Contact information management

• US 7,925,620 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyoungsoo Yoon
• Original Assignee: Hyoungsoo Yoon
• Inventors: Yoon, Hyoungsoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz; Belix M
• Application Number:
  US11/834,012
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.2, 707/609, 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, a system, and an apparatus for storing, retrieving, and sharing business or personal contact information on one or more servers on a computer network. A set of contact information (e.g., for a single individual) is given an identity, called contact entity, and it is managed through the system-wide unique identifier. Same contact entity is shared by one or more users with proper permission settings in the system. Contact entities can be searched and retrieved based on degrees of separations or other criteria. The social networking relationship may be established through use of certain electronic or physical tokens. In one embodiment, a business card is used to define a contact entity and/or it is used as (a medium for transmitting) a networking/connecting token.

Claims

1. A method for managing contact data for a plurality of users, the method to be implemented on a data processing system, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of contact information, said database comprising a plurality of contact entities, said plurality of contact entities comprising a plurality of public contact entities and a plurality of private contact entities, said plurality of public contact entities comprising a first public contact entity and a second public contact entity, said first public contact entity being distinct from said second public contact entity, said plurality of private contact entities comprising a first private contact entity, wherein said first public contact entity is associated with a first unique identifier on the data processing system, wherein said second public contact entity is associated with a second unique identifier on the data processing system, said first unique identifier being different from said second unique identifier, and wherein said database further comprising a plurality of contact lists, each public contact entity from said plurality of public contact entities being included in at least one contact list from said plurality of contact lists, each private contact entity from said plurality of private contact entities being included in one and only one contact list from said plurality of contact lists;

maintaining a list of users, said list including a first user and a second user, said first user being distinct from said second user, said first user being associated with a contact list from said plurality of contact lists, wherein said contact list includes said first public contact entity and said first private contact entity;

receiving, from said first user, a request to add, to said contact list, contact data of said second user;

searching, in said database, for at least one contact entity that comprises said contact data; and

updating, based on said searching, said contact list, wherein said updating comprises, if said at least one contact entity is found in said database and if said at least one contact entity comprises said second public contact entity, adding said second public contact entity to said contact list, and wherein said updating comprises, if said at least one contact entity is not found in said database, creating a second private contact entity in said database and adding said second private contact entity to said contact list, wherein said second private contact entity comprises said contact data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said first public contact entity comprises a contact data part and an additional data part, wherein said additional data part includes at least one of (a) shared comments, (b) personal annotations, or (c) ratings of said second user.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

second updating, in response to a request by said second user, one of (a) said second public contact entity or (b) said second private contact entity, if said second user has permission to modify said contact data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said second updating comprises creating a new version of one of (a) said second public contact entity or (b) said second private contact entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said adding said second public contact entity to said contact list comprises associating a reference to said second public contact entity with said contact list.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

updating said second public contact entity to create an updated public contact entity, whereby the updated public contact entity is viewable by said first user.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, from said first user, a first request to update said first public contact entity, wherein said first public contact entity comprises first contact data of said first user;

updating, in response to said receiving said first request, said first public contact entity; and

enabling a third user from said list of users to access said first public contact entity, said third user being distinct from said first user.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, from said first user, a first request to create a new private contact entity, said first request comprising first contact data, said first contact data corresponding to a third user from said list of users, said third user being distinct from said first user;

creating, in response to said receiving said first request, a third private contact entity in said database, said third private contact entity comprising said first contact data; and

adding said third private contact entity to said contact list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said list of users includes a third user, said third user being distinct from said first user, said third user being distinct from said second user, and wherein said first private contact entity comprises contact data of said third user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each public contact entity from said plurality of public contact entities is associated with a category, and wherein said database is searchable based on categories.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said updating comprises, if said at least one contact entity is found in said database, said at least one contact entity comprising a third public contact entity, said at least one contact entity comprising a fourth public contact entity, said third public contact entity being distinct from said fourth public contact entity, (a) choosing, in response to a user input, a contact entity at least from said third public contact entity and said fourth public contact entity, and (b) adding the chosen contact entity to said contact list.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, from a third user in said list of users, a first request to view said first public contact entity, wherein said first request comprises data including said first unique identifier.

13. A data processing system for contact information management, the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with said processor, said memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform a method for managing contact data for a plurality of users, the method comprising;

maintaining a database of contact information, said database comprising a plurality of contact entities, said plurality of contact entities comprising a plurality of public contact entities and a plurality of private contact entities, said plurality of public contact entities comprising a first public contact entity and a second public contact entity, said first public contact entity being distinct from said second public contact entity, said plurality of private contact entities comprising a first private contact entity, wherein said first public contact entity is associated with a first unique identifier on the data processing system, wherein said second public contact entity is associated with a second unique identifier on the data processing system, said first unique identifier being different from said second unique identifier, and wherein said database further comprising a plurality of contact lists, each public contact entity from said plurality of public contact entities being included in at least one contact list from said plurality of contact lists, each private contact entity from said plurality of private contact entities being included in one and only one contact list from said plurality of contact lists;

maintaining a list of users, said list including a first user and a second user, said first user being distinct from said second user, said first user being associated with a contact list from said plurality of contact lists, wherein said contact list includes said first public contact entity and said first private contact entity;

receiving, from said first user, a request to add, to said contact list, contact data of said second user;

searching, in said database, for at least one contact entity that comprises said contact data; and

updating, based on said searching, said contact list, wherein said updating comprises, if said at least one contact entity is found in said database and if said at least one contact entity comprises said second public contact entity, adding said second public contact entity to said contact list, and wherein said updating comprises, if said at least one contact entity is not found in said database, creating a second private contact entity in said database and adding said second private contact entity to said contact list, wherein said second private contact entity comprises said contact data.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein:

said first public contact entity comprises a contact data part and an additional data part, wherein said additional data part includes at least one of (a) shared comments, (b) personal annotations, or (c) ratings of said second user.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

second updating, in response to a request by said second user, one of (a) said second public contact entity or (b) said second private contact entity, if said second user has permission to modify said contact data.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein:

said second updating comprises creating a new version of one of (a) said second public contact entity or (b) said second private contact entity.

17. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein:

said adding said second public contact entity to said contact list comprises associating a reference to said second public contact entity with said contact list.

18. The data processing system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

updating said second public contact entity to create an updated public contact entity, whereby the updated public contact entity is viewable by said first user.

19. The data processing system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

receiving, from said first user, a first request to update said first public contact entity, wherein said first public contact entity comprises first contact data of said first user;

updating, in response to said receiving said first request, said first public contact entity; and

enabling a third user from said list of users to access said first public contact entity, said third user being distinct from said first user.

20. The data processing system of claim 13, the method further comprising:

receiving, from said first user, a first request to create a new private contact entity, said first request comprising first contact data, said first contact data corresponding to a third user from said list of users, said third user being distinct from said first user;

creating, in response to said receiving said first request, a third private contact entity in said database, said third private contact entity comprising said first contact data; and

adding said third private contact entity to said contact list.