Electronic Business Card Exchange System and Method

• US 20090216839A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Keiichi, Hara, Yoshiaki, Yagi, Fumiaki, Yu, Christopher C., Fukuda, Makoto, Mori, Yasuhiko, Ramanathan, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

To provide a user with better experience of cooperation between an electronic business card processing program and a communication program when exchanging electronic business cards. Electronic business cards are stored in a DB server, which is one of storages for a communication program, as well as an electronic business card local file. Thus, even if a PC is a company'"'"'s PC, for example, the electronic business cards can be viewed by accessing the DB server from another PC or the like outside an office. Further, the electronic business card processing program operates with the communication program as back-end, however, the electronic business card processing program may not be installed on a PC in some cases. Even in such a case, the communication program alone can display received electronic business cards that are stored in the communication program local file on the screen of a display.

Claims

1. An electronic business card exchange system with a plurality of terminals exchanging electronic business cards and a server being connected via a communication network, said terminal comprising:

a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card;

a communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit, said communication unit storing a received electronic business card in said server and said first storage unit; and

an electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit, said electronic business card processing unit storing an electronic business card received via said communication unit in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

2. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

if the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit is determined to have been modified from the electronic business card already stored in said second storage unit, said communication unit transmits the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

and

said electronic business card processing unit stores the electronic business card having no authentication information added thereto received via said communication unit in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

3. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

said communication unit ciphers, by means of said electronic business card processing unit, the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit and transmits the same;

if the received electronic business card is ciphered, said communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

if the electronic business card received via said communication unit is ciphered, said electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in said second storage unit.

4. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

said communication unit transmits the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred by means of said electronic business card processing unit;

if the received electronic business card has information not to be transferred added thereto, said communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

if the electronic business card received via said communication unit has information not to be transferred added thereto, said electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in said second storage unit.

5. A terminal that exchanges electronic business cards in an electronic business card exchange system, a plurality of said terminals and a server being connected via a communication network in said electronic business card exchange system, said terminal comprising:

a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card;

a communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit, said communication unit storing a received electronic business card in said server and said first storage unit; and

an electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit, said electronic business card processing unit storing an electronic business card received via said communication unit in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

6. An electronic business card exchange method for an electronic business card exchange system with a plurality of terminals exchanging electronic business cards and a server being connected via a communication network, said terminal having a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, and a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card, said method comprising:

a first storage step of, when communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit is selected, storing by said communication unit a received electronic business card in said server and said first storage unit; and

a second storage step of, when electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit is selected, said electronic business card processing unit storing the electronic business card received via said communication unit in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

7. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of, if it is determined that the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit has been modified from the electronic business card already stored in said second storage unit, said communication unit transmitting the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

wherein at said second storage step, said electronic business card processing unit stores the electronic business card transmitted at said transmission step and received via said communication unit that has no authentication information added thereto in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

8. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of said communication unit ciphering, by means of said electronic business card processing unit, the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit and transmitting the same;

wherein at the first storage step, if the received electronic business card is ciphered, said communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

at said second storage step, if the electronic business card received via said communication unit is ciphered, said electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in said second storage unit.

9. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of said communication unit transmitting the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred thereto by means of said electronic business card processing unit;

wherein at said first storage step, if the received electronic business card has information not to be transferred added thereto, said communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

at said second storage step, if the electronic business card received via said communication unit has information not to be transferred added thereto, said electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in said second storage unit.

10. A computer program product for causing a computer to execute an electronic business card exchange method for an electronic business card exchange system in which a plurality of terminals exchanging electronic business cards and a server are connected via a communication network, said terminal having a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, and a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card, said computer program product comprising:

first program code means for causing communication unit to, when said communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit is selected, store the received electronic business card in said server and said first storage unit; and

second program code means for causing electronic business card processing unit to, when said electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on said display unit is selected, store the electronic business card received via said communication unit in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code means for causing said communication unit to, if it is determined that the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit has been modified from the electronic business card already stored in said second storage unit, to transmit the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

wherein said second program code means causes said electronic business card processing unit to store the electronic business card transmitted by said third program code unit and received via said communication unit that has no authentication information added thereto in said server and said first storage unit, or in said second storage unit.

12. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code means for causing said communication unit to cipher, by means of said electronic business card processing unit, the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit and transmit the same;

wherein said first program code means causes said communication unit not to store the received electronic business card if the received electronic business card is ciphered; and

said second program code means causes said electronic business card processing unit to store the received electronic business card in said second storage unit if the electronic business card received via said communication unit is ciphered.

13. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code means for causing said communication unit to transmit the electronic business card produced by said electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred thereto by means of said electronic business card processing unit;

wherein said first program code means causes said communication unit not to store the received electronic business card if the received electronic business card has information not to be transferred added thereto; and

said second program code means causes said electronic business card processing unit to store the received electronic business card in said second storage unit if the electronic business card received via said communication unit has information not to be transferred added thereto.