Terminal for exchanging electronic business cards

• US 20060075231A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Christopher C., Kanatani, Ryogo, Kubo, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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

A terminal and a method for exchanging electronic business cards that can guarantee privacy and guarantee complete and consistent communications to the user are provided. The terminal for exchanging electronic business cards with a device connected via a communications network stores the first public key and the first secret key, the first electronic certificate that includes the first public key and components of an electronic business card. The terminal prepares a first electronic business card from the components of an electronic business card that have been read from the memory, transmits the first electronic business card, together with the first electronic certificate that has been read from the memory, receives data encrypted by using the first public key, and decodes the encrypted data that has been received by using the first secret key that has been read from the memory.

Claims

1. A terminal for exchanging electronic business cards with an external device connected via a communications network, said terminal comprising:

a memory means for storing a first pair of keys consists of a first public key and a first secret key, a first electronic certificate that includes the first public key and components of an electronic business card;

an electronic business card preparing means for preparing a first electronic business card from the components of an electronic business card that have been read from the memory means;

an electronic business card transmitting means for transmitting the first electronic business card that has been prepared by the electronic business card preparing means, together with the first electronic certificate that has been read from the memory means;

an encrypted data receiving means for receiving data encrypted by using the first public key; and

a data decoding means for decoding the encrypted data that has been received by the encrypted data receiving means by using the first secret key that has been read from the memory means.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

an electronic business card receiving means for receiving a second electronic business card, together with a second electronic certificate that includes a second public key; and

an encrypted data transmitting means for encrypting data by using the second public key that is included in the second electronic certificate that has been received by the electronic business card receiving means so as to transmit the encrypted data.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

an electronic certificate searching means for searching for the first electronic certificate within the memory means; and

a navigating means for proposing a method for obtaining one or more electronic certificates when the first electronic certificate has not been stored.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

an electronic certificate searching means for searching for the first electronic certificate within the memory means;

a security level determining means for determining the security level of the first electronic certificate that has been found; and

a navigating means for proposing one or more methods for obtaining a new electronic certificate in the case where the security level does not satisfy a predetermined level.

5. The terminal according to claim 3 or 1, comprising:

an electronic certificate preparing means for preparing a new electronic certificate on the basis of an instruction from the navigating means.

6. A method for exchanging electronic business cards between a terminal and a device connected via a communications network, the method performed by the terminal comprising:

the step of storing a first pair of keys consists of a first public key and a first secret key, and a first electronic certificate that includes the first public key;

the electronic business card preparing step of preparing a first electronic business card;

the electronic business card transmitting step of reading the first electronic certificate that has been stored, and transmitting the first electronic business card that has been prepared;

the encrypted data receiving step of receiving data encrypted by using the first public key; and

the data decoding step of decoding the encrypted data that has been received by using the first secret key that has been stored.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

the electronic business card receiving step of receiving a second electronic business card, together with a second electronic certificate that includes a second public key; and

the encrypted data transmitting step of encrypting data by using the second public key included in the second electronic certificate that has been received, so as to transmit the encrypted data.

8. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

the electronic certificate searching step of searching for the first electronic certificate that has been stored;

the step of determining the security level of the first electronic certificate that has been found; and

the navigating step of proposing one or more methods for obtaining a new electronic certificate when the security level of the first electronic certificate does not satisfy a predetermined security level and has not been stored.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

the electronic certificate preparing step of selecting the one or more methods that has been proposed, and preparing a new electronic certificate.

10. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method according to claim 6 any one of claims 6 to 9 with a computer.