System and method for controlled access to up-to-date contact information

• US 8,423,642 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Inventors: Shrinivasan, Sridhar, Nangamangalam, Subhasree K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/312,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/225, 709/219, 707/1, 705/78, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a recipient'"'"'s access to a user'"'"'s information. The method includes receiving a plurality of contact information, registration information and access information from the user. Only person'"'"'s knowing the user'"'"'s registration information can update the contact and access information of the user. The contact information entered by a user is about that user. The access information defines accessible sets of contact information to be made accessible to recipients. A telephone exchange is associated with each recipient; and a local server is associated with each telephone exchange. The accessible set of information is stored in the local server for access by the recipient. The system handles updates to information on the local servers when a user updates their contact information. The system can automatically place calls for a recipient to a user that has granted the recipient access to a number for communicating with the user.

Claims

1. A system for selectively enabling access to a first user'"'"'s personal information, wherein said system comprises:

memory for storing said first user'"'"'s information and for storing a plurality of programmatic instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause said system to;

electronically receive an instruction from said first user to assign a second user, from among a plurality of users, to a first category, and in response to said instruction, assign said second user to said first category;

electronically receive an instruction from said first user to assign a third user, from said plurality of users, to a second category different than said first category

and in response to said instruction, assign said third user to said second category;

based upon said first category, permit said second user to access a first amount of the first user'"'"'s personal information including a first information item about the first user;

based upon said second category, permit said third user to access a second amount of the first user'"'"'s personal information, wherein said first amount is different than said second amount and does not include said first information item about the first user;

detecting a change of said first information item to an updated first information item;

finding a second set of users, including said second user, who have said access to said first information item about the first user;

updating local computers that are associated with said second set of users, without updating other local computers that are not associated with said second set of users, including updating a first local computer associated with said second user and not updating a second local computer associated with said third user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said assigning of the second user to the first category is performed by electronically storing an identity of said second user in relation to said first category.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said local computers are associated with exchanges from the users'"'"' telephone numbers.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second user is not permitted to access the second amount of the first user'"'"'s personal information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system further permits the first user to update the first user'"'"'s information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system further permits the second user to change the first information by receiving changes to the first information from the second user, verifying that the second user has change authority to change the first information associated with the first user, and allowing changes by said second user only when verifying that the second user has the change authority to change the first information.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system does not permit the third user to access said updated first user'"'"'s information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system permits the first

user to define which of said first user'"'"'s personal information is accessible by users assigned to said first category and said second category finding the second set of users comprises searching for all users who have set access to said first information, and finding if any of said users who have said access to said first information are non-updated recipients who have not received on said updated first information item.

9. A system for selectively enabling a second user access to a first user'"'"'s personal information, wherein said system comprises memory for storing said first user'"'"'s information and for storing a plurality of programmatic instructions, wherein said instructions comprise:

instructions for electronically assigning the second user to a first group that has access to first information about the first user;

instructions for electronically assigning other users to a second group that does not have access to first information about the first user but has access to other information about the first user; and

instructions for permitting said second user to access information associated with said first group and for not permitting said second user from accessing information associated with said second group;

instructions for detecting a change of a first information item in said first users personal information to updated first information;

finding a second set of users, including said second user, who are assigned to said first group that has access to said first information item about the first user;

updating local computers that are associated with said second set of users, without updating other local computers that are not associated with said second set of users, including updating a first local computer associated with said second user and not updating a second local computer associated with a third user who is one of said other users.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said local computers are associated with exchanges from the users'"'"' telephone numbers.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the other users are not permitted to access the information associated with said first group.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said instructions to change the first information comprises receiving changes to the first information from the first user.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions to change the first information comprises receiving changes to the first information from another user other than the first user, verifying that the another user has change authority to change the first information associated with the first user, and allowing changes by said another user only when verifying that the another user has the change authority to change the first information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein, finding the second set of users comprises searching for all users who have access to said first information, and finding if any of said users who have said access to said first information are non-updated recipients who have not received the updated first information.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system permits the first user to define which of said first user'"'"'s personal information is accessible by users assigned to said first group and said second group.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein, when the plurality of programmatic instructions are executed by one or more processors, the system transmits, over a communications network, a first portion of said first user'"'"'s information to said second user in accordance a HyperText Transfer Protocol.

