System and method for utilizing personal information to customize an application program
View Patent ↗A framework identity database for receiving, storing, and sharing a user's personal information. The framework identity database operates in conjunction with a user interface and one or more associated application programs to receive a user's personal information. The user interface sends personal information to the framework identity database. New or previously stored personal information can also be sent to the framework identity database from one or more application programs or input devices associated with a computer or a network. The framework identity database creates and stores a user record including the personal information for later retrieval or modification. The framework identity database shares the personal information with the application programs. The application programs can then utilize the personal information to customize a user's experience when interacting with the application programs, such as features, commands, documents, templates, wizards, lists, preferences, and other output used to interact with a user. The framework identity database is further operative to maintain, to retrieve, and to store one or more user records associated with one or more user identities. That is, when a user selects a particular user identity at a user interface, the user interface sends the selected user identity to the framework identity database. The framework identity database retrieves a user record including personal information associated with the selected user identity. The personal information is then shared with the application programs to customize a user's experience when interacting with the application programs.
1. A method for utilizing personal information to customize an application program, comprising the steps of:
receiving personal information from a user corresponding to a unique user identity, and sending the personal information to a shared code library including a plurality of application programs;
enabling communication between the shared code library and a framework identity database, wherein the shared code library provides the personal information to the framework identity database, and wherein the personal information includes at least one of the user's:
surname;
given name;
address;
set of initials;
telephone number; and
firm name;
creating a user record for each unique user identity including the personal information, and storing the user record in the framework identity database in which the user record can be shared with the plurality of application programs and wherein a single user can create multiple user records corresponding to a plurality of unique user identities;
storing multiple user records with personal information that corresponds to a the plurality of unique user identities, the personal information in each of the user records being accessible by the plurality of application programs because communication is enabled between the framework identity database and the shared code library; and
upon identifying the unique user identity applicable to execution of an application program that is included in the plurality of application programs, sharing the personal information corresponding with the unique user identity with the application program, wherein the personal information is applied to customize an output of the application program by including at least a portion of the personal information within the output of the application program.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
in response to receiving new personal information corresponding to the unique user identity,
retrieving the user record including the personal information;
modifying the user record including the personal information with the new personal information; and
sharing the new personal information with the application program, wherein the new personal information is applied to the output of the application program.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
in response to receiving new personal information corresponding to a new unique user identity,
creating a user record including the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity; and
sharing the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity with the application program, wherein the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity is applied to an the output of the application program.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
in response to receiving a change in user identity,
retrieving the user record corresponding to the changed user identity; and
sharing personal information associated with the user record corresponding to the changed user identity with the application program, wherein the personal information associated with the user record corresponding to the changed user identity is applied to the output of the application program.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving personal information corresponding to the unique user identity further comprises the step of receiving the personal information through a user interface.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user interface comprises at least one of: a graphical user interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch-sensitive display screen, and a voice recognition interface.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving personal information corresponding to the unique user identity further comprises the step of receiving one of new and previously stored personal information from one of a computer and a network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a user name, an address, a telephone number, a picture, a speech pattern, a preference, and a list.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a dictionary, an auto-correct list, a menu option, a dialog layout, a dictionary setting, a grammar setting, a help list, and a user preference list.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output comprises at least one of: a document, a template, a wizard, a command, a tab, a preference, and a feature.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application program comprises at least one of: a word processor, an electronic spreadsheet, a graphical presentation program, an electronic personal information manager, and an electronic mail program.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application program comprises a plurality of modules.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving personal information comprises the step of receiving personal information from a second application program.
14. A computer system for utilizing personal information to customize an application program comprising:
a memory for storing a plurality of application programs, machine instructions, a shared code library and a framework identity database; and
a processor functionally coupled to the memory, for executing the machine instructions and in response thereto, being operable for:
receiving personal information from a user corresponding to a unique user identity, and sending the personal information to a shared code library including the plurality of application programs, wherein the shared code library provides the personal information to the framework identity database, and wherein the personal information includes at least one of the user's:
surname;
given name;
address;
set of initials;
telephone number; and
firm name;
creating a user record for each unique user identity including the personal information, and storing the user record in the framework identity database in which the user record can be shared with the plurality of application programs and wherein a single user can create multiple user records corresponding to a plurality of unique user identities;
storing multiple user records with personal information that corresponds to the plurality of unique user identities, the personal information in each of the user records being accessible by a plurality of application programs because communication is enabled between the framework identity database and the shared code library; and
upon identifying the unique user identity applicable to execution of an application program included in the plurality of application programs, sharing the personal information corresponding with the unique user identity with the application program, wherein the personal information is applied to customize an output of the application program by including at least a portion of the personal information within the output of the application program.
15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to:
in response to receiving new personal information corresponding to the unique user identity,
retrieve the user record including the personal information;
modify the user record including the personal information with the new personal information; and
share the new personal information with the application program, wherein the new personal information is applied to the output of the application program.
16. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to:
in response to receiving new personal information corresponding to a new unique user identity,
create a user record including the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity; and
share the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity with the application program, wherein the new personal information corresponding to the new unique user identity is applied to the output of the application program.
17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to:
in response to receiving a change in user identity,
retrieve the user record corresponding to the changed user identity; and
share personal information associated with the user record corresponding to the changed user identity with the application program, wherein the personal information associated with the user record corresponding to the changed user identity is applied to the output of the application program.
18. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the personal information corresponding to the unique user identity is received through a user interface.
19. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the personal information corresponding to the unique user identity is received as one of new and previously stored personal information from one of a computer and a network.
20. The computer system of claim 14 , further comprising a user interface comprising at least one of: a graphical user interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch-sensitive display screen, and a voice recognition interface.
21. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a user name, an address, a telephone number, a picture, a speech pattern, a preference, and a list.
22. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the personal information comprises at least one of: a dictionary, an auto-correct list, a menu option, a dialog layout, a dictionary setting, a grammar setting, a help list, and a user preference list.
23. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the output comprises at least one of: a document, a template, a wizard, a command, a tab, a preference, and a feature.
24. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the application program comprises at least one of: a word processor, an electronic spreadsheet, a graphical presentation program, an electronic personal information manager, and an electronic mail program.
25. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the application program comprises a plurality of modules.
26. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein personal information is received from a second application program.