Electronic business card exchange system and method

• US 8,005,904 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Christopher C., Yokoyama, Keiichi, Fukuda, Makoto, Hara, Yoshiaki, Mori, Yasuhiko, Yagi, Fumiaki, Ramanathan, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US11/917,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 713/150, 705/50
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

To provide a user with better experience of cooperation between an electronic business card processing program and a communication program when exchanging electronic business cards. Electronic business cards are stored in a DB server, which is one of storages for a communication program, as well as an electronic business card local file. Thus, even if a PC is a company'"'"'s PC, for example, the electronic business cards can be viewed by accessing the DB server from another PC or the like outside an office. Further, the electronic business card processing program operates with the communication program as backend, however, the electronic business card processing program may not be installed on a PC in some cases. Even in such a case, the communication program alone can display received electronic business cards that are stored in the communication program local file on the screen of a display.

Claims

1. An electronic business card exchange system including a server and terminals comprising:

an electronic business card local file that is a first storage unit that is local to a first terminal for storing electronic business cards;

a communication program local file that is a second storage unit that is local to the first terminal for storing electronic business cards;

a display unit for displaying an electronic business card;

a communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit, the communication unit storing a received electronic business card in both the server and the first storage unit when the received electronic business card is not ciphered and wherein the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card when it is ciphered; and

an electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit, the electronic business card processing unit storing an electronic business card received via the communication unit in the second storage unit, the server and the first storage unit when the received business card is not ciphered and storing the received business card only in the second storage unit when the received business card is ciphered.

2. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

when the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit is determined to have been modified from the electronic business card already stored in the second storage unit, the communication unit transmits the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

and

the electronic business card processing unit stores the electronic business card having no authentication information added thereto received via the communication unit in the server and the first storage unit and the second storage unit.

3. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit ciphers the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit and transmits the electronic business card;

and

the electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.

4. The electronic business card exchange system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication unit transmits the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred by the electronic business card processing unit;

the electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.

5. A terminal that exchanges electronic business cards in an electronic business card exchange system, a plurality of the terminals and a server being connected via a communication network in the electronic business card exchange system, the terminal comprising:

an electronic business card local file that is a first local storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a communication program local file that is a second local storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards;

a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card;

a communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit, the communication unit storing a received electronic business card in the server and the first storage unit when the received electronic business card is not ciphered and wherein the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card when it is ciphered; and

an electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit, the electronic business card processing unit storing an electronic business card received via the communication unit in the second storage unit, the server and the first storage unit when the received business card is not ciphered and storing the received business card only in the second storage unit when the received business card is ciphered.

6. An electronic business card exchange method for an electronic business card exchange system including a server and a terminal having an electronic business card local file that is a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, a communication program local file that is a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, and a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card, the method comprising:

a first storage step of, when communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit is selected, storing by the communication unit a received electronic business card in the server and the first storage unit when the received electronic business card is not ciphered and wherein the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card when it is ciphered; and

a second storage step of, when electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit is selected, the electronic business card processing unit storing the electronic business card received via the communication unit in the second storage unit, the server and the first storage unit when the received business card is not ciphered and storing the received business card only in the second storage unit when the received business card is ciphered.

7. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of, if it is determined that the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit has been modified from the electronic business card already stored in the second storage unit, the communication unit transmitting the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

wherein at the second storage step, the electronic business card processing unit stores the electronic business card transmitted at the transmission step and received via the communication unit that has no authentication information added thereto in the server and the first storage unit, and the second storage unit.

8. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of the communication unit ciphering the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit and transmitting the electronic business card;

wherein at the first storage step, the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

at the second storage step, the electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.

9. The electronic business card exchange method according to claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission step of the communication unit transmitting the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred thereto by the electronic business card processing unit;

wherein at the first storage step, the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card; and

at the second storage step, the electronic business card processing unit stores the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.

10. A computer program product on a memory device for causing a computer to execute an electronic business card exchange method for an electronic business card exchange system including a server and a terminal having a communication unit, a electronic business card processing unit, an electronic business card local file that is a first storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, a communication program local file that is a second storage unit capable of storing electronic business cards, and a display unit capable of displaying an electronic business card, the computer program product comprising:

first program code for causing the communication unit to, when the communication unit for performing processing including transmission and reception of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit is selected, store the received electronic business card in the server and the first storage unit when the received electronic business card is not ciphered and wherein the communication unit does not store the received electronic business card when it is ciphered; and

second program code for causing electronic business card processing unit to, when the electronic business card processing unit for performing processing including production of an electronic business card and display of the electronic business card on the display unit is selected, store the electronic business card received via the communication unit in the second storage unit, the server and the first storage unit when the received business card is not ciphered and storing the received business card only in the second storage unit when the received business card is ciphered.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code for causing the communication unit to, if it is determined that the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit has been modified from the electronic business card already stored in the second storage unit, to transmit the electronic business card without adding authentication information thereto;

wherein the second program code causes the electronic business card processing unit to store the electronic business card transmitted by the third program code unit and received via the communication unit that has no authentication information added thereto in the server and the first storage unit, or in the second storage unit.

12. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code for causing the communication unit to cipher, by the electronic business card processing unit, the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit and transmit the same;

wherein the first program code causes the communication unit not to store the received electronic business card; and

the second program code causes the electronic business card processing unit to store the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.

13. The computer program product according to claim 10, further comprising:

third program code for causing the communication unit to transmit the electronic business card produced by the electronic business card processing unit after adding thereto information not to be transferred thereto by of the electronic business card processing unit;

wherein the first program code causes the communication unit not to store the received electronic business card; and

the second program code causes the electronic business card processing unit to store the received electronic business card in the second storage unit.