Electronic business card processing device and method

• US 7,387,234 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Yasuhiko, Kanatani, Ryogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/023,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 705/1
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic business card processing device and an electronic business card processing method which can effectively utilize information relating to electronic business cards. A business card is displayed on a display on the basis of stored information. When a cursor is positioned on the displayed business card, a tool bar is displayed on the displayed business card. The tool bar has one or a plurality of buttons. By using information unique to the displayed business card, processing corresponding to a selected button is executed. In another embodiment, in response to positioning of the cursor of the pointing device on a predetermined text field of the business card, a selectable tag is displayed on the displayed business card. An application program associated with the selected tag is started, and the information unique to the text field on which the cursor has been positioned is supplied to the started application program.

Claims

1. An electronic business card processing device having a display and a pointing device, comprising means for:

storing information relating to business cards;

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

determining when a cursor is positioned within a frame of the displayed business card;

displaying a tool box on the displayed business card in response to the cursor being positioned within the frame of the displayed business card, where the tool box has a plurality of buttons;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons;

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card;

wherein the executing means starts an application program associated with the selected button, wherein each button is associated with a different function, and supplies information unique to the displayed business card to the started application program;

wherein one of the buttons within the tool box is an update command that is executable when information within the displayed business card is different from information that is stored for the displayed business card; and

wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

2. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein information unique to the displayed business card contains information on additional pages of the business card, and the executing means re-displays the displayed business card by using the additional page information.

3. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the executing means adds a file to the information relating to the business card.

4. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and the executing means displays the animation.

5. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the application is a browser.

6. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

7. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

8. The electronic business card processing device according to claim 5, further comprising means for accessing a map information providing website on the basis of execution of the browser.

9. An electronic business card processing method to be executed by an electronic business card processing device having a display, a pointing device, and a memory for storing information relating to business cards, comprising the steps of:

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a tool box on the displayed business card when a cursor of the pointing device is positioned on the displayed business card, where the tool box has a plurality of buttons;

determining which of the plurality of buttons within the tool box are executable in response to a comparison of information on the displayed business card and information that is stored within an address book;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons; and

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card;

wherein, in the steps executed, an application program associated with the selected button is started, and the information unique to the displayed business card is supplied to the started application program;

wherein each button is associated with a different function, and wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

10. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information unique to the displayed business card contains additional page information for the business card, and in the steps executed, the displayed business card is re-displayed by using the additional page information.

11. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 9, wherein in the steps executed, a file is added to the information relating to the business card.

12. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and in the steps executed, the animation is displayed.

13. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

14. The electronic business card processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions to be executed by an electronic business card processing device having a display, a pointing device, and a memory for storing information relating to business cards, comprising the steps of:

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a tool box on the displayed business card when a cursor of the pointing device is positioned on the displayed business card, where the tool bar has a plurality of buttons;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons; and

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card;

wherein, in the steps executed, an application program associated with the selected button is started, and the information unique to the displayed business card is supplied to the started application program;

wherein each button is associated with a different function, and wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information unique to the displayed business card contains additional page information for the business card, and in the steps executed, the displayed business card is re-displayed by using the additional page information.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein in the steps executed, a file is added to the information relating to the business card.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and in the steps executed, the animation is displayed.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

21. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions to be executed on electronic business card processing device having a display and a pointing device, wherein in the steps comprise:

storing information relating to business cards;

displaying a business card on the display on the basis of the stored information;

displaying a tool box on the displayed business card in response to positioning of a cursor of the pointing device on the displayed business card, where the tool box has a plurality of buttons;

wherein at least one of the button is only selectable when there are differences between information that on the displayed business card and information that is stored relating to the business card;

receiving signals from the pointing device that has selected one of the buttons;

executing processing corresponding to the selected button by using information unique to the displayed business card;

wherein the executing starts an application program associated with the selected button, and supplies information unique to the displayed business card to the started application program;

wherein each button is associated with a different function, and wherein the application program has a function of an address book.

22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein information unique to the displayed business card contains information on additional pages of the business card, and the executing means re-displays the displayed business card by using the additional page information.

23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the executing means adds a file to the information relating to the business card.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the information relating to the business card contains animation, and the executing means displays the animation.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the application is a browser.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a voice file, and the executing means reproduces the voice file by starting a voice file reproducing program.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the information relating to the business card contains a video file, and the executing means reproduces the video file by starting a video file reproducing program.

28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25, further comprising means for accessing a map information providing website on the basis of execution of the browser.