Method and System for Controlled Distribution of Information Over a Network

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.

1 . A computer-implemented method for creating and exchanging information over a network, said method comprising the acts of:
 registering a plurality of users, each of the users providing a contact profile that is stored in a data repository;   permitting the users to associate one or more container elements to their contact profiles; and   permitting controlled exchange of the contact profiles and any of the associated container elements between the users through the network.   
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the exchange being permitted is controlled by the respective owners of the contact profiles. 
     
     
         3 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the contact profiles are uniquely identified by a name or an identifier. 
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises the act of:
 updating, through the network for the recipient user, one or more of the contact profiles or one or more of the associated container elements that have been updated and previously exchanged with the recipient user, when the one or more of the contact profiles or the one or more of the associated container elements have been updated.   
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises the act of:
 displaying, for the recipient user, one or more of the contact profiles or one or more of the associated container elements that have been exchanged.   
     
     
         6 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the one or more of the contact profiles or one or more of the associated container elements being displayed are displayed in a consistent manner. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises the act of:
 allowing the user to associate additional information with the one or more of the associated container elements.   
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the additional information comprises any datatype information. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the datatype information comprises one or more datatype objects. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the one or more datatype objects specify a datatype with associated design/run time properties including methods, events, and/or messaging capabilities. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein a datatype object can be may be dragged, dropped and visually positioned onto a visual representation of one of the associated container elements. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the datatype objects can interact with and reference other datatype objects contained within the same container element or another container element, whether on a local machine or on a remote machine over the network. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the datatype objects can send and receive messages with other datatype objects contained within the same container element or another container element, whether on a local machine or on a remote machine over the network using existing messaging protocols. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the datatype objects contain associated design time properties according to their intended datatype and associated run-time properties activated at run time, and wherein selection of specific datatype properties associated with the datatype object is accomplished through user interaction with a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each of the container elements have at least one datatype object, and wherein each of the datatype objects are uniquely referenced by a name or by an identifier. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the container element, the datatype objects and data associated with the datatype objects may be serialized across local or remove servers using existing messaging protocols. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the associated container elements can be provided as a deck of container elements. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the deck of container elements can be visually selected and contain visual indicators by which a user can interact with design and/or run time properties associated with data objects. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the deck of container elements can be referenced and displayed in the form of business cards. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the network includes one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the world wide web network and a wireless data network. 
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled)