Method and system for obtaining a user's personal address information

• US 20030084050A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, John M., Williams, Christopher H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A method and system is provided for facilitating the retrieval of data from a database using a communications device where the database is stored remotely from the communications device. A communications device using the method or system may obtain remote data, such as e-mail addresses, facsimile numbers, phone numbers, or uniform resource locators, from a user'"'"'s remotely stored personal database.

Claims

1. A method for sending data using a communications device, comprising:

creating a data file for sending using said communications device;

retrieving at least one destination address from a user'"'"'s personal database stored remotely from said communications device for sending said data file to said at least one address; and

sending said data file to said at least one destination address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieving at least one destination address from a user'"'"'s personal database stored remotely from said communications device for sending said data file to said at least one address, comprises:

identifying a user of said communications device; and

accessing a personal database of said user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing a personal database of said user comprises:

logging onto a server hosting a storage media for storing said personal database of said user;

retrieving data from said personal database of said user; and

displaying said retrieved data to said user through said communications device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said logging onto a server hosting a storage media for storing said personal database of said user comprises connecting to said server using the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieving at least one destination address from a user'"'"'s personal database stored remotely from said communications device for sending said data file to said at least one address, comprises:

retrieving a server location associated with a user from a directory service;

accessing said server location;

accessing said user'"'"'s personal database through said server location; and

selecting at least one destination address from said user'"'"'s personal database with said communications device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said retrieving a server location associated with a user from a directory service comprises:

prompting said user to enter a secure identification string into said communications device;

connecting to said directory service; and

determining said server location from data associated with said secure identification string accessible to said directory service.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a username from data associated with said secure identification string accessible to said directory service.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said selecting at least one destination address from said user'"'"'s personal database with said communications device comprises selecting at least one destination address from the group consisting of e-mail addresses, facsimile numbers, phone numbers, and uniform resource locators.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said directory service comprises a lightweight directory access protocol interface.

10. A method for obtaining data using a communications device, comprising:

identifying a user of said communications device;

connecting to a directory server for retrieving a username of said user and a server identification;

constructing a messaging application program interface profile for connecting to a server associated with said server identification;

connecting to said server;

logging in to said server as said user using said username; and

accessing a personal database of said user accessible to said server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein connecting to a lightweight directory access protocol interface for retrieving a username of said user and a server identification comprises:

passing an identity of said user to said directory service;

retrieving data corresponding to said identity of said user stored by said directory service; and

passing said retrieved data to said communications device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting a username from said retrieved data.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extracting a message transfer agent from said retrieved data; and

parsing a server identification from said message transfer agent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said parsing a server identification from said message transfer agent comprises retrieving a uniform resource locater associated with a server.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said directory server comprises a lightweight directory access protocol interface.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein accessing a personal database of said user accessible to said server comprises accessing an address book database for storing data selected from the group consisting of e-mail addresses, facsimile numbers, uniform resource locaters, and names.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein accessing a personal database of said user accessible to said server comprises accessing a personal database stored by a storage media hosted by a remote device in communication with said server.

18. A system for sending data from a communications device to a location defined by data in a user'"'"'s personal database, comprising:

a communications device for sending data to a specified address; and

a personal database stored remotely from said communications device for storing addresses for receiving data.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a server for storing said personal database.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said personal database stored remotely from said communications device for storing addresses for receiving data is stored on a server in communication with said communications device.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising a lightweight directory access protocol interface for storing information.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising an Internet connection for facilitating communications between said communications device and said server.