Method and system for controlled distribution of information over a network

• US 10,250,672 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheah, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stitt, Erik V
• Application Number:
  US13/612,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20130262577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 715810, 715764, 715760
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An information management and distribution system is disclosed. The information management and distribution system includes a client-side application and a server application that interact to facilitate the controlled exchange of contact information over a network. The client-side application can provide creation and design, rolodex, exchange, and update features. The information management and distribution system can also include a corporate administrator application. Still another aspect of the invention is that contact information can be distributed to registered users in a common format.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, receiving a request from a user for a profile page associated with the information management and distribution system, the profile page permitting the user to supply information about the user that may be shared with other users of the information management and distribution system;

by the one or more computer servers, after sending the profile page to the user, receiving profile information for the user that was entered into the profile page;

by the one or more computer servers, in response to receiving the profile information and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system, generating a personal identifier, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with the user;

by the one or more computer servers, storing the personal identifier in association with the profile information for the user; and

by the one or more computer servers, sending the personal identifier to a client device of the user in association with a response to the request-request; and

by the one or more computer servers, receiving the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users of the information management and distribution system;

wherein the response comprises information to download an application to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response comprises a web page.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the client device of the user, the request comprising the personal identifier, the request being related to a user event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user event comprises business card creation, rolodex operations, exchange operations, or update operations.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the request related to the user event was received at a website of the information management and distribution system, the request further comprising a password.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the request related to the user event was sent by a client-side application.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the request related to the user event comprises a user profile for the user.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving second profile information for the user;

creating a second profile for the user, the second profile comprising the second profile information; and

associating the second profile with the personal identifier for the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identifier is based on an email address for the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identifier is a unique number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the personal identifier comprises sending a file including the personal identifier to the client device of the user for local storage on the client device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining that the profile information is acceptable.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user profile for the user based on the profile information.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending the user profile to the client device of the user.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a request from a user for a profile page associated with an information management and distribution system, the profile page permitting the user to supply information about the user that may be shared with other users of the information management and distribution system;

after sending the profile page to the user, receive profile information for the user that was entered into the profile page;

in response to receiving the profile information and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system, generate a personal identifier, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with the user;

store the personal identifier in association with the profile information for the user; and

send the personal identifier to a client device of the user in association with a response to the request; and

receive the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users of the information management and distribution system;

wherein the response comprises information to download an application to the client device.

16. The media of claim 15, the software being further operable to:

receive a request from the client device of the user, the request comprising the personal identifier, the request being related to a user event comprising business card creation, rolodex operations, exchange operations, or update operations.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors associated with an information management and distribution system; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a request from a user for a profile page associated with the information management and distribution system, the profile page permitting the user to supply information about the user that may be shared with other users of the information management and distribution system;

after sending the profile page to the user, receive profile information for the user that was entered into the profile page;

in response to receiving the profile information and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system, generate a personal identifier, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with the user;

store the personal identifier in association with the profile information for the user; and

send the personal identifier to a client device of the user in association with a response to the request; and

receive the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users of the information management and distribution system;

wherein the response comprises information to download an application to the client device.

18. The system of claim 17, the processors being further operable to:

receive a request from the client device of the user, the request comprising the personal identifier, the request being related to a user event comprising business card creation, rolodex operations, exchange operations, or update operations.

19. The system of claim 17, the processors being further operable to:

determine that the profile information is acceptable;

generate a first user profile for the user based on the profile information; and

send the first user profile to the client device of the user.

20. The system of claim 17, the processors being further operable to:

receive second profile information for the user;

create a second profile for the user, the second profile comprising the second profile information; and

associate the second profile with the personal identifier for the user.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein a first expanded PID provides a reference to the first user profile and a second expanded PID provides a reference to the second user profile.