Contact information management methods and apparatus

• US 9,603,171 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Luft, Achim, Bienas, Maik
• Primary Examiner(s): Faragalla, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLIVER, GERALD L
• Application Number:
  US12/635,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,658 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 705/50, 705/14.64, 713/168, 713/169, 713/170
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlled and/or secure distribution of contact information. In one embodiment, transfers of contact information must be authorized by the affected party. The party distributing the contact data, the party receiving the contact data, and the party described by the contact data initiate a secure dialog to exchange contact data. Various embodiments also enable piecemeal authorization and transfer of contact information, allowing the affected party to control the portion of contact data transferred, as well as apply specific rule sets or templates. In one variant, the authorization and transfer process is optimized to reduce the number of transaction steps. Additionally, solutions for distributing contact information among larger groups of participants are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus associated with a first party that facilitates exchange of contact information among a plurality of parties, comprising:

a processing apparatus;

a computer readable apparatus having a non-transitory storage medium in data communication with the processing apparatus; and

a network interface in data communication with the processing apparatus;

wherein the non-transitory storage medium has at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing apparatus, cause the portable electronic apparatus to;

cause a second party to be contacted with a data transmission request transmitted via the network interface, the data transmission request comprising a request for a contact information associated with a third party;

process an authorization for the data transmission request received from the second party via the network interface, where the process is further configured to verify a digital signature of the second party at the portable electronic apparatus; and

when the verification of the digital signature of the second party is successful, transmit information to the third party that is configured to enable access for download retrieval of the contact information associated with the third party by the second party from the third party, only after the download retrieval has been authorized by the third party;

wherein the information configured to enable access for the download retrieval of the contact information associated with the third party comprises both (i) a digital signature from the first party that facilitates exchange of the contact information and (ii) the digital signature of the second party, that was verified by the first party.

2. The portable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display device adapted to display at least some information that relates to the received authorization; and

an input device in operative communication with the processing apparatus, the input device being configured to receive user inputs relating to the first party, and provide them to the at least one computer program for use in the transmission of the information that is configured to enable access.

3. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a cellular-enabled smartphone having a client application, and the network interface comprises a cellular air interface of the smartphone.

4. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least the authorization for the data transmission request received from the second party via the network interface, and transmission of information configured to enable access for download retrieval of the contact information associated with a device associated with the third party to at least the second party, are all performed substantially automatically and without user intervention.

5. The portable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the download retrieval of the contact information associated with the third party comprises a modification of the contact information by the third party.

7. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authorization message includes a digital signature used to authenticate the third party'"'"'s client device.

8. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the contact information is associated with the third party, who is neither the first party nor the second party.

9. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the request and the authorization message comprise an extensible markup language (XML)-based message.

10. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authorization message comprises at least one restriction, where the at least one restriction is configured to restrict transmission of at least a subset of the contact data.

11. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one restriction is specified by the third party.

12. The computer readable apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transmission of the third party'"'"'s contact information from the third party'"'"'s client device further comprises a modification of the contact information by the third party.

6. A computer readable apparatus having a non-transitory storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor, causes a second party'"'"'s client device to:

receive a data transmission request transmitted from a first party via a network interface, the data transmission request comprising a request for a contact information associated with a third party;

authorize the received data transmission request from the first party'"'"'s client device, where the received data transmission request requests permission to share a third party'"'"'s contact information with the second party'"'"'s client device; and

transmit an authorization message comprising a digital signature of the second party'"'"'s client device to the first party'"'"'s client device, where the authorization message is configured to allow the first party'"'"'s client device to share the third party'"'"'s contact information to at least the second party'"'"'s client device via a transmission of the third party'"'"'s contact information from the third party'"'"'s client device;

wherein the transmission of the third party'"'"'s contact information from the third party'"'"'s client device occurs responsive to an authorization of;

(i) a digital signature from the first party that facilitates exchange of the contact information and (ii) the digital signature of the second party that is verified by the first party.

13. A method for transmitting contact information of an affected party device to a consignee device, the method comprising:

receiving at the affected party device, a contact data transmission request from a consignor device, the contact data transmission request comprising at least a first digital signature associated with the consignee device and a second digital signature associated with the consignor device;

wherein the first digital signature indicates a successful authorization of the contact data transmission request by the consignee;

wherein the second digital signature indicates a successful verification of the contact data transmission request by the consignor;

verifying the first digital signature associated with the consignee device and the second digital signature associated with the consignor device; and

when the act of verifying is successful, (i) authorizing a transfer of the contact information of the affected party device and (ii) modifying the contact information, before transmitting the contact information of the affected party device to the consignee device from the affected party device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the affected party device, the consignee device, and the consignor device each comprises a portable device with each device being associated with a different user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the portable devices comprises a cellular-enabled smartphone having a client application and the receiving, verifying, and transmitting are each accomplished using a cellular air interface of the cellular-enabled smartphone.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least the acts of receiving, verifying, and transmitting of the contact information are performed substantially automatically.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising when the act of verifying is not successful, terminating the contact data transmission request from the consignor device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of modifying the contact information of the affected party comprises adding or deleting portions thereof.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of authorizing the transfer of the contact information of the affected party device comprises prompting a user of the affected party device to transfer the contact information.