17. A method for managing information exchanges comprising:

storing in a memory associated with a computer personal information of a first member;

for at least a portion of the personal information, storing a relationship definition required for another member to access the portion of personal information, wherein a second member is not allowed to access the portion of personal information if the second member does not have said relationship with the first member; and

b. storing a degree of separation required for another member to contact the first member through the computer system, wherein the second member is not allowed to contact the first member through the computer system if the second member is separated from the first member by more than the stored degree of separation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a second profile of the first member to a third member of an online social network who is not connected to the first member within the online social network, wherein the second profile comprises a subset of the user profile.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the second member is separated from the first member by less than or equal to the degree of separation required for another member to contact the first member, providing an interface to the second member for sending a message to the first member through the computer system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the message is sent via e-mail or text message.

21. A server computer system comprising:

a processor and memory that store information about multiple different users,

said memory storing personal information about a first user and assignment information indicating which other users have access to different subsets of said personal information about said first user, where said assignment information includes first assignment information assigning a second user to a first group of users that has access to first information about the first user, and second assignment information assigning other users to a second group of users that does not have access to first information about the first user but has access to other information about the first user;

said processor programmed for allowing users access to said personal information about said first user based on said assignment information, where said second user is allowed access to said first information about the first user and said other users assigned to the second group are not allowed access to said first information,

said processor programmed for detecting a change of said first information to updated first information and responsive to detecting the change, finding the first group of users, including said second user, that have access to said first information about the first user and operating to update local computers that are associated with said first group of users, without updating other local computers that are not associated with said first group of users, including updating a first local computer associated with said second user and not updating at least one second local computer assigned to the second group are not allowed access to said first information.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said local computers are associated with exchanges from users'"'"' telephone numbers.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is programmed to change the first information to the updated first information by receiving changes to the first information from the first user.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is programmed to change the first information to the updated first information by receiving changes to the first information from another user other than the first user, verifying that the another user has access to information to change the first information associated with the first user, and allowing said another user to change the first information to the updated first information.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is programmed to find the first group of users by searching for all users who have said access to said first information, and finding if any of said users who have said access to said first information are non-updated recipients who have not received said updated first information.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is programmed to find the first group of users by searching for all users who have said access to said first information, and finding if any of said users who have said access to said first information are non-updated recipients who have not received said updated first information.

27. A server computer system comprising:

a processor and memory that store information about multiple different users,

said memory storing personal information about a first user and assignment information indicating which users have access to different subsets of said personal information about said first user, said assignment information including first assignment information assigning a second user to a first group that has access to first information about the first user, and second assignment information assigning other users other than said second user to a second group that does not have access to first information about the first user but has access to other information about the first user;

said processor programmed for allowing users access to said personal information about said first user based on said assignment information, where said second user is allowed access to said first information about the first user and said other users are not allowed access to said first information,

wherein the processor is programmed to update the first information to updated first information by receiving changes to the first information from another user other than the first user, verifying that the another user has change access information to change the first information associated with the first user, and allowing said another user to change the first information to the updated first information, only if the user has said change access information.

28. The server computer system as in claim 27, wherein said processor is programmed for detecting a change of said first information to updated first information and responsive to detecting the change, finding a second set of users, including said second user, who are assigned to said first group that has access to said first information about the first user and operating to update local computers that are associated with said second set of users, without updating other local computers that are not associated with said second set of users, including updating a first local computer associated with said second user and not updating a second local computer associated with a third user who does not have access to said first information about said first user.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said local computers are associated with exchanges from the users'"'"' telephone numbers.