System for exchanging user information among users

1. An information management system including a server connected via a network to a plurality of user terminals, the system comprising:

processing means for issuing a request to receive user information in each of said user terminals;

user information storage means for storing the user information in said server, the user information including information about respective users utilizing said user terminals;

user information management means in said server for managing the contents of said user information storage means in response to requests from said processing means in said user terminal;

object compiling means in said server for issuing a user information object from corresponding user information in response to said requests from said processing means;

communication means in said server for transmitting issued user information objects to corresponding ones of said user terminals in response to said requests from said corresponding one of said user terminals;

update notification means in said server, said update notification means being configured to detect changes in the user information stored in said user information storage means, said update notification means further configured for notifying detected changes to corresponding ones of said user terminals where said corresponding ones of said user terminals previously received user information;

object storing means in said user terminals for storing the user information object sent from said server; and

object updating means in said user terminals for changing the content of said user information object stored in said object storage means in response to notification from said update notification means.

2. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

duplication management means in said user terminal for forming a duplication object in which predetermined duplication information is added to the user information object stored in said object storage means and for issuing said formed duplication object to said server via the. network; and

duplication notifying means for notifying pre-selected duplication information indicative of a duplication history to said user information storage means in said server in response to issuing said duplication object.

3. The information management system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

duplication confirming means for confirming whether or not an issued user information object is a duplication; and

duplication notifying means for notifying predetermined duplication information indicative of a duplication history to said user information storage means in a case where said duplication confirming means confirms that said issued user information object is a duplication.

4. The information management system as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said predetermined duplication information contains information for specifying at least said duplication object, and a transmission destination of said duplication object.

5. The information management system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the user information in said user information storage means contains notification control information used to control update notification; and

said information management system further comprises:

means for controlling update notification by said update notification means whereby in response to detection of changes in the user information said notification control information is used to identify ones of said user terminals that have received user information objects that include information corresponding to changed portions of user information data.

6. The information management system as set forth in claim 5 wherein:

said notification control information also includes information related to a change notification destination and timing of the change notification.

7. The information management system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the user information includes predetermined access control information used by said user information management means to determine access to predetermined portions the user information by said user terminals; and

said information management system further comprises access control means for controlling arrangement of said user information management means based on said access control information.

8. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

information adding means in said user terminals for adding and changing user information corresponding to transmitted user information object.

9. The information management system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the user information in said user information storage means includes notification control information used by said update notification means, said notification control information including a content control file and a frequency control file, said content control file indicating content of previously transmitted user information objects and said frequency control file including information regarding the frequency updates are required; and

said information management system is further comprised of:

change notification means which operates with said update notification means, said change notification means accessing said content control file and said frequency control file in response to operation of said update notification module.

10. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

change notification means in said user terminals for outputting information to a user indicating that there is an update to a previously received user information object stored in said object storage means.

11. The information management system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the user information contains discrimination information used to determine invalidity of user information; and

said information management system is further comprised of:

invalidity detecting means in said user terminal for detecting invalidity of an user information object stored in said object storage means; and

invalidity notifying means for outputting a detection result of said invalidity detecting means.

12. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

information acquiring means in said server, said information acquiring means being configured to monitor said user terminals and acquire dynamic information concerning said user terminals, said information acquiring means further configured to notify said user information management means of changes in the acquired dynamic information.

13. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

exchange instruction means in each of said user terminals, said exchange instruction means being configured for specifying others of said user terminals in a request to exchange user information objects, said exchange instruction means further being configured to respond to requests from other user terminals allowing or declining an exchange of user information objects; and

exchange confirming means in said server configured for instructing said object compiling means to issue and transmit the compiled user information object to said other user terminals in response to an allowing response from said other user terminals.

14. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

comparing means in said server and said user terminals for comparing contents of a user information object stored in said object storage means with a content of user information stored in said user information storage means.

15. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

first digest forming means in said user terminals for forming a digest of user information objects stored in said object storage means, such that said formed digest is transmittable to others of said user terminals;

second digest forming means in said server specifying a specified user from received digests to thereby form another digest of user information related to said specified user stored in said user information storage. means; and

digest comparing means for comparing the digest formed by said first digest forming means with the digest formed by said second digest forming means.

16. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

duplication management means in said user terminals for forming a duplication of the user information object in which predetermined duplication information containing duplication source information for specifying at least a duplication is added to the user information object stored in said object storage means, and for issuing said duplication to said server via the network.

17. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

object requesting means in said user terminal for requesting transmission of at least one user information object to another of said user terminals; and

identification means being configured to identify a user requesting transmission of the requested user information object such that only requests from an identified user corresponding to the user information object cause user information objects to be issued.

18. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

replacing means for comparing previously transmitted user information objects with the user information objects previously stored in said object storage means, and for replacing user objects stored within said object storage means in response to results of the comparing.

19. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

display means for visually displaying a contents of the user information objects.

20. The information management system as set forth in claim 19 wherein:

said display means is configured to change a display format such that contents of the user information object may be altered in appearance and organization.

21. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

communication means in each of said user terminals, said user terminals being configured to execute other network application software using said communication means, and said user terminals being configured for entering a portion of information contained in one of the user information objects into said network application software.

22. The information management system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

communication requesting means in each of said user terminals configured to execute network application software and issue a communication request to other of said user terminals requesting said other of said user terminals to execute said network application software; and

communication confirming means in each of said user terminals for responding to said request to execute said network application software.

23. An information exchanging method for exchanging information between a plurality of user terminals, where the plurality of user terminals includes at least a first and a second user terminal, where the information relates to corresponding users at corresponding user terminals, where the information is stored on the respective user terminals and the user terminals being connected to each other via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting user information to a first user terminal, the transmitted user information being based upon user information stored in a second user terminal, the transmitted user information being transmitted from the second user terminal;

providing the second user terminal with transmission information relating to the transmitted user information transmitted to the first user terminal, the transmission information including a transmission destination corresponding to the first user terminal;

sensing in the second user terminal changes in portions of the user information stored therein, and further determining if sensed changes in the portions of the user information require updating of corresponding portions of user information previously transmitted to the first user terminal;

notifying the first user terminal of changes in the portions of the user information; and

transmitting changes portions of the user information to the first user terminal in response to sensing and determining changes in the portions of the user information.

24. The information exchanging method as set forth in claim 23, said method further comprising the steps of:

determining access level information related to the user information saved in the second user terminal, the access level information having determined levels of access to the user information including the transmitted user information in the first user terminal; and

determining which portions of changed user information are to be transmitted to the first user terminal, and determine timing of transmission of changed user information based upon the access level information.

25. The information exchanging method as set forth in claim 23 wherein:

the transmitted user information is a user information object that is in the form of an electronic calling card corresponding to a user utilizing the second user terminal.

26. A information exchanging system for exchanging information between a plurality of user terminals, where the plurality of user terminals includes at least a first and a second user terminal, where the information relates to corresponding users at corresponding user terminals, where the information is stored on the respective user terminals and the user terminals are connected to each other via a network, the system comprising:

means for transmitting user information to a first user terminal, the transmitted user information being based upon user information stored in a second user terminal, the transmitted user information being transmitted from the second user terminal;

means for providing the second user terminal with transmission information relating to the transmitted user information transmitted to the first user terminal, the transmission information including a transmission destination corresponding to the first user terminal;

means for sensing in the second user terminal changes in portions of the user information stored therein, and further determining if sensed changes in the portions of the user information require updating of corresponding portions of user information previously transmitted to the first user terminal;

means for notifying the first user terminal of changes in the portions of the user information; and

means transmitting changes portions of the user information to the first user terminal in response to sensing and determining changes in the portions of the user information.

