Network-based personal contact manager and associated methods
First Claim
1. A network-based personal contact management system, comprising:
- a networked server system that provides a user interface having functionality for users to establish relationships with other users such that each user may have one or more contacts;
a database that stores relationship data indicating the relationships established between the users via the user interface, wherein the relationship data identifies, for each respective user, which other users are contacts of the respective user; and
a search module that provides functionality for users to search the database for contacts of their respective contacts, such that a first user may submit a search request to identify other users that are contacts of contacts of the first user.
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Abstract
A network-based contact management system provides various features for assisting users in locating, and sharing information with, other users. The system provides a web-based user interface through which each may user create a personal data record, establish contact relationships with other users, and specify permissions for allowing such other users to view the user'"'"'s own personal data. Users can preferably view the personal data records of their respective contacts via personal address books in accordance with the permissions granted by such contacts. A search feature enables each user to search for contacts of that user'"'"'s own contacts to locate other users of interest. A crossing paths notification feature notifies users when their travel plans coincide with those of their contacts.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A network-based personal contact management system, comprising:
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a networked server system that provides a user interface having functionality for users to establish relationships with other users such that each user may have one or more contacts;
a database that stores relationship data indicating the relationships established between the users via the user interface, wherein the relationship data identifies, for each respective user, which other users are contacts of the respective user; and
a search module that provides functionality for users to search the database for contacts of their respective contacts, such that a first user may submit a search request to identify other users that are contacts of contacts of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a network-based system that provides functionality for users to communicate with other users, a computer-implemented method for assisting users in locating other users with which to communicate, the method comprising:
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providing a database that stores, for each user of a plurality of users, information about contacts of the respective user;
receiving, from a first user of said plurality of users, a search request to search for contacts of contacts of the first user; and
in response to the search request, searching the database to identify a set of users who are contacts of contacts of the first user, and notifying the first user of the set of users. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A network-based contact management system, comprising:
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a user interface that provides functionality for users to specify personal travel plans data, and to specify permissions data that identifies other users that are authorized to be notified of travel events specified within the personal travel plans data;
a database that stores the personal travel plans data and permissions data specified by the users via the user interface; and
a program module which analyzes the travel plans data in accordance with the permissions data to detect, and notify users of, crossing paths events in which two users are scheduled to be in a common location during travel by at least one of the two users. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-implemented method of facilitating the scheduling of meetings between remote individuals, comprising:
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receiving travel event data that specifies a travel event of a first user;
identifying a plurality of additional users in an address book data of the first user;
comparing the travel event data with data reflective of travel schedules of the plurality of additional users to determine whether any of the additional users are scheduled to be within a selected distance of the first user during said travel event; and
in response to detecting a crossing paths event in which an additional user is scheduled to be within said selected distance of the first user during said travel event, notifying the first user of the crossing paths event. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification