CONTACT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20110143713A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bienas, Maik, Luft, Achim
• Granted Patent: US 9,603,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlled and/or secure distribution of contact information. In one embodiment, transfers of contact information must be authorized by the affected party. The party distributing the contact data, the party receiving the contact data, and the party described by the contact data initiate a secure dialog to exchange contact data. Various embodiments also enable piecemeal authorization and transfer of contact information, allowing the affected party to control the portion of contact data transferred, as well as apply specific rule sets or templates. In one variant, the authorization and transfer process is optimized to reduce the number of transaction steps. Additionally, solutions for distributing contact information among larger groups of participants are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting the contact information of a first party to a second party using a contact management device, comprising:

contacting the first party with a data transmission request using the contact management device;

receiving authorization from the first party for the data transmission request;

authenticating the first party using at least in part the received authorization; and

transmitting the contact information of the first party to the second party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact management device comprises a network-based server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact management device comprises a portable device associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular-enabled smartphone having a client application, and the acts of contacting, receiving, and transmitting are each accomplished using a cellular air interface of the smartphone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cellular air interface is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) UNITS/3GPP;

(ii) Long Term Evolution (LTE); and

(iii) Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the acts of receiving, authenticating, and transmitting of the contact information are performed substantially automatically.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the contact information is performed substantially in response to the acts of receiving and authenticating.

8. A computer readable apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor:

process a received data transmission request from a first party, the received data transmission request seeking permission to transmit a user'"'"'s contact information to a second party; and

transmit an authorization message to the first party, the authorization message allowing the first party to transmit the user'"'"'s contact information to at least the second party.

9. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authorization message includes a digital signature used to authenticate the user.

10. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user'"'"'s contact information is associated with a third party, who is neither the first party nor the second party.

11. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the request and the authorization message comprise an extensible markup language (XML)-based message.

12. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authorization message comprises at least one restriction, the at least one restriction restricting the transmission of at least a subset of the contact data.

13. The computer readable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one restriction is specified by the user.

14. A portable electronic apparatus that facilitates the exchange of contact information among a plurality of parties, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a computer readable apparatus having a storage medium in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

a network interface in data communication with the processing apparatus;

wherein the storage medium has at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing apparatus;

cause a first party to be contacted with a data transmission request transmitted via the network interface;

process an authorization for the data transmission request received from the first party via the network interface;

verify a cryptographic element associated with the authorization received from the first party; and

transmit information enabling access to contact information associated with the first party to at least a second party.

15. The portable apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a display device adapted to display at least some information relating to the received authorization; and

an input device in operative communication with the processing apparatus, the input device being configured to receive user inputs relating to the second party, and provide them to the at least one computer program for use in the transmission of the information enabling access.

16. The portable apparatus of claim 14, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular-enabled smartphone having a client application, and the network interface comprises a cellular air interface of the smartphone.

17. The portable apparatus of claim 16, wherein the cellular air interface is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) UMTS/3GPP;

(ii) Long Term Evolution (LTE); and

(iii) Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A).

18. The portable apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least the processing of an authorization for the data transmission request received from the first party via the network interface, verification of a cryptographic element associated with the authorization received from the first party;

and transmission of information enabling access to contact information associated with the first party to at least a second party, are all performed substantially automatically and without user intervention.

19. Network server apparatus that maintains and facilitates the exchange of contact information among a plurality of parties, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a database accessible by the processing apparatus;

a computer readable apparatus having a storage medium in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

a network interface in data communication with the processing apparatus;

wherein the storage medium has at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing apparatus;

receive a request for contact data from a first party relating to at least one second party;

determine whether it is permissible to send the requested contact data based on information supplied by the second party; and

send information permitting access to the requested contact data if the determination indicates that sending is permissible.

20. The server apparatus of claim 19, wherein the request is initiated by a third party in communication with the first party, the third party requesting the at least one second party'"'"'s contact data from the first party.

21. The server apparatus of claim 19, wherein the determination of whether it is permissible to send comprises:

sending a request message to the second party from the server apparatus; and

process an authorization for the contact data request received from the second party in response to the request message.

22. The server apparatus of claim 19, wherein the determination of whether it is permissible to send comprises:

accessing a pre-stored rule or logic relating to one or more user preferences supplied by the second party; and

determining whether it is permissible to send based at least in part on the pre-stored rule or logic and at least one piece of information relating to a party originating the request for the contact data of the second party.

23. The server apparatus of claim 22, wherein the request is initiated by a third party in communication with the first party, the third party requesting the at least one second party'"'"'s contact data from the first party.

24. The server apparatus of claim 19, wherein the request is initiated by a third party in communication with the first party, the third party requesting the at least one second party'"'"'s contact data from the first party.

25. The server apparatus of claim 19, wherein sending information permitting access to the requested contact data comprises sending an authorization to the first party, the authorization authorizing the first party to send the requested contact data to a third party.

26. A method of providing contact services, comprising:

providing a server entity having an address associated therewith;

receiving an inquiry at the address from a third party, the inquiry requesting data relating to at least one specific user;

utilizing the server entity to identify the at least one specific user, and transmit a request to the at least one specific user; and

receiving a reply from the user as to the disposition of the request.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the address comprises a publicly known email address, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a plurality of inquiries at the email address relating to respective ones of a plurality of specific users.

28. A method of doing business, comprising:

publishing one or more temporary contacts, each temporary contact associated with a user who may be interested in a given product or service;

receiving one or more requests from one or more third parties for permanent contacts corresponding to the users associated with the published one or more temporary contacts;

receiving one or more responses affirming or denying the one or more requests;

for each affirmed response, providing the one or more permanent contacts to the one or more third parties.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least the acts of publishing, receiving, and compiling are performed substantially automatically by a computerized server.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein at least the act of publishing comprising utilizing demographic or user-supplied data to identify the one or more users who may be interested in a given product or service.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more permanent contacts are compiled within a list.

32. A client-based contact management apparatus that maintains contact information for a plurality of applications, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a database accessible by the processing apparatus;

a computer readable apparatus having a storage medium in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

wherein the storage medium has at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing apparatus;

receives one or more elements of contact data, and one or more digital signatures;

associates the one or more elements of contact data with one or more applications;

determines whether it is permissible to accept the received one or more elements of contact data based at least in part on the one or more digital signatures; and

responsive to the determination, distributes the one or more elements of contact data to the one or more associated applications.

33. The client-based contact management apparatus of claim 32, additionally comprising a network interface.

34. The client-based contact management apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one computer program additionally comprises computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing apparatus:

couples a communication session to the network interface; and

wherein the one or more elements of contact data and one or more digital signatures are received via the coupled network interface.