Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving business contact information in a computer system

• US 20040088259A1
• Filed: 09/08/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: OnePIN Incorporated
• Inventors: Celik, Feyzi
• Granted Patent: US 7,296,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for storing information in a computer system, and for retrieving the information from the computer system. More specifically, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for storing and retrieving business contact information, including dynamic business cards in an internet-accessible database of a computer system. In one general aspect, the invention features an information management method. The information management method includes steps of assigning a first user a unique user identification number, storing information related to the first user in a remote database operatively coupled to a remote computer, and enabling a second user to access the remote database over a network using a second computer to retrieve the information related to the first user by entering the unique user identification number.

Claims

1. An information management method comprising steps of:

assigning a first user a unique user identification number;

storing information related to the first user in a remote database operatively coupled to a remote computer; and

enabling a second user to access the remote database over a network using a second computer to retrieve the information related to the first user by entering the unique user identification number.

2. The information management method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning includes a step of providing the first user with a bar code representation of the unique user identification number.

3. The information management method of claim 2, further comprising a step of printing characters representative of the unique user identification number on a document.

4. The information management method of claim 3, wherein the document is a business card.

5. The information management method of claim 3, wherein the step of printing includes a step of printing the bar code on the document.

9. The information management method of claim 1, wherein the second computer includes a second database, and the method further includes a step of synchronizing information in the second database with information contained in the remote database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing includes a step of storing an authorized access list with the information for the first user, the authorized access list containing a list of users having authorized access to the information for the first user, and wherein the step of enabling access includes a step of checking whether the second user is on the authorized access list for the first user.

11. The information management method of claim 1, further comprising a step of enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a network using a first computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the remote database.

6. The information management method of claim 6, further comprising steps of:

establishing a second database of user information in the second computer, and updating information in the second database of the second computer by accessing information in the remote database.

7. The information management method of claim 6, wherein the second computer accesses the remote computer over the internet.

8. The information management method of claim 7, further comprising a step of enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a network using a first computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the remote database.

12. An information management system comprising:

a remote computer;

a remote database operatively coupled to the remote computer, the remote database containing contact information for each of a plurality of users of the information management system, wherein each of the users is assigned a unique user identification number, and the information for each user is stored along with the unique user identification number of the user in the remote database;

wherein the remote computer includes;

a network interface module that interfaces with a network to allow users of the information management system to access the remote computer;

a database interface module that coordinates transfer of data between the remote database and the remote computer;

an application module containing instructions to enable a network user to access the remote database over the network using a second network computer to retrieve information in the remote database related to a first user by entering the unique user identification number.

13. The information management system of claim 12, wherein the application module further includes instructions to provide the first user with a bar code representation of the unique user identification number.

14. The information management system of claim 13, wherein the network computer includes a second database, and the application module includes instructions to provide updating of information in the second database of the network computer with information in the remote database.

15. The information management system of claim 14, wherein the application module includes instructions to enable the first user to access the remote computer over the network using a first network computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the remote database.

16. The information management system of claim 12, wherein the second network computer includes a second database, and the application module includes instructions to provide updating of information in the second database with information in the remote database.

17. An information management system comprising:

means for assigning a first user a unique user identification number;

means for storing information related to the first user in a remote database operatively coupled to a remote computer;

means for enabling a second user to access the first database over a network using a second network computer to retrieve the information related to the first user by entering the unique user identification number.

18. The information management system of claim 17, further comprising means for providing the first user with a bar code representation of the unique user identification number.

19. The information management system of claim 18, wherein the means for enabling includes means for updating information in a second database of the second network computer by accessing information in the remote database.

20. The information management system of claim 19, further comprising means for enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a network using a first network computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the remote database.

21. The information management system of claim 17, wherein the second network computer includes a second database, and the management system further includes means for synchronizing information in the second database with information contained in the remote database.

22. The information management system of claim 17, wherein the means for storing includes means for storing an authorized access list with the information for the first user, the authorized access list containing a list of users having authorized access to the information for the first user, and wherein the means for enabling access includes means for checking whether the second user is on the authorized access list for the first user.

23. The information management system of claim 17, further comprising means for enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a network using a first network computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the remote database.