27. The information exchanging system as set forth in claim 26, further comprising:

means for determining access level information related to the user information saved in the second user terminal, the access level information having determined levels of access to the user information including the transmitted user information in the first user terminal; and

means for determining which portions of changed user information are to be transmitted to the first user terminal, and determine timing of transmission of changed user information based upon the access level information.

28. The information exchanging system as set forth in claim 26 wherein:

said transmitted user information is a user information object that is in the form of an electronic calling card corresponding to a user utilizing the second user terminal.

29. An information management system including a server for managing user information related to users on a network, and at least one user terminal connected via the network to said server, for communicating said user information, wherein:

said server comprises:

user information storage means for storing said user information;

user information management means for maintaining contents-of said user information storage means in response to requests from said user terminals related to user information;

object compiling means for forming a user information object based upon said user information in response to requests from said user terminals, said object compiling means further configured for issuing and transmitting said user information object to selected ones of said user terminals; and

update notification means for detecting a change in said user information stored in said user information storage means, and for notifying said change to corresponding ones of said user terminals which previously received a corresponding user information object; and wherein:

said user terminal comprises:

request processing means for issuing a request to said server for transmission of a user information object to other of said user terminals;

object storage means for storing user information objects received from said server;

output means for outputting stored user information objects for a user to access; and

object updating means for updating portions of the contents of said user information object stored in said object storage means in response to update notification received from said server.

30. An information managing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of user terminals, for managing information related to a user and communicated among said plurality of user terminals, the information managing apparatus comprising:

user information storage means for storing said user information;

user information management means for arranging contents of said user information storage means in response to a request related to user information and issued from one of said user terminals;

object compiling means for forming a user information object based upon said user information in response to the request related to said user information and issued from said user terminal, said object compiler means further configured to transmit said formed user information object to said user terminal; and

update notification means for detecting a change in said user information stored in said user information storage means, and for notifying said change to respective ones of said user terminals which store the outdated user information.

31. An information communicating apparatus connected via a network to a server for managing information related to users on said network, for communicating the user information, comprising:

request-processing means for issuing a request related to said user information to said server;

object storage means for storing a user information object transmitted from said server;

output means for outputting said stored user information object; and

object updating means for updating contents of said user information object stored in said object storage means in response to change notification of the user information transmitted from said server.

32. A computer readable recording medium for recording thereon an information managing/communicating program, used in a user terminal connected via a network to other user terminals, for managing/communicating information related to users on the network,

said information managing/communicating program executing:

A) entering user information from a user terminal;

B) storing said user information;

C) arranging and managing said user information such that contents of stored user information is in accordance with entered instructions relating to said user information.;

D) an object compiling step for forming a user information object which describes said user information in accordance with a request from said user terminal for issuance of the user information object to a selected other user terminal;

E) an update notification step for detecting changes in stored user information, and for notifying recognition of said change to said other user terminal which previously received a corresponding user information object;

F) an object storing step for storing a user information objects sent from other user terminals;

G) an output step for outputting said stored user information object; and

H) an object updating step for changing the content of said stored user information object in response to receipt of said update notification sent from said other user terminal.

33. A computer readable recording medium for recording thereon an information managing program used in a server connected via a network to a plurality of user terminals, for managing information related to users on the network,

said information managing program executing:

A) storing user information;

B) managing and arranging contents of stored user information in response to instructions from a corresponding-user terminal;

C) compiling-an user information object based upon said user information in response to instructions from a user at said corresponding user terminal, and for issuing said formed user information object to other user terminals; and

D) detecting changes in said stored user information and transmitting an update notification said other user terminals in response to detection changes.

34. A computer readable recording medium for recording thereon an information communicating program used in user terminals connected via a network to a server for managing information related to users on the network,

said information communicating program executing;

A) issuing a request for input of user information to said server;

B) storing an user information object sent from said server;

C) out putting said stored user information object; and

D) updating the content of said stored user information object in response to an update notification from the server.