METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STORING AND DISTRIBUTING SOCIAL AND BUSINESS CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE

• US 20110131504A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shustef, Yevgeniy
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An information management and distribution method and system for updating contact information over a network. A plug-in associated with a cloud-based back-end unit interacts with a Web application. A virtual card comprising a set of pluggable user interface components associated with the plug-in can be displayed in a user interface associated with the Web application. The contact information with respect to a user can be updated and automatically distributed to other users associated with the Web application that is configured with the virtual card plug-in module. The back-end unit can be employed to keep track of the contact information in a database and provide management functions associated with the data via a Web services application programming interface. A hard copy version of the virtual card can also be rendered utilizing a variable data composition engine and a rendering technology.

Claims

1. An information management and distribution method, said method comprising:

associating a plug-in with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network;

configuring a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in; and

updating said profile data with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application, wherein said network application is configured with said plug-in.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a database with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network; and

configuring said back-end unit to track said profile data in said database and manage said profile data via an application programming interface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said updated profile data in a database associated with said back-end unit.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a hard copy of said virtual card associated with said profile data utilizing a variable data composition engine and a rendering mechanism, wherein said rendering mechanism and said variable data composition engine communicate with one another.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a rating indicative of services associated with said profile data in order to identify a potential customer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising authorizing at least one user among said plurality of users to access said virtual card and edit and update said profile data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a tag with respect to said profile data associated with said virtual card; and

marking said virtual card for ease of search and retrieval of said profile data, including said updated profile data.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring said profile data to comprise at least one of the following types of data:

social contact data; and

business contact data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said network application comprises at least one of the following types of applications:

a social networking Web application; and

a business networking Web application.

10. An information management and distribution system, said system comprising:

a plug-in associated with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network;

a user interface associated with said network application; and

a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in, wherein said profile data is updated with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application, wherein said network application is configured with said plug-in.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a database associated with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network, wherein said back-end unit tracks said profile data in said database and manages said profile data via an application programming interface.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising a database for storing said updated profile data, wherein said database is associated with said back-end unit.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a variable data composition engine; and

a rendering mechanism that communicates electronically with said variable data composition engine, wherein a hard copy of said virtual card associated with said profile data is rendered utilizing said variable data composition engine and said rendering mechanism.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a rating module for providing a rating indicative of services associated with said profile data in order to identify a potential customer.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising a module for authorizing at least one user among said plurality of users to access said virtual card and edit and update said profile data.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a tag with respect to said profile data associated with said virtual card; and

a marker for marking said virtual card for ease of search and retrieval of said profile data, including said updated profile data.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said profile data comprises at least one of the following types of data:

social contact data; and

business contact data.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein said network application comprises at least one of the following types of applications:

a social networking Web application; and

a business networking Web application.

19. An information management and distribution system, said system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for automatically;

associating a plug-in with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network;

configuring a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in;

updating said profile data with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application; and

configuring said network application with said plug-in.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said instructions are further configured for:

associating a database with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network; and

configuring said back-end unit to track said profile data in said database and manage said profile data via an application programming interface.