Contact list aggregation and display

• US 10,536,412 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBuddy Technologies B.V.
• Original Assignee: eBuddy Technologies B.V.
• Inventors: Taylor, Paulo, Rueb, Jan-Joost C., Bakker, Onno
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US15/369,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-207, 709217-219, 709223-229, 709246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A technique for contact list aggregation across networks involves logging into low level networks through a high level network. A system constructed according to the technique may include a network interface coupled to the different low level networks. The system may further include a contact aggregation engine coupled to the network interface and a network contacts database. In operation the system logs into one or more of the low level networks (or facilitates login for a user). To the extent that the data in the network contacts database is not current, the contact aggregation engine updates the networks contacts database contact information, then provides an aggregated contact list including the contact information to a display device. A method according to the technique may include logging into a high level network and displaying contacts from the one or more low level networks in an aggregated contact list.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network login engine;

a network contacts database embodied in one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums;

a contact aggregation engine coupled to the network login engine and the network contacts database;

wherein, in operation, the contact aggregation engine is configured to;

control the network login engine to login or facilitate login to a plurality of networks including a first network and a second network that is different from the first network,

maintain in the network contacts database a first contact list including contact information associated with the first network and a second contact list including contact information associated with the second network,

aggregate the first contact list and the second contact list to obtain an aggregated contact list, and

provide the obtained aggregated contact list to a display device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks are low level networks, and, in operation, the contact aggregation engine provides the aggregated contact list to the display device upon login to a high level network through which the plurality of low level networks are capable of being logged in.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a high level contacts database embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium,

wherein, in operation, the contact aggregation engine is further configured to:

maintain in the high level contacts database a high level contact list including contact information associated with the high level network, and

further aggregate the high level contact list to obtain the aggregated contact list.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, in operation, the contact aggregation engine is further configured to remove the first contact list from the aggregated contact list upon logout from the first network, and provide an updated aggregated contact list from which the first contact list has been removed to the display device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networks further includes a third network different from the first and second networks, and

wherein, in operation, the contact aggregation engine is further configured to:

maintain in the network contacts database a third contact list including contact information associated with the third network,

aggregate the third contact list into the obtained aggregated contact list upon login to the third network, and

provide an updated aggregated contact list to which the third contact list has been aggregated to the display device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network login engine includes a plurality of network login sub-engines that include a first network login sub-engine including information to login or facilitate login to the first network and a second network login sub-engine including information to login or facilitate login to the second network.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user profile database, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and coupled to the network login engine, wherein, in operation, the user profile database includes user-specific information that the network login engine uses to login or facilitate login to the plurality of networks.