Crossing paths notification service

Details Crossing paths notification service Crossing paths notification service

1999-07-07

2004-03-30

Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 3623)

Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co

Automated electrical financial or business practice or...

Health care management

C705S005000, C705S006000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06714916

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates generally to computer software used to manage contact information-such as mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and birthdays—and to a method for assisting users in determining when they will be in the same vicinity as their contacts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Several types of prior art for managing contact information exist, including Personal Information Management software applications, Groupware Applications, and Internet-based “White Pages” and e-mail services.
Personal Information Management Software. As represented generally in
FIG. 1
, in a typical prior art Personal Information Management (PIM) software application (e.g., Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook, or U.S. Robotics Palm Pilot), a PIM software application
120
,
124
that stores contact information in a database resides on a workstation or handheld computer
100
having a central processing unit
102
, a display
108
, a keyboard and/or mouse
110
, a primary memory
104
(e.g., random access memory) for program execution, a secondary memory
106
(e.g., a hard disc) for program storage, and peripheral devices
112
. As is well known, programs, such as the PIM software
120
, are executed in the RAM
104
by the CPU
102
under control of the operating system software
122
,
126
.
In the prior art, users themselves enter the contact information that they want to store in the PIM software. A variety of methods exist for entering this contact information. It may be entered manually using the keyboard, imported from an existing file on their computer, or imported via a peripheral device such as a business card scanner. The defining characteristic of this class of prior art is that the input of the contact information is performed by the user of the software and, when the information changes, the user must modify the information himself. What this class of prior art lacks is a means for information to be shared between multiple users and a means for a given user to post changes to his own information for the benefit of others.
Groupware Applications. As generally represented in
FIG. 2
, in a typical prior art Groupware application.(e.g., Lotus Notes), a user workstation
160
accesses information stored on a central server computer
130
over a computer network
150
, such as a Local Area Network or Intranet. The server system consists of a central processing unit
132
, a primary memory
134
(e.g., random access memory) for program execution, a secondary storage device
136
(e.g., a hard disc) for program storage, and a modem
138
or other device for connecting to the computer network. The user workstation
160
is the same as the user workstation
100
described in reference to
FIG. 1
with the addition of a modem
162
or other device for connecting to the computer network. The file server or database contains data files
148
that can be accessed only by authorized users. The user uses client software
174
,
176
running on the user workstation
160
to access the files
148
under the mediation of server software
140
,
144
running on the server
130
.
Typically, in such a system a central system administrator organizes users into classes and the creator of a file
148
determines what classes of users may view the file. The rules governing which individual users or classes of users have the authorization to view a particular file
148
may be stored as part of the file itself. Alternatively, these rules are based upon the hierarchical directory structure of the file server in which the file is stored. That is, a particular user may view files in one directory but not another.
FIG. 3
represents a common deployment of a contact management system based on Groupware. Each user enters information
202
about himself and specifies a set of permissions
204
that define what classes of users are able to view various pieces of the information
202
. What this deployment of the prior art lacks is the ability to authorize viewing privileges on a user-by-user basis rather than on a class-by-class basis. For instance, a user Would be able to grant access to his home phone number
206
to the Human Resources department of his employer (e.g., Class A) while denying access to the same information to his co-workers (e.g., Class C). The user would not be able to give access to his home phone number selectively to a first co-worker while denying it to a second co-worker if both co-workers were part of the same class of users as organized by the central system administrator. Furthermore, such a system would lack a practical notification methodology. There would be no way for a user to specify “notify me when the first co-worker changes his information but not when the second co-worker changes his information.”
Internet-Based “White Pages” and E-Mail Directory Services. In a typical prior art “white pages” or e-mail service, client computers and a server computer are connected via the World Wide Web as depicted in
FIG. 4. A
user subscribes to a White Pages or E-Mail service via a client computer
270
operating a web browser
282
or other software application residing in memory
274
that allows it to display information downloaded from a server computer
230
over the World Wide Web
260
. The server computer system accesses a database
240
containing contact information entered by registered users. The service enables users to view contact information entered by other users. The authorization scheme may allow all users to limit certain classes of users from viewing certain parts of their user record as represented in FIG.
3
. However, there are no linkages between individual users and thus users cannot restrict the viewing of their information on a user-by-user basis. Furthermore, users cannot be notified when information for particular users has changed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a computer-network-based contact management system that allows members to create and maintain contact with other members and determine on a person-by-person basis what information to share or withhold. The system is based on a relational database scalable to millions of users that resides on a server computer.
The invention was developed shortly after the advent of the World Wide Web, which promoted millions of people worldwide to connect their computers with a standard protocol, a phenomenon which made the invention practical and beneficial.
When a user becomes a member of the system, the member associates himself with any number of affinity groups and creates a data record for himself by entering information in specific data fields. Based on the affinity groups with which the user has associated himself, the system then informs the user of other members in the same groups and allows the user to establish a link to any of those members on an individual basis.
For each second user to which a first user has established a link, the second user can specify which data fields in his data record can be viewed by the first user. Each second user to which the first user has established a link is informed that a link has been established. The second user can in turn decide whether or not to establish a link to the first user. If the second user chooses to establish a link to the first user, he can specify which data fields in his personal data record can be viewed by the first user. In addition, each time a new user associates himself with a group with which an existing user has associated himself, the present invention informs the existing user that the new user has joined that group and allows the existing member to establish a link to the new user.
For each first user, the present invention maintains a database of information about the second users to whom the first user has established a link. The personal address book of the first user contains the information in the data fields that the second users have given the first user permission to view. Whenever a second user changes any information in any data field of his data record, the information in that field is autom

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