System and method for finding persons in a corporate entity

• US 6,990,495 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fintegraph, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grason, Tom, Downes, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/945,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 707/6, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707 2- 5, 707/9, 707/100, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 709/227, 709/201, 709/204, 709223-226, 235/462.16, 235/382, 340/5.65
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A graphical user interface-based contact information system allows users to see obtain not only contact information in a quick, efficient manner, but also allows users to see organizational charts and update communication devices. The contact information system comprises a server executing the graphical user interface that a users uses to access contact information. The contact information is stored in an information database. The graphical user interface can be a web browser. By navigating through web pages displayed to the user by the web browser, the user is able to extract contact information from the information database for a particular person, display organizational charts and provide updates to communication devices. In addition, the contact information system can access Internet sites to obtain services such as providing maps and driving directions to users based on the contact information for the particular person.

Claims

1. A system for providing contact information of persons associated with an organization to a user, comprising;

an information database comprising contact information records for each of the individuals associated with the organization, each of the contact information records comprising contact information for a particular one of the individuals associated with the organization;

a server coupled to the information database executing a graphical user interface which a user uses at a first location to access contact information stored in the information database;

wherein the user uses the graphical user interface at the first location to construct a query to the information database through a corporate intranet, to which the information database responds by returning one or more of the contact information records that are responsive to the user'"'"'s query,

wherein the server displays the contact information at the first location in the form of an organization chart to the user in the graphical user interface,

wherein the server is configured to load the returned one or more contact information records to a remote user'"'"'s interactive wireless communication device at a second location different than the first location through the corporate intranet upon receiving a load request from the user at the first location, and to link the one or more contact information records to an internet site through the internet upon receiving a link request from the user.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the information database is an information directory in conformance with an LDAP format.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein only a portion of each contact information record responsive to the query is returned in response to the query.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser.

5. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising a firewall through which the server is connected to an Internet to provide the user with access to an internet site that provides the user with an additional service to apply to at least a portion of the contact information returned in response to the query.

6. The system recited in claim 5, wherein the Internet site provides one or more maps using the at least a portion of the contact information.

7. The system recited in claim 5, wherein the Internet site provides driving directions using the at least a portion of the contact information.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device can be updated by the user based on at least one of the contact information records returned in response to the query.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is one of an interactive pager and a cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the returned one or more contact information records are loaded to the wireless communication device through an email.

11. A system for providing contact information of individuals associated with an organization to a user, comprising:

an information database comprising contact information records for each of the individuals associated with the organization, each of the contact information records comprising contact information for a particular one of the individuals associated with the organization;

a corporate intranet to which the information database is coupled;

a server coupled to the information database through the corporate intranet executing a graphical user interface which a user uses at a first location to access contact information;

wherein the user uses the graphical user interface at the first location to construct a query to the information database through the corporate intranet, the response to which comprises one or more of the contact information records, the one or more contact information records being responsive to the user'"'"'s query,

wherein the server displays the contact information in the form of an organization chart to the user at the first location in the graphical user interface,

wherein the server is configured to load the one or more of the contact information records to a remote user'"'"'s interactive wireless communication device at a second location different than the first location upon receiving an load request from the user at the first location through the corporate intranet, and to link the one or more of the contact information records to an internet site through the internet upon receiving a link request from the user.

12. The system recited in claim 11, wherein the information database is an information directory in conformance with an LDAP format.

13. The system recited in claim 11, wherein only a portion of each contact information record responsive to the query is returned in response to the query.

14. The system recited in claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface is a web browser.

15. The system recited in claim 11, further comprising a firewall, coupled to the corporate intranet through which the server is connected to the Internet to provide the user with access to an Internet site that provides the user with an additional service to apply to at least a portion of the contact information returned in response to the query.

16. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the Internet site provides one or more maps using the at least a portion of the contact information.

17. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the Internet site provides driving directions using the at least a portion of the contact information.

18. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the Internet site provides weather information using the at least a portion of the contact information.

19. The system recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device can be updated by the user based on at least one of the contact information records returned in response to the query.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more of the contact records are loaded to the wireless communication device through an email.

21. A method for providing contact information about one or more persons associated with an organization to a user, comprising:

storing contact information records in an information database associated with a corporate intranet;

creating a query at a first location;

submitting the query from the first location to the information database through the corporate intranet;

returning one or more contact information records responsive to the query;

displaying data from the one or more contact information records to the user in a display at the first location;

selecting one of the contact information records from the display at the first location;

displaying an organizational chart at the first location using data contained in the selected record;

upon receiving an load request from the user at the first location, loading the selected contact information record to a remote user'"'"'s interactive wireless communication device at a second location different than the first location via the corporate intranet; and

upon receiving a link request from the user at the first location, linking the selected contact information record to an internet site through the internet.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising storing the contact information records in a format compatible with the LDAP format.

23. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising updating a communication device with information from the selected contact information record.

24. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising displaying a map to the user in accordance with information from the selected contact information record.

25. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising displaying driving directions to the user in accordance with information from the selected contact information record.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication device is one of an interactive pager and a cellular telephone.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the selected contact information record is loaded to the wireless communication device through an email.

28. A method for providing information about persons associated with an organization, comprising:

accessing homepage having one or more fields for inputting query data to obtain information regarding persons associated with the organization at a first location;

submitting, from the first location through a corporate intranet, a query to a database containing information regarding persons associated with the organization;

receiving one or more contact information records responsive to the query;

displaying data from the one or more contact information records to a user in a display at the first location;

selecting one of the contact information records from the display at the first location;

displaying an organizational chart using data contained in the selected record at the first location;

modifying one or more of the contact information records;

storing the one or more modified contact information records in the database;

loading the one or more modified contact information records to a remote user'"'"'s interactive wireless communication device at a second location via a corporate intranet upon receiving an load request from the user at the first location wherein the first and second locations are different; and

linking the one or more modified contact information records to an internet site via the internet upon receiving a link request from the user at the first location.

29. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising updating a communication device with information from the selected contact information record.

30. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising selecting one of the one or more contact information records.

31. The method recited in claim 30, further comprising obtaining driving directions to an address associated with the selected contact information record electronically over the Internet.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the interactive communication device is one of an interactive pager and a cellular telephone.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the interactive communication device is one of an interactive pager and a cellular telephone.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more modified contact information records are loaded to the wireless communication device through an email.