Method and apparatus for updating information stored in multiple information handling systems

• US 20060190626A1
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Kamper, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A networked system includes multiple information handling systems (IHSs) that store personal user information such as name and contact information. The networked system automatically updates personal user information when one IHS communicates with another IHS. A first IHS stores personal user information associated with a first IHS user. A second IHS also stores the first user'"'"'s personal information. The first IHS sends a first user information update to the second IHS if the first IHS determines that the first user information on the second IHS is not current. A digital certificate accompanies the update to indicate the authenticity of the information update to the second IHS.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of updating electronic address books stored in a plurality of information handling systems (IHSs), the method comprising:

storing, by a first IHS that is operable by a first user, first user address book information that is related to the first user;

storing, by a second IHS, the first user address book information, the second IHS being operable by a second user;

determining, by the first IHS, if the first user address book information stored in the second IHS is current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first IHS; and

in response to the first user address book information stored in the second IHS being determined to be not current, updating by the first IHS the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first IHS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step is performed by an update agent application in the first IHS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step includes transmitting, by the first IHS, current first user address book information to the second IHS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the updating step includes transmitting, by the first IHS, a digital certificate with current first user address book information to the second IHS.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising checking, by the second IHS, the digital certificate to determine if the transmitted current first user address book information is valid.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising rejecting, by the second IHS, the transmitted current first user address book information if the transmitted current first user address book information is invalid.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing, by the second IHS, an indication that the transmitted current first user address book information is valid.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising querying, by the second IHS, the second IHS user to accept or reject the valid transmitted current first user address book information.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising automatically accepting, by the second IHS, valid transmitted current first user address book information.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising overwriting, by the second IHS, first user address book information stored in the second IHS with current first user information transmitted by the first IHS.

11. A networked system comprising:

a first IHS that stores first user address book information, the first IHS being operable by a first user;

a second IHS that stores the first user address book information and second user address book information, the second IHS being operable by a second user; and

a network infrastructure coupling the first and second IHSs together;

wherein the first IHS updates the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first IHS if the first IHS determines that the first user address book information stored in the second IHS is not current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first IHS.

12. The networked system of claim 11, wherein the first IHS includes an address book application that stores the first user address book information and wherein the first IHS includes an update agent application that determines if the first user address book information in the second IHS is not current with respect to the first user address book information in the first IHS.

13. The networked system of claim 12, wherein the update agent application in the first IHS is configured to transmit current first user address book information with a digital certificate to the second IHS when the update agent application in the first IHS determines that first user address book information in the second IHS is not current with respect to the first user address book information in the first IHS.

14. The networked system of claim 13, wherein the second IHS includes an update agent application that receives the current first user address book information, receives the digital certificate, and checks the digital certificate to determine if the current first user address book information transmitted by the first IHS is valid.

15. The networked system of claim 14, wherein the update agent application of the second IHS queries the second IHS user to accept or reject valid received current first user address book information.

16. The networked system of claim 14, wherein the update agent application of the second IHS is configured to automatically accept valid received current first user address book information.

17. The networked system of claim 14, wherein the second IHS includes an address book program that is configured to overwrite first user address book information stored in the second IHS with received current first user address book information from the first IHS.

18. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for updating user address book information, the computer program product comprising:

means for storing, by a first IHS, first user address book information that is related to the first user, the first IHS being operable by the first user;

means for determining if first user address book information stored in a second IHS is current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first IHS, the second IHS being operable by a second user; and

means for updating the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first IHS if the first user address book information stored in the second IHS is determined to be not current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first IHS.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the means for updating includes means for transmitting, by the first IHS, current first user address book information to the second IHS.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the means for updating includes means for transmitting, by the first IHS, to the second IHS a digital certificate together with the current first user address book information to indicate the validity of the current first user address book information.