System and method for finding persons in a corporate entity

• US 20060149834A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 186 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 186 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Grason, Tom, Downes, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/302,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• 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 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A graphical user interface-based contact information system allows users to see obtain not only contact information in a quick, efficient manner, but also allows users to see organizational charts and update communication devices. The contact information system comprises a server executing the graphical user interface that a users uses to access contact information. The contact information is stored in an information database. The graphical user interface can be a web browser. By navigating through web pages displayed to the user by the web browser, the user is able to extract contact information from the information database for a particular person, display organizational charts and provide updates to communication devices. In addition, the contact information system can access Internet sites to obtain services such as providing maps and driving directions to users based on the contact information for the particular person.

Claims

1. A system for providing contact information on persons associated with an organization to a user, comprising:

an information database comprising contact information records for each of the individuals associated with the organization, each of the contact information records comprising contact information for a particular one of the individuals associated with the organization;

a server coupled to the information database executing a graphical user interface which the users uses to access contact information;

wherein the user uses the graphical user interface to construct a query to the information database, the response to which comprises one or more of the contact information records, the one or more contact information records being responsive to the user'"'"'s query; and

wherein the server displays the contact information in the form of an organization chart to the user in the graphical user interface.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the information database is an information directory in conformance with an LDAP format.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein only a portion of each contact information record responsive to the query is returned in response to the query.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser.

5. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising a firewall through which the server is connected to the Internet to provide the user with access to an Internet site that provides the user with an additional service to apply to at least a portion of the contact information returned in response to the query.

6. The system recited in claim 5, wherein the Internet site provides one or more maps using the at least a portion of the contact information.

7. The system recited in claim 5, wherein the Internet site provides driving directions using the at least a portion of the contact information.

8. The system recited in claim 1, coupled to a communication device which the user can update based on at least one of the contact information records returned in response to the query.

9. A system for providing contact information of individuals associated with an organization to a user, comprising:

an information database comprising contact information records for each of the individuals associated with the organization, each of the contact information records comprising contact information for a particular one of the individuals associated with the organization;

a corporate Intranet to which the information database is coupled;

a server coupled to the information database through the corporate intranet executing a graphical user interface which the users uses to access contact information;

wherein the user uses the graphical user interface to construct a query to the information database, the response to which comprises one or more of the contact information records, the one or more contact information records being responsive to the user'"'"'s query; and

wherein the server displays the contact information in the form of an organization chart to the user in the graphical user interface.

10. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the information database is an information directory in conformance with an LDAP format.

11. The system recited in claim 9, wherein only a portion of each contact information record responsive to the query is returned in response to the query.

12. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser.

13. The system recited in claim 9, further comprising a firewall coupled to the corporate intranet through which the server is connected to the Internet to provide the user with access to an Internet site that provides the user with an additional service to apply to at least a portion of the contact information returned in response to the query.

14. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the Internet site provides one or more maps using the at least a portion of the contact information.

15. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the Internet site provides driving directions using the at least a portion of the contact information.

16. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the Internet site provides weather information using the at least a portion of the contact information.

17. The system recited in claim 9, coupled to a communication device which the user can update based on at least one of the contact information records returned in response to the query.

18. A method for providing contact information about one or more persons associated with an organization to a user, comprising the steps of:

storing contact information records in an information database;

creating a query;

submitting the query to the information database;

returning one or more contact information records responsive to query;

displaying data from the one or more contact information records to the user in a display;

selecting one of the contact information records from the display; and

displaying an organization chart using data contained in the selected record.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of storing the contact information records in a format compatible with the LDAP format.

20. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising step of updating a communication device with information from the selected contact information record.

21. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying a map to the user in accordance with information from the selected contact information record.

22. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying driving directions to the user in accordance with information from the selected contact information record.

23. A method for providing information about persons associated with an organization, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing homepage having one or more fields for inputting query data to obtain information regarding persons associated with the organization;

(b) submitting a query to a database containing information regarding persons associated with the organization;

(c) receiving one or more contact information records responsive to the query;

(d) displaying data from the one or more contact information records to the user in a display;

(e) selecting one of the contact information records from the display;

(f) displaying an organizational chart using data contained in the selected record;

(g) modifying one or more of the contact information records; and

(h) storing the one or modified contact information records in the database.

24. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising step of updating a communication device with information from the selected contact information record.

25. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of selecting one of the one or more contact information records.

26. The method recited in claim 25, further comprising the step of obtaining driving directions to an address associated with the selected contact information record electronically over the Internet.