Method and System for Controlled Distribution of Information Over a Network

• US 20130018983A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chris Cheah
• Inventors: Cheah, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An information management and distribution system is disclosed. The information management and distribution system includes a client-side application and a server application that interact to facilitate the controlled exchange of contact information over a network. The client-side application can provide creation and design, rolodex, exchange, and update features. The information management and distribution system can also include a corporate administrator application. Still another aspect of the invention is that contact information can be distributed to registered users in a common format.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method comprising:

by a client device, determining whether a personal identifier exists on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system;

by the client device, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device;

sending, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user;

receiving a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising a personal identifier for the user; and

storing the received personal identifier in a local data store;

by the client device, once the personal identifier exists on the client device;

sending, to the one or more computer servers, the personal identifier as necessary while processing events, the events comprising user events and server events.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the events comprise business card creation, rolodex operations, exchange operations, or update operations.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the response further comprises information to download a client-side application.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the response further comprises a web page.

29. The method of claim 25, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device, further comprising:

receiving profile information for the user; and

storing a user profile for the user in the local data store, wherein the request to register the user comprises the profile information, and wherein the response to the request to register the user comprises the user profile for the user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the user profile comprises a plurality of profiles for the user, each of the profiles having a different email address, wherein all of the profiles are associated with the personal identifier.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein each of the plurality of profiles are associated with a respective expanded version of the personal identifier.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein storing the received personal identifier in a local data store comprises storing a file in a persistent storage area on the client device.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the personal identifier is based on an email address for the user.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the personal identifier is a unique string of characters.

35. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

by a client device, determine whether a personal identifier exists on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system;

by the client device, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device;

send, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user;

receive a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising a personal identifier for the user; and

store the received personal identifier in a local data store;

by the client device, once the personal identifier exists on the client device;

send, to the one or more computer servers, the personal identifier as necessary while processing events, the events comprising user events and server events.

36. The media of claim 35, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device, further comprising:

receiving profile information for the user; and

storing a user profile for the user in the local data store, wherein the request to register the user comprises the profile information, and wherein the response to the request to register the user comprises the user profile for the user.

37. The media of claim 36, wherein the user profile comprises a plurality of profiles for the user, each of the profiles having a different email address, wherein all of the profiles are associated with the personal identifier.

38. The media of claim 37, wherein each of the plurality of profiles are associated with a respective expanded version of the personal identifier.

39. A client device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

determine whether a personal identifier is stored on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system;

when the personal identifier is not stored on the client device;

send, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user;

receive a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising a personal identifier for the user; and

store the received personal identifier in a local data store;

once the personal identifier is found on the client device;

send, to the one or more computer servers, the personal identifier as necessary while processing events, the events comprising user events and server events.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the processors operable to store the received personal identifier in a local data store are further operable to store a file comprising the personal identifier in a persistent storage area on the client device.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the events comprise business card creation, rolodex operations, exchange operations, or update operations.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the response further comprises information to download a client-side application.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the response further comprises a web page.