System and method for network operation

Abstract

A network of secure servers, requiring no central entity to administer user identities or access permissions. Each autonomous server hosts a set of user accounts. Users may link to and access the accounts of all other users in the network. Resources in accounts are private, but users may grant each other partial permissions to them. Links and permissions are independent of the location of accounts, and are cryptographically authenticated. Users may migrate their account between servers without loosing accumulated permissions, or breaking links that others have to their account. The ability to grant permissions may be delegated to reflect complex organizational structures. A permission may be configured to unlock data in a multitude of accounts. The system will support applications that require secure information sharing across multiple organizational boundaries, and provides a distributed security model which is feasible to deploy as it is wholly administered by its users.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A system for maintaining contact information, comprising:
 a server;   a network permitting data communication between the server and a number of electronic devices that maintain or use contact information; and   a plurality of user accounts hosted on the server, each account containing a contact information listing current contact information for the associated user, and a contact list of identifiers for other users also having accounts on the server, which that user has selected.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising means for a first user account to grant a second user account permission to access the first user's contact information. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the user controlled electronic devices are portable telephones enabled with client functionality. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the user controlled electronic devices are personal computers enabled with client functionality. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the system includes a plurality of servers, the network permits data communication between a client electronic device and each server, and user accounts are hosted on each server. 
   
   
       22 .- 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A system for maintaining contact information for telephones, comprising:
 a server;   a network permitting data communication between the server and a number of client telephones enabled with client functionality that use contact information, which contact information includes telephone numbers that can be dialed by the client telephone; and   a plurality of user accounts hosted on the server, each account containing stored data comprising contact information for the associated user and a contact list of telephone numbers which can be dialed by the user from the client telephone.   
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the telephones are wireless portable telephones, wherein the contact information for the associated user includes a user ID that remains the same when the user changes wireless portable telephones. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising a program that receives a request for a contact telephone number through the network from a client telephone, which program returns current information stored for the requested contact to the client telephone. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the contact list includes identifiers for other users also having user accounts, further comprising means for a first user account to grant a second user account permission to access the first user account's contact information. 
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34 , further comprising a program that receives a request for a contact telephone number through the network from a client telephone, which program returns current information stored for the requested contact to the client telephone. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising means permitting the second user to change a telephone number for the second user stored in the first user's contact list. 
   
   
       37 . A method for maintaining contact information for a number of users having accounts on a network, the network comprising a number of client telephones that use stored contact information including telephone numbers for dialing, a server on which the user accounts are hosted, and means permitting data communication between the server and the client telephones, comprising the steps of:
 maintaining for each user account current contact information for the associated user; and   maintaining a contact list of telephone numbers which that user has selected, which contact list can be accessed and dialed by the client telephone used by that user.