System and method for electronically managing individual and business information

• US 20070094070A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Personalized Business Products Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Personalized Business Products Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Curry, Scutt
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

Systems and methods for electronically managing individual and business information. The systems and methods encompass three printing stages of pre-printing, printing, and post-printing. In one embodiment, the invention provides contact information by a printer, the contact information derived from a single raw data set provided to a printer to obtain a printed contact information carrier and converted by the printer into at least one alternate format during customary creation of the printed contact information carrier. A printed information carrier including an entity-specific digital information locator is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing contact information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a raw data set comprising entity contact information;

inputting the raw data set into a printing system and converting the raw data set into a first data format to create a printed contact information carrier comprising the entity contact information;

printing the carrier according to the first data format to provide the entity contact information in a hardcopy form;

generating at least one alternate digital data format comprising the entity contact information from the previously input raw data set, without additional inputting of the raw data set; and

providing the at least one alternate digital data format to supplement distribution of the carrier, wherein the step of printing the carrier further comprises printing a network address on the carrier to access the at least one alternate digital data format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of printing the carrier comprises printing a business card, wherein the step of generating at least one alternate digital data format comprises generating an electronic business card file, and wherein the step of providing the at least one alternate digital data format comprises providing access to the electronic business card file to download the entity contact information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating at least one alternate digital data format further comprises generating a digital visual representation of the carrier, and wherein the step of providing the at least one alternate digital data format comprises providing visual access to the digital visual representation of the carrier via a network interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating an electronic business card file comprises generating a VCF file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of printing the carrier further comprises printing an entity-specific network address on the carrier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network address comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

7. A system for managing information, comprising:

a high resolution digital image file for use in creating an information carrier;

a low resolution digital image file for display on a network;

a digital information file for transfer across the network;

a database coupled to the network and adapted to store the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file;

a computer device coupled to the network and operable to create the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file from raw information and to upload the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file to the database; and

an information carrier comprising a digital information locator, the locator comprising a location on the network at which the low resolution digital image file can be displayed and from which the digital information file can be transferred.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital information file comprises an electronic business card file.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electronic business card file comprises a VCF file.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the low resolution digital image file comprises a digital image representation of the information carrier.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a printing system coupled to the computer device and operable to create the information carrier by printing the information carrier from the high resolution digital image file.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information carrier comprises a printed business card.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising a digital interface coupled to the network and to the database and adapted to selectively provide the digital information file for transfer by download.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital interface is further adapted to selectively display the low resolution digital image file.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the digital interface comprises a link to request an information carrier.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the digital interface comprises an updating tool for selectively updating the raw data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer device is further adapted to update the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file from the updated raw data.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital information locator comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

19. A method of managing information comprising the steps of:

receiving raw information;

converting the raw information into a high resolution digital image file, a low resolution digital image file, and a digital information file;

storing the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file on a network-accessible device;

selectively creating an information carrier from the high resolution digital image file, the information carrier comprising a digital information locator; and

providing access to the low resolution digital image file and the digital information file on the network-accessible device through the digital information locator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing access further comprises digitally displaying the low resolution digital image file and making the digital information file available for downloading.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of selectively creating further comprises printing a business card, the digital information locator comprising a printed network address.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of generating the digital information locator from at least part of the raw information.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

selectively updating the raw information; and

updating the high and low resolution digital image files and the digital information file according to the updated raw information.

24. A method of providing information management tools comprising the steps of:

receiving raw contact information for printing on an information carrier;

entering the raw contact information into a computer for use by a printing system;

selectively creating at least one digital file from the raw contact information;

storing the at least one digital file in a network accessible location;

printing an information carrier by the printing system, the information carrier including a printed network address related to the network accessible location; and

providing selective access to the at least one digital file at the network accessible location.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of providing selective access further comprises providing visual access to a first digital file, the first digital file comprising a digital representation of the information carrier, and providing selective access to a second digital file for downloading.

26. A printed information carrier customized for an entity, comprising:

contact information of the entity, the contact information comprising identity information, location information, voice contact information, and data contact information; and

an entity-specific digital information locator,

wherein the locator provides access in at least one digital form to the contact information of the entity as provided on the printed information carrier, a first digital visual form and a second downloadable digital data form.

27. The printed information carrier of claim 26, wherein the carrier comprises a business card.

28. The printed information carrier of claim 27, wherein the first digital visual form comprises a visual representation of the printed information carrier.

29. The printed information carrier of claim 27, wherein the second digital downloadable digital data form comprises an electronic business card file.

30. The printed information carrier of claim 29, wherein the electronic business card file comprises a VCF file.

31. The printed information carrier of claim 26, wherein the entity-specific digital information locator comprises a network address of the first digital visual form and the second downloadable digital data form.

32. The printed information carrier of claim 31, wherein the network address comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).