Sending and receiving electronic business cards

• US 20060293903A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gray, David Michael, Chi, Liang-Yu, Allenspach, Peter, Ramanathan, Rajesh, Romano, Victor Erwin, Bacioiu, Radu
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Graphical visual representations of electronic business cards may be generated from associated contact file information. Electronic business cards may be sent and received over digital media. Contacts information associated with received electronic business cards may be used for adding to or updating information contained in a recipient'"'"'s electronic contact files.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method of sending an electronic business card to a receiving address, comprising:

providing one or more electronic business cards for an electronic contact file in one or more electronic contacts repositories, each of the one or more electronic business cards including a visual representation of an associated electronic business card and one or more contact data elements of the associated business card;

receiving a selection for sending one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address; and

in response to receiving the selection for sending one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address, transmitting the selected one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, whereby providing one or more electronic business cards for an electronic contacts repository includes displaying in a graphical user interface a visual representation of the one or more electronic business cards which may be selected for sending the one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby displaying in a graphical user interface a visual representation of the one or more electronic business cards includes displaying a collection of visual representations of associated electronic business cards where each visual representation in the collection represents a contact file for which an electronic business card may be selected for sending to one or more receiving addresses.

4. The method of claim 3, whereby receiving a selection for sending one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address includes receiving a selection of one or more visual representations contained in the collection of visual representations of associated electronic business cards.

5. The method of claim 1, prior to transmitting the selected one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address, launching an electronic mail message user interface for transmitting the one or more electronic business cards to the receiving address, and populating the electronic mail user interface with the selected one or more electronic business cards.

6. The method of claim 5, whereby populating the electronic mail message user interface with the selected one or more electronic business cards includes rendering the visual representations of the selected one or more electronic business cards in the electronic mail message user interface.

7. A method of sending an electronic business card to a receiving address, comprising:

launching an electronic mail message user interface;

receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, where the electronic business card includes a visual representation of the electronic business card and one or more contact data elements from an associated electronic contact file;

in response to receiving a selection for inserting the electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, rendering a visual representation of the selected electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface; and

in response to a selection for transmitting an electronic mail message associated with the electronic mail message user interface, transmitting the electronic mail message along with the inserted electronic business card to the receiving address.

8. The method of claim 7, prior to receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, providing a list of electronic business cards that may be inserted in the electronic mail message user interface including providing a list of selectable visual representations of each electronic business card contained in the list of electronic business cards, where selection of any of the selectable visual representations causes insertion of an associated electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface.

9. The method of claim 7, whereby prior to rendering a visual representation of the selected electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, if no visual representation has previously been generated for the selected electronic business card, automatically generating a visual representation for the selected electronic business card using one or more contact data elements from a contact file associated with the selected electronic business card.

10. The method of claim 7, prior to receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, providing for a selection of an electronic business card of a sending user.

11. The method of claim 7, prior to receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface, providing a list of electronic business cards most recently sent via the electronic mail message user interface.

12. The method of claim 7, whereby receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface includes:

receiving a text entry in the electronic mail message user interface;

comparing one or more portions of the text entry to one or more electronic contact files; and

if a portion of the text entry matches one or more schematized data elements in one or more electronic contact files, providing a selection of an electronic business card visual representation matching one of the one or more electronic contact files.

13. The method of claim 7, whereby receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in the electronic mail message user interface includes:

receiving a selection for inserting an electronic business card in an electronic signature of the electronic mail message user interface; and

providing a visual representation of the electronic business card selected for inserting in the electronic signature of the electronic mail message user interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising inserting the selected electronic business card in the electronic signature of the electronic mail message user interface.

15. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of processing contact information received via an electronic business card, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message containing an electronic business card rendered in the electronic mail message, where the electronic business card includes a visual representation of the electronic business card and schematized contact information from an associated electronic contact file including a schematized prescribed layout of the electronic business card;

receiving a selection for adding the schematized contact information contained in the electronic business card to an electronic contact file;

in response to receiving a selection for adding the schematized contact information contained in the electronic business card to an electronic contact file, parsing a data structure of the electronic business card for the schematized contact information; and

populating an electronic contact file with the schematized contact information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising displaying a visual representation of a halo around an outer perimeter of the rendered visual representation of the electronic business card for comparing the populated schematized contact information with contact information contained in one or more previously populated electronic contact files.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, whereby if the schematized contact information populated in the electronic contact file is populated in a second electronic contact file, providing an alert that a duplicate electronic contact file is detected.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, whereby if a duplicate electronic contact file is detected, further comprising:

providing a display of any changes that will be made to the second electronic contact file if contact information in the second electronic contact file is replaced with contact information from the electronic business card that is different from corresponding contact information in the second electronic contact file; and

replacing any contact information in the second electronic contact file with contact information from the electronic business card that is different from corresponding contact information in the second electronic contact file.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, whereby receiving an electronic mail message containing an electronic business card rendered in an electronic mail message includes receiving the electronic mail message containing an electronic business card rendered in an electronic signature of the electronic mail message.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the electronic mail message at a receiving device that is not capable of displaying the associated image; and

displaying in the electronic mail message body at the receiving device only text content contained in the schematized contact information that would be displayed in the visual representation of the electronic business card if the receiving device were capable of displaying the associated image.