Contact Management via OCR and Unique ID
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact information management systems are inefficient due to the need for manual entry and updating of contact details, and they often require specific features or codes for access, which can be cumbersome and require users to retain multiple business cards or entries for the same contact.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a unique identifier and registered phone number associated with a contact management server to manage and retrieve contact information, allowing users to store and update contact details dynamically without the need for new business cards, using image processing and recognition techniques to identify and extract relevant information from business cards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual entry methods are used to store contact information, then contact details can be recorded in an address book, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical entry processes with automated image processing and optical character recognition (OCR) systems. The camera captures business card images, and software automatically extracts and stores contact information, eliminating the need for manual typing and significantly improving efficiency while reducing time loss.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple business cards are retained for the same contact, then all contact variations are preserved, but the system complexity and difficulty of management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple contact information sources by storing them in a unified database structure. When multiple business cards from the same contact are scanned, the system consolidates the information into a single contact record, automatically updating and merging data rather than creating separate entries, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining comprehensive contact coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal contact management system that can handle various contact information formats and sources through a single interface. The system is designed to process different types of contact data (business cards, verbal information, written communications) and store them in a standardized format, making the system adaptable to multiple input methods while maintaining simplicity.
3Speed
If contact information is stored locally in an address book, then immediate access is available, but updates from associates cannot be automatically reflected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors for updates to contact information. When a new business card is scanned or contact data is received, the system compares it with existing records and automatically updates the database if changes are detected, ensuring that local storage always reflects the most current information while maintaining fast access speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for managing and retrieving contact information included on a plurality of business cards from a plurality of contacts of a user. The method may, for a given business card corresponding to a given contact of the user, obtain from the business card a unique identifier and a registered phone number corresponding to the contact; determine the unique identifier is associated with the registered phone number to verify the contact has been registered with a contact management server, wherein the contact management server stores contact information of the contact in association with a contact identifier comprising the registered phone number; in response to said determining, generating a record locator comprising the registered phone number and retrieving, from the contact management server, the contact information based on locating the contact identifier; and storing the retrieved contact information.