to retrieve the contact information from a web server connected to the Internet.

14. A method for sharing contact information, comprising:

storing a user'"'"'s contact information in a web server accessible via the Internet;

receiving from the user an identification of one or more persons that the user authorizes to access the user'"'"'s contact information;

receiving identification of what pieces of contact information to share with each authorized person;

receiving a request from a person to view the user'"'"'s contact information;

verifying authorization of the person to view the user'"'"'s contact information and the level of access for which the person is approved; and

transmitting appropriate contact information to the person.

15. A system for sharing contact information, comprising:

means for storing a user'"'"'s contact information in a location accessible over a network;

means for receiving an identification of one or more persons that a user authorizes to access the user'"'"'s contact information;

means for enabling the persons to access to the user'"'"'s contact information; and

means for transmitting the user'"'"'s contact information to a computing devices of the authorized persons from the database in response to requests for this information.

18. A system for sharing contact information, comprising:

means for verifying a user'"'"'s authorization to access contact information;

means for receiving a request to view contact information;

means for retrieving the requested contact information from a remote database accessible via a network; and

means for presenting the contact information to the user.