Patent Publication Number: US-2003226886-A1

Title: Business card information management system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to business card information management systems and, more particularly, a business card information management system that allows management of a business card and a roll of company employees utilizing an Internet.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Attempts have been made to manage business cards in a physical method (for instance, a way of keeping business cards in a business card holder) to put the business cards in order or in an electronic fashion to put the business cards in order by inputting such information into a personal computer (for instance, by directly inputting business card information, such as names, names of companies, divisions/sections and titles or the like displayed in the business cards, respectively, through the use of an input means such as, a keyboard).  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is conceivable for the physical management method of the business cards to include various other methods in addition to the methods set forth above and, in any case, these methods suffer from a difficulty in that the larger the number of business cards, the more serious will be the effort for management (such as storing and updating, etc.).  
       [0006] Further, when utilizing the management method with the personal computer, the management of inputted data is achieved in an easier way than that achieved in the above-described physical management method. However, if a large number of business cards exist, an issue arises in that a difficulty is encountered in inputting data into the personal computer. Also, when updating with addition of other business cards, another issue results in that new information must be additionally inputted.  
       [0007] In order to address the above issues encountered in the business card management systems set forth above, a first aspect of the present invention provides a business card information management system for managing business card information using identifying information incidental to each business card, comprising a business card user computer including preparing means for preparing the business card information and transmitting means for transmitting prepared business card information, a server computer including receiving means for receiving the business card information from the business card user computer, identifying information preparing means for preparing identifying information different for each received business card information, storing means for storing the identifying information in compliance with the business card information, transmitting information for transmitting the identifying information to the business card user computer, business card information storage means for storing a plurality of the business card information, and retrieving means for retrieving business card information, corresponding to the identifying information, from the storage means, and a user computer available to communicate at least the identifying information and the business card information via the server computer and a network, wherein when the user computer transmits the identifying information to the server computer via the network, the retrieving means transmits business card information, corresponding to the identifying information, to the user computer while allowing transmitted business card information to be displayed over display means of the user computer.  
       [0008] With the business card information management system of the first aspect described above, merely inputting identifying information allocated to each business card enables the business card to be available, providing an ease of achieving management of business card information that would otherwise be troublesome in the related art practice.  
       [0009] A second aspect of the present invention concerns to a business card information management system related to the first aspect, with the user computer featuring to include an interlocking means that is available to execute a function interlocking with business card information.  
       [0010] With the business card information management system of the second aspect, the presence of the interlocking means enables business card information to be merged with various functions, resulting in an improvement in convenience for a user of the present system.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a business card information management system of an embodiment according to the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a general routine of the business card information management system.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a flowchart that is contiguous with that of FIG. 2.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is an illustrative representation of a screen of the business card information management system of the present invention.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is an illustrative representation of another screen of the business card information management system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0016] An embodiment of the present invention is described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a business card information management system  1  is comprised of a business card user computer  5  for use with a business card user  3 , a user computer  13  that is used with a user  11  provided with a service of the system  1 , a server computer  9  managed with a manager  7  of the present system  1 , and a network  15  through which these computers are connected to one another.  
     [0018] The business card user  3  may involve a group of a public party, an enterpriser, a corporation such as a company or the like and an individual or the like. The presently filed embodiment is described hereinafter in supposition that the business card user  3  includes the company. The server computer  9  collects business card information (for instance, a name of the company, an address, a relevant division or section, a title, TEL, FAX and E-male address, etc.) of the business card user  3  to be provided to a third party (i.e., the user  11  in the present example). The user computer  13  includes the computer  13  that is used with the user  11  who achieves arrangement and management of business card information  20 . Also, the business card user  3  may be connected to the network  15  via an intervening company (inclusive of a business card printing company and a roll publishing company, etc.)  4 .  
     [0019] Further, the network  15  is comprised of The INTERNET or LAN, etc. that enable the business card user  5 , the server computer  9  and the user computer  13  to mutually communicate with one another via the network  15 .  
