Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving business contact information in a computer system

• US 7,509,349 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: OnePIN Incorporated
• Inventors: Celik, Feyzi
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US10/879,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 710/303, 715/505, 705/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

The present invention provides an information management system comprising a remote device, a remote database operatively coupled to the remote device, the remote database containing contact information for each of a plurality of users of the information management system, wherein each of the users is assigned a unique user identifier, and the information for each user is stored along with the unique user identifier of the user in the remote database, wherein the remote device includes a wireless network interface module that interfaces with a wireless network to allow users of the information management system to access the remote device, a database interface module that coordinates transfer of data between the remote database and the remote device, and an application module to enable a wireless network user to access the remote database over the wireless network using a second network device to retrieve information in the remote database related to a first user having an assigned unique user identifier.

Claims

1. A computer implemented contact information management method comprising:

storing, in a memory, contact information related to a first user in a first database operatively coupled to a remote device;

providing, using a processor, an interface for a second user to access the first database over a wireless network using a first wireless communication device to retrieve the contact information related to the first user using a user identifier of the first user;

creating a second database of user contact information wherein the second database is contained in a memory of the first wireless communication device;

inserting contact information related to the first user into the second database of the first wireless communication device;

providing, using a processor, an interface for the first user to edit the contact information related to the first user stored in the first database;

updating contact information related to the first user in the first database;

providing, using a processor, an interface for the second user to wirelessly access the updated contact information related to the first user, the second user accessing the updated contact information related to the first user using the user identifier of the first user; and

synchronizing, using a processor, contact information in the second database with contact information contained in the first database such that the first and second databases contain the same contact information relating to the first user.

2. The information management method of claim 1, wherein inserting contact information related to the first user into the second database of the first wireless communication device includes obtaining the user identifier of the first user electronically by receiving a communication from the first user.

3. The information management method of claim 2, further comprising automatically transferring the user identifier of the first user to the first wireless communication device during the communication from the first user.

4. The information management method of claim 3, wherein receiving the communication from the first user further includes receiving the first user'"'"'s phone number.

5. The information management method of claim 2, further comprising automatically transferring a unique identifier of the second user to the remote device in response to the communication from the first user.

6. The information management method of claim 1, wherein providing an interface for the second user to access the first database includes providing an interface to manually enter the user identifier of the first user into the first wireless communication device.

7. The information management method of claim 1, further comprising subscribing to a wireless service provider and wherein the wireless service provider assigns the user identifier by accessing the first database of the remote device.

8. The information management method of claim 1, further comprising printing characters representative of the first user'"'"'s user identifier on a document.

9. The information management method of claim 8, wherein the document is a business card.

10. The information management method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device accesses the remote device over the Internet.

11. The information management method of claim 10, further comprising enabling the first user to wirelessly access the remote device over a wireless network using a second wireless device to edit the information related to the first user stored in the first database.

12. The information management method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an authorized access list with the information for the first user in the first database, the authorized access list containing a list of users having authorized access to the information for the first user, and;

determining whether the second user is on the authorized access list for the first user.

13. A contact information management system for use with first and second wireless communication devices, the system comprising:

a remote computer including a processor;

a first database operatively coupled to the remote computer, the first database containing contact information for each of a plurality of users of the contact information management system, wherein each of the users is identified by a user identifier, and the contact information for each user is stored along with the user identifier of the user in the first database;

wherein the remote computer further includes;

a wireless network interface that interfaces with a wireless network to allow users of the contact information management system to access the remote computer;

a database interface that coordinates transfer of data between the first database and the first and second wireless communication devices via the network; and

a memory including an application containing instructions that, when executed by the remote computer, provides an interface i) for a second wireless network user to access the first database over the wireless network using the second wireless communication device to retrieve contact information in the first database related to a first user, the second user accesses the first database using a user identifier associated with the first user, ii) for the first user to edit the contact information related to the first user stored in the first database, iii) for access to the edited contact information in the first database to change the contact information related to the first user in a second database contained within the second wireless communication device, and iv) to synchronize the contact information in the second database with contact information contained in the first database such that the first and second databases contain the same contact information relating to the first user.

14. The information management system of claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication device transfers the user identifier of a second user to the first wireless communication device, and wherein the first wireless communication device transfers the user identifier of the first user to the second wireless communication device.

15. A computer implemented contact information management system comprising:

a processor configured for storing contact information related to a first user in a first database operatively coupled to a remote computer, the first user being identified by a user identifier;

a processor configured for providing an interface for a second user to access the first database over a wireless network using a first wireless communication device to retrieve the contact information related to the first user using the user identifier of the first user;

a processor configured for creating a second database of user contact information wherein the second database is contained in the first wireless communication device;

a processor configured for inserting contact information related to the first user into the second database of the first wireless communication device;

a processor configured for providing an interface for the first user to edit the contact information related to the first user stored in the first database;

a processor configured for updating contact information related to the first user in the first database;

a processor configured for providing an interface for the second user to wirelessly access the updated contact information related to the first user, the second user accesses the changed information related to the first user using the user identifier of the first user; and

a processor configured for synchronizing contact information in the second database with contact information contained in the first database such that the first and second databases contain the same contact information relating to the first user.

16. The contact information management system of claim 15, wherein the processor configured for inserting contact information related to the first user into the second database of the first wireless communication device is further configured for automatically transferring the user identifier of the first user to the first wireless communication device during a communication from the first user.

17. The contact information management system of claim 15, wherein the processor configured for providing an interface for a second user to access the first database is further configured for providing an interface to manually enter the user identifier of the first user into the first wireless communication device.

18. The contact information management system of claim 15, further comprising a processor for assigning the user identifier to the first user by subscribing to a wireless service provider where the wireless service provider assigns the user identifier to the first user by accessing the first database.

19. The contact information management system of claim 15, further comprising a processor for enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a wireless network using a second wireless communication device to edit the information related to the first user stored in the first database.

20. The contact information management system of claim 15 further comprising:

a processor configured for storing an authorized access list with the contact information for the first user in the first database, the authorized access list containing a list of users having authorized access to the information for the first user, and;

a processor configured for determining whether the second user is on the authorized access list for the first user.

21. The contact information management system of claim 15, further comprising a processor configured for enabling the first user to access the remote computer over a network using a first network computer to edit the information related to the first user stored in the first database.