# US 10,454,998 B2 · Method and system for controlled distribution of information over a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,454,998 B2 - Document ID: US10454998B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/612,584 - Filed: 2012-09-12 - Published: 2013-01-17 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 1998-10-13 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Chris Cheah - Inventors: Chris Cheah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10454998B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0251: Targeted advertisements - H04L 61/4535: using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: by a client device, determining whether a personal identifier exists on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system, wherein the personal identifier is based on an email address for the user; by the client device, when it is determined that the personal identifier does not exist on the client device: sending, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user; receiving a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising the personal identifier for the user, the personal identifier having been generated by the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system in response to receiving the request to register the user and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system; and storing the personal identifier in a local data store of the client device; and by the client device, once the personal identifier exists on the client device, sending, to the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system, the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users who are registered with the information management and distribution system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the response further comprises information to download a client-side application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the response further comprises a web page. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device, further comprising: receiving profile information for the user; and storing a user profile for the user in the local data store of the client device, wherein the request to register the user comprises the profile information, and wherein the response to the request to register the user comprises the user profile for the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the user profile comprises a plurality of profiles for the user, each of the profiles having a different email address, wherein all of the profiles are associated with the personal identifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of profiles are associated with a respective expanded version of the personal identifier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein storing the received personal identifier in a local data store comprises storing a file in a persistent storage area on the client device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identifier is a unique string of characters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the user profile comprises two or more profiles for the user; and the personal identifier is an expanded personal identifier that indicates a particular one of the user's two or more profiles. ### Claim 10 One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to: determine whether a personal identifier exists on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system, wherein the personal identifier is based on an email address for the user; when it is determined that the personal identifier does not exist on the client device: send, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user; receive a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising the personal identifier for the user, the personal identifier having been generated by the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system in response to receiving the request to register the user and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system; and store the personal identifier in a local data store of the client device; and once the personal identifier exists on the client device, send, to the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system, the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users who are registered with the information management and distribution system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The media of claim 10, when the personal identifier does not exist on the client device, further comprising: receiving profile information for the user; and storing a user profile for the user in the local data store of the client device, wherein the request to register the user comprises the profile information, and wherein the response to the request to register the user comprises the user profile for the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The media of claim 11, wherein the user profile comprises a plurality of profiles for the user, each of the profiles having a different email address, wherein all of the profiles are associated with the personal identifier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The media of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of profiles are associated with a respective expanded version of the personal identifier. ### Claim 14 A client device comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to: determine whether a personal identifier is stored on the client device, the personal identifier being a unique identifier associated with a user who is registered with an information management and distribution system, wherein the personal identifier is based on an email address for the user; when it is determined that the personal identifier is not stored on the client device: send, to one or more computer servers associated with an information management and distribution system, a request to register the user of the client device, the request comprising identifying information for the user; receive a response to the request to register the user, the response comprising the personal identifier for the user, the personal identifier having been generated by the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system in response to receiving the request to register the user and determining that the user has not previously registered with the information management and distribution system; and store the personal identifier in a local data store of the client device; once the personal identifier exists on the client device, send, to the one or more computer servers associated with the information management and distribution system, the personal identifier during user profile exchange operations with one or more other users who are registered with the information management and distribution system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the processors operable to store the received personal identifier in a local data store are further operable to store a file comprising the personal identifier in a persistent storage area on the client device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the response further comprises information to download a client-side application. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to: receive profile information for the user; and store a user profile for the user in the local data store of the client device, wherein the request to register the user comprises the profile information, and wherein the response to the request to register the user comprises the user profile for the user.