     [0020] Furthermore, when transmitting and receiving information to and from the server computer  9 , the business card user  3  does not necessarily receive information in computer data and may obtain identifying information  27 , which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, using other communication means (such as a mail, etc.) to use the identifying information  27  when preparing own business card.  
     [0021] The business card user computer  5  includes an interface  17  that executes transmission and reception of computer data (for instance, business card information  20 , and identifying information  27  serving as data formed with a number or the like for identifying a person who has the business card  25 ), an identifying information memory  19  that stores identifying information  27  received via the interface  17 , a business card user information management section  21  that is formed with software that manages business card information (such as a name of a company in employment, a relevant division or section, a title, an address, a number of TEL, a number of FAX and a family make-up, etc.) of each person (an individual) in employment with the business card user (for instance, the company), and business card information database  23  that preserves business card information  20  of the individual belonging to the business card user  3 .  
     [0022] The individual belonging to the business card user  3  provides the own business card  25  with identifying information  27 , which is described hereinafter. Identifying information  27  may preferably take the form of data in, for instance, about 10 digits. Also, identifying information may further include a numeral, an alphabet and a symbol, etc. In such configuration, an improved security is obtained while taking convenience of inputting operation into consideration. Also, the identifying information  27  may take a form that has the alphabets and numerals printed on the business card  25  as shown in FIG. 1 and may take another alternative way in which identifying information  27  is stored in an IC chip prepared on the business card  25 , or identifying information  27  is shown using a barcode printed on the business card  25 .  
     [0023] The server computer  9  is comprised of an interface  29  that allows transmission and reception of computer data, business card information database  31  that preserves business card information  20  delivered from the business card user computer  5 , an identifying information memory  33  that stores identifying information  27  displayed over the business card  25  transmitted from the user computer  13 , a business card information retrieving section  35  that retrieves business card information  20 , in compliance with identifying information  27  displayed over the business card, from business card information database  31  by referring to identifying information  27  displayed over the business card  25 , a business card memory  37  that temporarily stores retrieved business card information  20  to be transmitted to the user computer  13 , a publication information preparing section  39  that prepares, for instance, a roll of a company by referring to business card information  20  stored in business card database  31 , a publication information memory  41  that stores data such as the prepared roll of the company, and an identifying information preparing section  43  that prepares respective identifying information  27  with respect to business card information  20  transmitted from the business card computer  5 .  
     [0024] Business card information  20  that is received with the server computer  9  set forth above includes only information, among information stored in business card user information database  23  of the business card user computer  5 , that is authorized by the business card user  3 . Namely, the business card user  3  may be configured to be set such that the name of the company among, for instance, business card information  20  is authorized to be available for reading with no authorization for a display of the family make-up.  
     [0025] In the meantime, an out-sourcing center  45  acts as the server computer  9  to perform the same operation as that of the server computer  9 . This results in reduction in labor of a server management staff  7 .  
     [0026] The user computer  13  is comprised of an input and output section  49  for inputting identifying information  27 , displayed on the business card  25 , through a display unit  47 , an identifying information memory  51  that stores identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  which is inputted, an interface  53  that achieves transmission and reception of computer data (such as business card information  20  and identifying information  27 , etc.), a business card information memory  55  that stores business card information  20  to be downloaded from the server computer  9  responsive to identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25 , and a business card information management section  57  that implements management (for instance, to be provided over the display unit  47 ) of stored business card information  20 . Such operations can be performed with business card management software that is installed in the user computer  13 . Also, connected to the computer  13  is an input and output device  59 . The input and output device  59  includes a printer  61 , a telephone TEL  63  and a facsimile FAX  65 .  
     [0027] In the meantime, if business card information  20  stored in database  31  of the server computer  9  is updated, business card information  20  stored in the above-described business card information memory  55  is automatically downloaded to the business card information memory  55  of the user computer  13 . This enables the user  11  to regularly read the newest business card information with a range that is authorized by the business card user  3 .  
