WO2015095901A2

WO2015095901A2 - Provision of contact information

Info

Publication number: WO2015095901A2
Application number: PCT/ZA2014/000078
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jakobus J. VILJOEN
Original assignee: Viljoen Jakobus J
Priority date: 2013-12-17
Filing date: 2014-12-15
Publication date: 2015-06-25
Also published as: WO2015095901A3

Abstract

A method of making contact information of a user available to a third party wherein a profile created by the user is stored in a database, and a third party can access the profile using an identifier which is uniquely associated with the user.

Description

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PROVISION OF CONTACT INFORMATION BACKGROUND OF THE, INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to the provision of contact information of individuals, businesses and other entities.

[0002] Businesses and individuals use different ways to collect and capture contact Information.

[0003] An entrenched and widely used method of making contact information available to third parties is through the medium of business cards. Typically a. business card is ponied and carries details of a user's name and address, telephone and facsimile number,, an e-mail address and the like.

[00041 Business cards are exchanged in many situations with th intention being that a recipient of business card would then have sufficient Information to contact the giver of the card, when required,

[0€0S] Another technique which is used, with internet communications, is to append contact details of a sender of an e-mail as a "signature" to_: all e-malis which are sent by that person.

[0006] Individuals generally capture contact information manually either into a computer- based contact list or into a smart phone-based contact list. In many instances through the use of appropriate software or hardware a capability Is provided for these lists to interact or synchronise with each other.

[0007] Companies acquire contact Information via different channels. For example a company which l as resources can implement a so-called CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. This is a model for managing a company's interaction with customers and suppliers on a central database, and is usually controlled by a dedicated resource or database administrator, if a user Is in an organisation which operates a CRM system then, at least in theory, the CRM system should be kept up to date and the user should be able to obtain the required information easily.

[0008] A common problem with the aforegoing Is that individuals generally do not go to the trouble of capturing contact information into a suitable organised database. Even where this does occur or in the case of a CRM system, there is an on-going obligation for some party., either an individual in a ersonal capacity, or. an employee of a company or other organisation, to ensure that all Incoming details of the different contacts are captured, maintained and updated, as appropriate, to reflect changes etc. Despite the fact thai this task might he attended to diligently, the end result can only be as accurate as the incoming information allows. This approach thus relies heavily on contacts or third parties remembering to inform an individual or a business when there are changes to contact, details, and on a recipient of the Information then responding by manually capturing these changes in a suitable record system,

[O0O9| _. An object of the present invention is to provide a method which, at least, to some extent, addresses the aforementioned situation, in other words to replace the need to manually capture, maintain and update contact Information of a plurality of contacts,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The invention essentially replaces the need to capture third party contact information manually, it also supplies a process which keeps contact information relevant to a user and third parties continuously and automatically updated. [0011] The invention provides a method of making available contact information for each of a plurality of users, which method includes the steps of:

1. providing a database,

2. allowing a new user to register and select a user name and password,

3. allowing the user to create a profile and to enter personal contact details on the database.

4. allocating to each user a unique identifier,

5. allowing each user to make his unique identifier available at feast to one or more selected third parties, and

6. allowing such third party or third parties to access the database by using the unique Identifier to obtain the user's preloaded personal contact details from the database.

[0012] The invention thus makes it possible for a party's contact details to be obtained electronically by entering that party's unique Identifser into the database. Typically the unique identifier Is a personal identification number (PIN).

[0013] In the method of the invention an onus rests on each user to maintain onl his own contact details on the database up to date and accurate. There Is no need for a user to update any details for any of his contacts in his contact list. This is because the automatic updating of contact Information Is achieved in that changes are made available automatically to all parties- which are connected to one -another. This is a bi-directional process in that a user's changed information is available to each "connected" third party, and changes in the information pertaining to each third party are automatically made available to a user. [0014] On the database a log Is kept which records each user to whom the first user's unique identifier has been made available. The user may thus by accessing the database be abl to establish which other users have access to his personal contact details,

[0015] The method of the Invention may be implemented by making use of cloud computing techniques. Thus the database referred to may be cloud-based. The database provides functionality to CRM systems. This enables such systems to input contact details of the customers into the CRM databases. Each time a user updates his profile the changes are made available to the CR databases. As a consequence a CRM database linked to the system requires less administration and obtains information which Is more accurate.

[0016] The user Is able to select the business or CRiVI system with which he will share information.

[001?] Unique Identifiers of two or more users may be exchanged using any suitable technique and, without being limiting, by the use of computing devices such as smart phones, tablets, personal computers and the like.

