System, method, and computer program product for providing relational patterns between entities

A contact intelligence data mining system for allowing a plurality of users within an enterprise to determine spheres of influence, comprising:

• a graphical user interface;
• a public database containing information on members of a plurality of entities;
• a computer network which allows the plurality of users to access said public database;
• a plurality of private contact databases, wherein each of said plurality of private contact databases is accessible by at least one of the plurality of users;
• means for accessing, in response to receiving a request from one of the plurality of users via said graphical user interface, said public database and at least one of said plurality of private contact databases;
• and
• means for processing accessed information located in said public database and said at least one of said plurality of private contact databases in order to display a contact pathway;
• whereby said contact pathway includes said at least one of the plurality of users personal contacts and the contacts of their contacts thereby representing said at least one of the plurality of users sphere of influence among said plurality of entities located within said public database.

A method for populating a contact intelligence data mining tool with the private contact information of a user, comprising the steps of:

• (1) receiving a private contact name input from the user;
• (2) accessing a public database to search for said private contact name to determine if said private contact name is located within said public database;
• (3) receiving an input from the user, when said private contact name is located within said public database, indicative of whether said private contact name represents the same contact that appears in said public database;
• (4) linking, when said private contact flame represents the same contact that appears as in said public database, said private contact name with said public database;
• and
• (5) receiving, from the user, contact information to be associated with said private contact name;
• whereby said private contact name is utilized within the contact intelligence data mining tool to display a contact pathway which includes the user's personal contacts and the contacts of their contacts, thereby representing the user's sphere of influence among the entities located within said public database.

A method for providing a user access to a contact intelligence data mining tool to display the user's contact pathway, comprising the steps of:

• (1) receiving a contact name input;
• (2) searching both a public database and a private database for associations between the user and said contact name;
• and
• (3) causing a report to be displayed that includes the contact pathway for said contact name, wherein the contact pathway includes the user's personal contacts and the contacts of their contacts;
• whereby said report is used by the user to determine how to reach the contact associated with said contact name input and represents the user's sphere of influence among the entities located within said public database.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to populate a contact intelligence data mining tool with a user's private contact information, said control logic comprising:

• first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a private contact name input from the user;
• second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to access a public database to search for said private contact name to determine if said private contact name is located within said public database;
• third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive an input from the user, when said contact private name is located within said public database, indicative of whether said private contact name represents the same contact that appears in said public database;
• fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to link, when said private contact name represents the same contact that appears in said public database, said private contact name with said public database;
• and
• fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive contact information to be associated with said private contact name;
• whereby said private contact name is utilized within the contact intelligence data mining tool to display a contact pathway which include the user's personal contacts and the contacts of their contacts, thereby representing the user's sphere of influence among the entities located within said public database.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to display a user's contact pathway, said control logic comprising:

• first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a contact name input;
• second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search both a public database and a private database for associations between the user and said contact name;
• and
• third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display a report comprising the contact pathway for said contact name, wherein the contact pathway includes the user's personal contacts and the contacts of their contacts;
• whereby said report is used by the user to determine how to reach the contact associated with said contact name input and represents the user's sphere of influence among the entities located within said public database.