Electronic business card processing device and method

• US 20060065708A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Yasuhiko, Kanatani, Ryogo
• Granted Patent: US 7,387,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic business card processing device and an electronic business card processing method which can effectively utilize information relating to electronic business cards. A business card is displayed on a display on the basis of stored information. When a cursor is positioned on the displayed business card, a tool bar is displayed on the displayed business card. The tool bar has one or a plurality of buttons. By using information unique to the displayed business card, processing corresponding to a selected button is executed. In another embodiment, in response to positioning of the cursor of the pointing device on a predetermined text field of the business card, a selectable tag is displayed on the displayed business card. An application program associated with the selected tag is started, and the information unique to the text field on which the cursor has been positioned is supplied to the started application program.

Claims

1. An electronic business card processing device having a display and a pointing device, comprising means for:

storing information relating to business cards;

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a tool bar on the displayed business card in response to positioning of a cursor of the pointing device on the displayed business card, where the tool bar has one or a plurality of buttons;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons;

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card.

2. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein information unique to the displayed business card contains information on additional pages of the business card, and the executing means re-displays the displayed business card by using the additional page information.

3. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the executing means adds a file to the information relating to the business card.

4. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and the executing means displays the animation.

5. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the executing means starts an application program associated with the selected button, and supplies information unique to the displayed business card to the started application program.

6. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

7. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

8. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

9. An electronic business card processing device having a display and a pointing device, comprising means for:

storing information relating to business cards;

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a selectable tag on the displayed business card in response to positioning of a cursor of the pointing device on a predetermined text field in the business card;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected the tag; and

starting an application program associated with the selected tag and supplying information unique to the text field on which the cursor has been positioned to the started application program.

10. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 9, wherein the application program is a browser.

11. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 10, further comprising means for accessing a map information providing website on the basis of execution of the browser.

12. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 11, wherein the executing means supplies address information of the displayed business card to the browser, and the accessing means makes the map information providing website to search for a map corresponding to the address information.

13. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 10, wherein the executing means supplies company information of the displayed business card to the browser and accesses a website of the company on the basis of execution of the browser.

14. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 9, wherein the application program is a mailer, and the information unique to the business card is e-mail address information of the displayed business card.

15. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 9, wherein the application program is a messenger, and the information unique to the business card is an account of the messenger.

16. An electronic business card processing method to be executed by an electronic business card processing device having a display, a pointing device, and a memory for storing information relating to business cards, comprising the steps of:

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a tool bar on the displayed business card when a cursor of the pointing device is positioned on the displayed business card, where the tool bar has one or a plurality of buttons;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons; and

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card.

17. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 16, wherein the information unique to the displayed business card contains additional page information for the business card, and in the steps executed, the displayed business card is re-displayed by using the additional page information.

18. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 16, wherein in the steps executed, a file is added to the information relating to the business card.

19. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 16, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and in the steps executed, the animation is displayed.

20. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 16, wherein, in the steps executed, an application program associated with the selected button is started, and the information unique to the displayed business card is supplied to the started application program.

21. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 20, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

22. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 20, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

23. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 20, wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

31. A computer readable medium storing commands for making a computer to execute the method according to claim 16.

24. An electronic business card processing method to be executed by an electronic business card processing device having a display, a pointing device, and a memory storing information relating to business cards, comprising the steps of:

displaying a business card on the display of the basis of the stored information;

displaying a selectable tag on the displayed business card in response to positioning of a cursor of the pointing device on a predetermined text field of the business card;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected the tag;

and starting an application program associated with the selected tag and supplying information unique to the text field on which the cursor has been positioned to the started application program.

25. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 24, wherein the application program is a browser.

26. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 25, further comprising a step for accessing a map information providing website on the basis of execution of the browser.

27. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 26, wherein in the steps executed, address information of the displayed business card is supplied to the browser, and the map information providing website is made to search for a map corresponding to the address information in the step of accessing.

28. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 25, wherein in the steps executed, company information of the displayed business card is supplied to the browser, and access to a website of the company is made on the basis of execution of the browser.

29. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 24, wherein the application program is a mailer, and the information unique to the business card is e-mail address information of the displayed business card.

30. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 24, wherein the application program is a messenger, and the information unique to the business card is an account of the messenger.

32. A computer readable medium storing commands for making a computer to execute the method according to claim 30.