Personal information management context links

• US 10,091,837 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Voonna, Thirumalarao, Niranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Justin S
• Application Number:
  US14/070,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 715853
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing information in a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes selecting a first object to be linked, selecting a second object for linking with the first object, and linking the first object with the second object. By linking two objects, a user is better able to determine the context in which one or both object are known, thus improving usability of the information. Moreover, a descriptive tag may be used to link the two objects, thus providing additional information by which to associate one object with another object.

Claims

1. A method for managing information in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

selecting, by a user of the mobile terminal, a first object to be linked, the first object comprising a first contact relating to a first individual, and the first object being selected from among a plurality of contacts stored in the mobile terminal;

selecting, by the user of the mobile terminal, a second object for linking with the first object, the second object comprising a second contact relating to a second individual, and the second object being selected from among the plurality of contacts stored in the mobile terminal;

selecting, by the user of the mobile terminal, a third object for linking with the first object and the second object, the third object comprising an object associated with an Internet based networking site comprising an uniform resource locator (URL) link on which the first individual and second individual have accounts;

linking, using a first context link of the first object, the first object with the second object via a relation link, the relation link displaying a relationship between the first individual of the first object and the second individual of the second object;

linking, using the first context link of the first object, the first object with the third object via the URL link;

receiving, by accessing the URL link of the third object, periodic updates of the selected first object from the Internet based networking site, the updates comprising at least one of new personal information and updated personal information relating to the first individual and the second individual;

updating the first object and the second object according to the received updates; and

displaying, on a display of the mobile terminal based on the relation link, at least one of the new personal information and the updated personal information of the second object in response to a selection of the first object by the user of the mobile terminal, wherein the displaying of the second object includes concurrently displaying the personal information of the second object and at least one of the new personal information and the updated personal information of the first object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the first object stored in the mobile terminal comprises selecting at least one of contact information and a contact file.

3. An apparatus for managing information in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a touch screen display configured to;

receive a first user input, from a user of the mobile terminal, for selecting a first object to be linked, the first object comprising a first contact relating to a first individual, and the first object being selected from among a plurality of contacts stored in the mobile terminal,

receive a second user input, from the user of the mobile terminal, for selecting, a second object for linking with the first object, the second object comprising a second contact relating to a second individual, and the second object being selected from among the plurality of contacts stored in the mobile terminal,

receive a third user input, from the user of the mobile terminal, for selecting a third object for linking with the first object and the second object, the third object comprising an object associated with an Internet based networking site comprising an uniform resource locator (URL) link on which the first individual and second individual have accounts; and

a processor configured to;

link, using a first context link of the first object, the first object with the second object via a relation link, the relation link displaying a relationship between the first individual of the first object and the second individual of the second object,

link, using the first context link of the first object, the first object with the third object via the URL link,

receive, by accessing the URL link of the third object, periodic updates of the selected first object from the Internet based networking site, the updates comprising at least one of new personal information and updated personal information relating to the first individual and the second individual,

update the first object and the second object according to the received updates, and

display, on the touch screen display based on the relation link, at least one of the new personal information and the updated personal information of the second object in response to a selection of the first object by the user of the mobile terminal, wherein the displaying of the second object includes concurrently displaying the personal information of the second object and at least one of the new personal information and the updated personal information of the first object.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the selecting of the first object stored in the mobile terminal comprises selecting at least one of contact information and a contact file.