Method and system for storing and distributing social and business contact information online

• US 8,370,482 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shustef, Yevgeniy
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/627,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An information management and distribution method and system for updating contact information over a network. A plug-in associated with a cloud-based back-end unit interacts with a Web application. A virtual card comprising a set of pluggable user interface components associated with the plug-in can be displayed in a user interface associated with the Web application. The contact information with respect to a user can be updated and automatically distributed to other users associated with the Web application that is configured with the virtual card plug-in module. The back-end unit can be employed to keep track of the contact information in a database and provide management functions associated with the data via a Web services application programming interface. A hard copy version of the virtual card can also be rendered utilizing a variable data composition engine and a rendering technology.

Claims

1. An information management and distribution method, said method comprising:

associating a plug-in with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network, wherein said network comprises a social network or a business network;

configuring a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in, wherein said virtual card is configurable with a tagged intent of said virtual card and said tagged intent is communicated across said network;

providing a rating indicative of services associated with said profile data to identify a potential customer; and

updating said profile data with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application, wherein said network application is configured with said plug-in.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a database with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network; and

configuring said back-end unit to track said profile data in said database and manage said profile data via an application programming interface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said updated profile data in a database associated with said back-end unit.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a hard copy of said virtual card associated with said profile data utilizing a variable data composition engine and a rendering mechanism, wherein said rendering mechanism and said variable data composition engine communicate with one another.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising authorizing at least one user among said plurality of users to access said virtual card and edit and update said profile data.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a tag with respect to said profile data associated with said virtual card; and

marking said virtual card for ease of search and retrieval of said profile data, including said updated profile data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring said profile data to comprise at least one of the following types of data:

social contact data; and

business contact data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said network application comprises at least one of the following types of applications:

a social networking Web application; and

a business networking Web application.

9. An information management and distribution system, said system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor;

a computer-usable non-transitory storage medium storing computer program code, said computer program code comprising program instructions executable by said processor;

a plug-in associated with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network, wherein said network application comprises a social network or a business network;

a user interface associated with said network application;

a rating module for providing a rating indicative of services associated with said profile data in order to identify a potential customer; and

a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in, wherein said virtual card is configurable with a tagged intent of said virtual card and said tagged intent is communicated across said network, wherein said profile data is updated with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application, wherein said network application is configured with said plug-in.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a database associated with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network, wherein said back-end unit tracks said profile data in said database and manages said profile data via an application programming interface.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a database for storing said updated profile data, wherein said database is associated with said back-end unit.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a variable data composition engine; and

a rendering mechanism that communicates electronically with said variable data composition engine, wherein a hard copy of said virtual card associated with said profile data is rendered utilizing said variable data composition engine and said rendering mechanism.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a module for authorizing at least one user among said plurality of users to access said virtual card and edit and update said profile data.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a tag with respect to said profile data associated with said virtual card; and

a marker for marking said virtual card for ease of search and retrieval of said profile data, including said updated profile data.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said profile data comprises at least one of the following types of data:

social contact data; and

business contact data.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein said network application comprises at least one of the following types of applications:

a social networking Web application; and

a business networking Web application.

17. An information management and distribution system, said system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to said processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for automatically;

associating a plug-in with a back-end unit to interact with a network application for distributing profile data over a network, wherein said network application communicates with said network, wherein said network comprises a social network;

configuring a virtual card comprising a plurality of pluggable interface components associated with said plug-in, wherein said virtual card is configurable with a tagged intent of said virtual card and said tagged intent is communicated across said network;

updating said profile data with respect to a particular user in order to generate updated profile data from said profile data and thereafter automatically distribute said updated profile data to a plurality of users associated with said network application;

providing a rating indicative of services associated with said profile data to identify a potential customer; and

configuring said network application with said plug-in.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said instructions are further configured for:

associating a database with said network, wherein said database communicates with said network; and

configuring said back-end unit to track said profile data in said database and manage said profile data via an application programming interface.