     [0028] Further, the business card information management system  1  includes an intervening company (inclusive of a business card printing company and a publisher, etc.)  4  that transmits business card information  20  to the server computer  9 , and an intervening company computer (inclusive of a business card printing company computer and a publisher computer)  6  installed in the intervening company  4 . With such configuration, if, for instance, the business card  25  is ordered to the business card printing company (the intervening company  4 ), business card information  20  is transmitted from the computer (the intervening computer  6 ) of the business card printing company to the server computer  9  for thereby enabling the business card  25  displayed with identifying information  27  to be prepared.  
     [0029] In a case where the intervening company  4  includes a publishing company, the server computer  9  is able to receive all of or a portion of business card information  20  from the business card user computer  5  via the publishing company. However, in such a case, business card information  20  does not necessarily need to be delivered through the network  15  as set forth above, but may be delivered through other medium.  
     [0030] Now, the basic sequence of operations of the business card information management system  1  with the structure set forth above is described in greater detail with reference to FIGS.  2  to  5 . FIG. 2 shows the sequential operations of the server computer  9  and the business card user computer  5 .  
     [0031] In step S 201 , discrimination is made to find out whether a contract related to information management exists between the business card user  3  who newly participates to the present system  1  and the server management party  7 . In the absence of the contract related to information management using the present system  1 , the operation is terminated. In contrast, in the presence of the contract related to information management, the flow is routed to step S 203 .  
     [0032] In step S 203 , the server computer  9  of the server management party  7  receives business card information (such as the name of the company, the address, the division or section, the title, the number of TEL, the number of FAX and E-mail address, etc.) of the individual who belongs to the business card user (for instance, the company or the like)  3  via the interface  29 . This business card information is stored in business card information database  31 .  
     [0033] In step S 205 , discrimination is made to find out whether all data (forming business card information  20 ) is received. If all data (forming business card information  20 ) is not received, the flow is routed back to step S 203  to continue the operation until all data is received. If it is discriminated that all data (forming business card information  20 ) is received, then the flow is routed to step S 207 .  
     [0034] In step S 207 , received identifying information  27  of each of individuals belonging to the business card user  3  (such as the company etc.)  3  is prepared with the identifying information preparing section  43 .  
     [0035] In step S 209 , discrimination is made to find out whether identifying information  27  of all of the individuals belonging to the business card user (such as the company, etc)  3  is prepared. If all of data (business card information  20 ) is not prepared, the flow is routed back to step S 207  to continue the operation until all of identifying information is prepared. When all of data (business card information  20 ) is prepared, the flow is routed to step S 211 .  
     [0036] In step S 211 , the server management party  7  transmits identifying information  27  to the enterpriser computer (the business card user computer)  5  via the server computer  9 .  
     [0037] In step S 213  and step  215 , the roll of the company is prepared by-referring to business card information  20  stored in business card information database  31 . Also, these steps are executed with the publication preparing section  39  set forth above.  
     [0038] In step S 215 , the resulting roll of the company is delivered to the user computer  13  on demand of the user  11 .  
     [0039] In step S 217 , identifying information  27  received with the business card user computer  5  is displayed over the business card  25  of each of the individuals (such as employees and executives). As such, identifying information  27  is displayed on the business card  25  of the individual.  
     [0040] In step S 219 , the individual business card user  3  uses the business card  25  displayed with identifying information  27 . As a result, the user  11  who received the business card  25  is enabled to manage business card information  20  based on identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25 .  
     [0041]FIG. 3 shows the basic sequence of operations of the user computer  13 .  
     [0042] In step S 301 , the user  11  receives the business card  25  displayed with identifying information  27 .  
     [0043] In step S 303 , the user  11  operates the input and output section  49  to input identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  by means of the display unit  47  of the user computer  13 .  
     [0044]FIG. 4 show a screen to enable the user  11  to input identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25 . This screen  401  is displayed upon execution of business card management software (with the business card management section  57 , etc.) preliminarily installed in the user computer  13 . The screen  401  includes an identifying information input column  403 , an input column for the enterpriser and an execution button  407 . That is, the user  11  having received the business card  25  inputs identifying information  27 , displayed on the business card  25 , into the identifying information input column  403  and clicks the execution button  407 . As a result, business card information  20  corresponding to identifying information  27  is downloaded to the user computer  13  from the server computer  9 . That is, merely inputting identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  allows business card information  20  of respective individuals to be obtained.  
