Method and apparatus for updating information stored in multiple information handling systems

• US 7,587,596 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Kamper, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, DARREN B
• Application Number:
  US11/064,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713168-170, 713/175, 726/2, 726/26, 726/27, 726/29, 726/30
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A networked system includes multiple information handling systems (IHSs) that store personal user information such as name and contact information. The networked system automatically updates personal user information when one IHS communicates with another IHS. A first IHS stores personal user information associated with a first IHS user. A second IHS also stores the first user'"'"'s personal information. The first IHS sends a first user information update to the second IHS if the first IHS determines that the first user information on the second IHS is not current. A digital certificate accompanies the update to indicate the authenticity of the information update to the second IHS.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of updating electronic address books stored in a plurality of information handling systems (IHSs), the method comprising:

storing, by a first memory of a first IHS that is operable by a first user, first user address book information that is related to the first user;

storing, by a second memory of a second IHS, the first user address book information, the second IHS being operable by a second user;

determining, by an update agent application in the first memory of the first IHS, if the first user address book information stored in the second memory of second IHS is current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS;

in response to the first user address book information stored in the second memory of the second IHS being determined to be not current, updating by the update agent application in the first memory of the first IHS the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS, wherein the updating includes transmitting over a network, by the first IHS, current first user address book information to the second IHS, wherein the updating further includes transmitting, by the first IHS, a digital certificate with the current first user address book information to the second IHS;

checking, by the second IHS, the digital certificate to determine if the transmitted current first user address book information is valid;

rejecting, by the second IHS, the transmitted current first user address book information if the transmitted current first user address book information is invalid;

providing, by a display of the second IHS, an indication that the transmitted current first user address book information is valid;

querying via the display of the second IHS, by the second IHS, the second IHS user to accept or reject the valid transmitted current first user address book information,

storing, by the second memory of the second IHS, third user address book information of a third IHS, the third user address book information including an indication of whether or not the third user address book information is sharable with other than the second user of the second IHS; and

transmitting over the network, by the second IHS, the third user address book information to the first user address book application in the first IHS, if the second IHS determines that third user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS is not current and the second IHS also determines that the third user address book information in the second IHS indicates that the third user address information is sharable, thus forwarding third user address book information by the second IHS to the first IHS.

2. A networked system comprising:

a first IHS that stores first user address book information in a first memory of the first IHS, the first IHS being operable by a first user;

a second IHS that stores the first user address book information and second user address book information in a second memory of the second IHS, the second IHS being operable by a second user;

a third IHS that stores third user address book information in a third memory of the third IHS, the first memory of the first IHS and the second memory of the second IHS also storing the third user address book information; and

a network infrastructure coupling the first, second and third IHSs together, wherein the first IHS includes an update agent that updates the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS if the first IHS determines that the first user address book information stored in the second memory of the second IHS is not current with respect to the first user address book information stored in first memory of the first IHS, the update agent of the first IHS being configured to transmit via the network the current first user address book information and a digital certificate to the second IHS;

wherein the second IHS is configured to check the digital certificate to determine if the transmitted current first user address book information is valid, the second IHS being configured to reject the transmitted current first user address book information if the transmitted current first user address book information is invalid, the second IHS being further configured to provide by a display of the second IHS an indication that the transmitted current first user address book information is valid, the second IHS being further configured to query via the display of the second IHS the second IHS user to accept or reject the valid transmitted current first user address book information

the second IHS being further configured to store the third user address book information, the third user address book information including an indication of whether or not the third user address book information is sharable with other than the second user of the second IHS;

the second IHS being further configured to transmit over the network the third user address book information to the first user address book application in the first IHS, if the second IHS determines that third user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS is not current and the second IHS also determines that the third user address book information in the second IHS indicates that the third user address information is sharable, thus forwarding third user address book information by the second IHS to the first IHS.

3. A computer program product stored on a computer operable storage medium for updating user address book information, the computer program product comprising:

instructions that store, by a first memory of a first IHS, first user address book information that is related to a first user, the first IHS being operable by the first user;

instructions that store, by a second memory of a second IHS, the first user address book information, the second IHS being operable by a second user;

instructions in the first memory of the first IHS that determine if first user address book information stored in a second memory of the second IHS is current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS;

instructions in the first memory of the first IHS that update the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS if the first user address book information stored in the second memory of the second IHS is determined to be not current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first IHS, wherein the instructions that update the second IHS include instructions that transmit over a network, by the first IHS, current first user address book information to the second IHS, wherein the instructions that update the second IHS further include instructions that transmit over the network, by the first IHS, a digital certificate with current first user address book information to the second IHS;

instructions that check, by the second IHS, the digital certificate to determine if the transmitted current first user address book information is valid;

instructions that reject, by the second IHS, the transmitted current first user address book information if the transmitted current first user address book information is invalid;

instructions that provide to a display, by the second IHS, an indication that the transmitted current first user address book information is valid; and

instructions that query via the display of the second IHS, by the second IHS, the second IHS user to accept or reject the valid transmitted current first user address book information;

instructions that store, by the second memory of the second IHS, third user address book information of a third IHS, the third user address book information including an indication of whether or not the third user address book information is sharable with other than the second user of the second IHS; and

instructions that transmit over the network, by the second IHS, the third user address book information to the first IHS, if the second IHS determines that third user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS is not current and the second IHS also determines that the third user address book information in the second IHS indicates that the third user address information is sharable, thus forwarding third user address book information by the second IHS to the first IHS.