Smart address book

• US 10,545,946 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Interactive Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Interactive Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Lester, Peter, Miller, Justin, Lee, Hendrick, Sharma, Aseem, Gattis, Galen Trevor, Dixon, Amber, Nguyen, Huy Tuan, McGowan, Derek, McCrea, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/962,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,338 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

An apparatus, method, system, and computer-readable medium are provided for maintaining contact information associated with a contact. In some embodiments a request associated with a contact may be received. Contact information may be obtained from one or more external or internal sources. One or more confidence scores may be generated for the obtained contact information and for one or more values received with the request. Based on the confidence score(s), one or more values associated with the contact may be incorporated in one or more data stores. In some embodiments, suggestions for contact related information may be generated. Responses to the suggestions may be used to update the generated confidence score(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a device from a contact data store that stores an address book, a first contact entry and a second contact entry, wherein the first contact entry and the second contact entry each comprise a plurality of fields;

based on a first level of trust associated with a first source of a first value of a first field of one the first contact entry, determining a first confidence score that indicates a first probability that the first value is correct;

based on a second level of trust associated with a second source of a second value of a second field of the second contact entry that corresponds to the first field of the first contact entry, determining a second confidence score that indicates a second probability that the second value is correct;

based on which of the first confidence score and the second confidence score is greater, generating a combined contact entry that comprises one of the first value and the second value; and

storing, in the contact data store, the combined contact entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the first confidence score comprises determining a time stamp associated with the first value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises one or more of a server or a user equipment device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the generating, determining, based on heuristics and using a threshold, that the first contact entry and the second contact entry are associated with a common person.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting, from the contact data store, the first contact entry and the second contact entry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the combined contact entry comprises incorporating all information associated with one of the first contact entry and the second contact entry into the combined contact entry.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the obtaining the first contact entry, determining, based on user acceptance of a suggested value originating from the first source, the first level of trust associated with the first source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first source is external to the contact data store.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a computing device from a contact data storage that stores an address book, a first contact entry and a second contact entry, wherein the first contact entry and the second contact entry each comprise a plurality of fields;

based on a first level of trust associated with a first source of first contact information associated with a first field of the first contact entry, generating a first confidence score that indicates a first probability that the first contact information is correct;

based on a second level of trust associated with a second source of second contact information associated with a second field of the second contact entry that corresponds to the first field of the first contact entry, generating a second confidence score that indicates a second probability that the second contact information is correct;

determining specific contact information that is associated with a highest confidence score of the first confidence score and the second confidence score; and

generating and storing a combined contact entry that comprises the specific contact information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the generating and storing the combined contact entry, generating a notification indicating that the specific contact information is associated with the highest confidence score; and

receiving a confirmation to associate the specific contact information with a third field of the combined contact entry that corresponds to the first field and the second field.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the generating and storing the combined contact entry, generating a notification indicating that the specific contact information is associated with the highest confidence score; and

after a determination that a time period has passed without a response to the notification, associating the specific contact information with a third field of the combined contact entry that corresponds to the first field and the second field.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the obtaining the first contact entry, providing the first contact information as a suggestion for the first field of the first contact entry; and

based on acceptance of the suggestion, determining the first level of trust associated with the first source of the first contact information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, based at least in part on a privacy setting associated with the first contact information, determining that the providing the first contact information as the suggestion is allowed.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the generating and storing the combined contact entry, determining that the highest confidence score exceeds a threshold; and

suggesting, based at least in part on the determining that the highest confidence score exceeds the threshold, the specific contact information.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising deleting, from the contact data storage, the first contact entry or the second contact entry.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating and storing the combined contact entry comprises:

reading the specific contact information from the first contact entry or the second contact entry and writing the specific contact information into the combined contact entry.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to the obtaining the first contact entry, determining, based on previously accepted contact information supplied by the first source, the first level of trust associated with the first source.

18. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device based on an address book, a first contact entry comprising a first field associated with first contact information and with a first confidence score, determined based on a first level of trust associated with a first source of the first contact information, that indicates a first probability that the first contact information is correct;

determining a second contact entry comprising a second field that corresponds to the first field and is associated with second contact information and with a second confidence score, determined based on a second level of trust associated with a second source of the second contact information, that indicates a second probability that the second contact information is correct;

determining specific contact information that is associated with a highest confidence score of the first confidence score and the second confidence score; and

generating and storing a combined contact entry that comprises the specific contact information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that a user engages in a communication with a contact associated with the specific contact information,

wherein the determining the first contact entry comprises determining, from a remote contact data storage and responsive to the determining that the user engages in the communication with the contact, the first contact entry.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first confidence score is determined based on one or more of:

a change history indicating a history of changes to the first contact information;

or

a recent successful use of the first contact information.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

prior to the determining the first contact entry, providing, based at least in part on at least one rule, a suggested value;

receiving a response to the suggested value; and

storing, in a remote contact data storage and based on the response, the suggested value as the first contact information.