     [0045] Further, here, when inputting the name of the enterpriser into the enterpriser name input column  405  and clicking the execution button  407 , the roll of the inputted enterpriser (such as the company, etc) is stored.  
     [0046] In step S 305 , discrimination is made to find whether inputted identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  is correct. If it is discriminated that inputted identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  is correct, the flow proceeds to step S 307 . If it is discriminated that inputted identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  is not correct, the flow is routed back to step S 303 . The system  1  is arranged to have a function such that in the absence of correct identifying information  27  even when, for instance, executing input operation is implemented a number of times in order to prevent an injustice, the operation is rendered inoperative.  
     [0047] In step S 307 , business card information  20  corresponding to identifying information  27  displayed on the business card  25  is delivered from the server computer  9 , and the user computer  13  receives this business card information  20 .  
     [0048] In step S 309 , business card information  20  is stored in business card memory  55 .  
     [0049] In step S 311 , the user  11  discriminates whether to utilize a business card reading function and a linking function (including a function to use the telephone and FAX by means of the system  1 ) associated with TEL/FAX, etc. When utilizing these services with the use of the system  1 , the flow is routed to step S 313 . If not, the flow is terminated.  
     [0050] In step S 313 , when the user reads the business card  25 , business card information  20  is displayed over the display unit  47 . As previously described, business card information  20  available to be read by the user  11  has a content that is preliminarily set by the business card user  5  to be available for reading.  
     [0051]FIG. 5 shows a screen  501  on which business card information  20  of the individuals is displayed. A table  503  displayed on the screen  501  involves an item  505  of a name, an item  507  of company name, an item  509  of a division or section, an item  511  of a title name, an item  513  of an address, an item  515  of TEL/FAX numbers, an item  517  of an E-mail address, and an item of a note. Here, for instance, when clicking the item  519  of the note for each individual, a note input screen  521  appears to be displayed. Upon operation of the user  11  to input a note content  523  via the note input screen  521 , the content is stored in correlation with business card information. This results in a capability of increasing a volume of accompanying information related to the individual.  
     [0052] In step S 315 , clicking the telephone number displayed on the display column of the individual associated with the item  515  of TEL/FAX allows the telephone to be connected.  
     [0053] In step S 317 , during execution of FAX communication; for instance, a front sheet or the like of FAX is printed out from a printer  61 . That is, when clicking the displayed FAX number, a FAX sheet described with the address, etc. is printed out from the printer  61 .  
     [0054] While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with various services associated with one another as set forth above, it is conceivable for the present invention to involve other services such as, for instance, a service for printing (for instance, implementing a print on a mail using a printing machine) address information (an address, a name of a company, a division/section, a name, etc.).  
     [0055] Also, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment set forth above and may take an appropriate alternation to carry out the present invention in an alternative embodiment.  
     [0056] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the present invention concerns to an advantage in that the presence of only an input of preliminarily set identifying information enables management of business card information to be performed on the terminal of the system  1 .  
     [0057] Upon realization of the above technology with an accompanying spread, the present invention has an advantage to provide a capability of providing associated services (for instance, a service for preparing a roll of the company, and a service to automatically starting up TEL, FAX and E-mail).  
     [0058] Further, business card information is transmitted to the server computer via the business card printing company, resulting in an advantage of an increase in a convenience for the business card user.  
     [0059] As previously described above, it is supposed that the business card user  3  may include, in addition to the party such as the company, an individual user. The use of the structure of the business card information management system  1  enables an individual person to utilize this system such that if the individual users, using the present systems, have respective business cards to exchange these cards, it is possible to achieve information exchange and arrangement adapted to the times of Internet as well as convenience in utilizing such information.  
     [0060] The entire content of Japanese Patent Application No. P2002-168675 with a filing date of Jun. 10, 2002 is herein incorporated by reference. Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the present invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and changes will occur to those skilled in the art, in light of the teachings. The scope of the invention is defined with reference to the following claims.