[0018] The Invention substantially simplifies the capturing of third party contact information in a contact list kept for example on a smart phone or other computer-based contact database. Whenever a user changes details or Information in his profile on the database, such changes are automatically updated In the contact list of those third parties to whom he Is connected. This ensures thai any person using the database will at ail times have an updated contact list available on his smart phone (or other device). BRIEF DESCR PTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0019] The nvention Is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying block diagrams marked, respectively, Figures 1 , 2 and 3, which illustrate various processes^■ involved in the method of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a sequence of steps involved, In accordance with the principles of the invention, when a user undergoes a registration process to enable the user to participate in the method of the Invention.

[0021] A cloud-based database 10 is established by an administrator of the system. fQ.022] A user 12 can access (step 14) the database 10 by using the system's website or an application on a smart phone or other computing device. In response to prompts on the computing device the user then has the opportunity to choose a registration process 6. In terms of this process the user creates a user name and a password (step 18) and is then required to complete his profile which, in this respect, means the entering of ail relevant contact .details, as required by the system (step 20), into the cloud-based database 10.

[0023] The user is required to accept the terms and conditions pertaining to the administration and operation of the system (step 22). Finally the system Issues a unique identifier i.e. a PIN code to the user and the user is notified of the PIN by email (step 24),

[0024] At this stage the user's details are kept in an appropriate format on the database. Figure 2 Illustrates a sequence of steps which are to be followed by a user if his contact details are to be altered. The user 12 in a step 28 accesses the database 10 using the system^'s website or an application on his computing device e.g. a smart phone. The user is able to access his profile (step 30} a d, in a subsequent step 32, is able to update or alter his contact deta ls in one or more fields, as may be appropriate.

[9025] Any third party can now see the user's updated contact details on the cloud-based database. The contacts list on the third party's smart phone or other computing device is updated automatically. Similarly, any other contact database that is synchronized with a third party's smart phone is automatically updated in respect of the contact details (step 34). 0028] Figure 3 illustrates how one party can connect with another party. A user 12 accesses the database 10 using the system's website or specified application software (40). At this stage the user can choose to enter the PI of a third party or invite a third party by entering the third party's email address,

|0027] In the former sequence the user enters the PIN provided by the third party (step 44). The third party's contact details are now visible to the user (46) and the user's smart phone contact list is automatically updated with the third party's contac details (48), As indicated, any other contact database linked to the user's smart phone Is simultaneously and automatically updated (50).

[00281 in the latter se uence of events the user invites a third party, by email, to participate in the system (52). The user's PIN is sent via email to the third party (54). Two possibilities arise, namely either the third party is already registered on the system, or is not registered. In the former case i.e. when the third party is a user (58) the third party is directed to a selection step 42. In the latter case i.e. if the third party is not registered (58) the third party is directed to the registration sequence shown In Figure 1. [002SJ The system automatically keeps a record of each person to whom a particular user's unique identifier has been given. Consequently a user, when entering his name and password Into the system, can Immediately establish details of all third parties who have access to the user's contact information. Also, when a participant enters the unique identifier of a user In order to obtain that users contact information, his details are logged. This enables a record to be kept of all persons who have had access to the contact details of each user.

[0030] The cloud-based system Is capable of continuously providing up to date contact Information on each of a plurality of users. The accuracy of the system is, ultimately* as accurate as the information which each user inputs into his personal profile.

Claims

IMS

A method of making available contact information for each of a plurality of users, which method includes .the steps of providing a database, allowing a new user to register and select a user name and password, allowing a user to create a profile and to enter personal contact details into the database, allocating to each user a unique identifier, allowing each user to make his unique identifier available at least to one or more selected third parties, and allowing such third party or third parties to access the database by using the unique identifier to obtain t e user's preloaded personal contact details from the database,

A method according to claim 1 wherein the unique identifier Is persona! identification number.

A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein changes in information- in a user's profile are automatically made available to all connected users.

A method according to claim 1 which includes the step of recording on the databas each user to whom a first users unique identifier has been made available. method according to claim 4 wherein a user, b accessing the database, Is able to establish which other users have access- to his personal contact details.

A method according to claim 1 wherein the database is linked to at least one CRM database and wherein each time a user updates bis profile on the database the changes are made available to the CRM database. A method according to claim 1 wherein when a user changes information In his profile on the database, such change are automatically updated In the contact list of third parties to whom the user is connected.

A method of making contact information of a user available to a third party wherein a profile created by the user is stored in a database, and a third parly can access the profile using an identifier which is uniquely associated with the user.