Identifying contact information suggestions from a received message

• US 10,585,559 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gross, Daniel C., Yang, Lawrence Y., Lemay, Stephen O., Jon, Tiffany S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Jay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caiado, Antonio J
• Application Number:
  US15/273,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 707120, 705 719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

An electronic device suggests contacts and calendar events for users based on their messages. The device can analyze a user'"'"'s messages for contact and event information and automatically generate or update suggested contacts and calendar events for the user based on this information. The suggested contacts and calendar events can be searchable as if they were manually entered by the user, and the user can choose to add or ignore the suggested contacts and calendar events.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

receiving, from a sender corresponding to an entity, a message;

identifying, in the received message, the entity and a first item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein a contact associated with the entity does not comprise the first item of contact information, wherein the contact comprises a second item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is a phone number or email address, and wherein the second item of contact information is a phone number or email address;

generating an indication that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

after receiving the message;

receiving user input that corresponds to a request to display a representation of the contact; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, a first user interface corresponding to a contact associated with the entity, wherein displaying, on the display, the first user interface corresponding to the contact comprises concurrently displaying;

the first item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is displayed with a first user interface object, based on the generated indication, indicating that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

the second item of contact information, wherein the second item of contact information is displayed to indicate that the second item of contact information is not a suggested item of contact information by displaying the second item of contact information without a user interface object that indicates that the second item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising preventing an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information from invoking an application to contact the entity.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface, displaying a second user interface comprising a second user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to add the identified contact information to a database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user interface comprises a third user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the second user interface object.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the second user interface ceases displaying the first user interface.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user interface displays at least a portion of the message.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message, invoking an application to open the message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message comprises an email and the application comprises an email application.

9. The method of claim 3, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, invoking an application to contact the entity using the identified contact information.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, adding the identified contact information to the database.

11. The method of claim 3, comprising in response to adding the identified contact information to the database, ceasing display of the first user interface object.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving, from a sender corresponding to an entity, a message;

identifying, in the received message, the entity and a first item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein a contact associated with the entity does not comprise the first item of contact information, wherein the contact comprises a second item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is a phone number or email address, and wherein the second item of contact information is a phone number or email address;

generating an indication that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

after receiving the message;

receiving user input that corresponds to a request to display a representation of the contact; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, a first user interface corresponding to a contact associated with the entity, wherein displaying, on the display, the first user interface corresponding to the contact comprises concurrently displaying;

the first item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is displayed with a first user interface object, based on the generated indication, indicating that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

the second item of contact information, wherein the second item of contact information is displayed to indicate that the second item of contact information is not a suggested item of contact information by displaying the second item of contact information without a user interface object that indicates that the second item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for preventing an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information from invoking an application to contact the entity.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface, displaying a second user interface comprising a second user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to add the identified contact information to a database.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second user interface comprises a third user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the second user interface object.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein displaying the second user interface ceases displaying the first user interface.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the second user interface displays at least a portion of the message.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message, invoking an application to open the message.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the message comprises an email and the application comprises an email application.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, invoking an application to contact the entity using the identified contact information.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, adding the identified contact information to the database.

22. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, in response to adding the identified contact information to the database, ceasing display of the first user interface object.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by an electronic device with a display, cause the device to:

receive, from a sender corresponding to an entity, a message;

identify, in the received message, the entity and a first item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein a contact associated with the entity does not comprise the first item of contact information, wherein the contact comprises a second item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is a phone number or email address, and wherein the second item of contact information is a phone number or email address;

generate an indication that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

after receiving the message;

receive user input that corresponds to a request to display a representation of the contact; and

in response to receiving the user input, displaying, on the display, a first user interface corresponding to a contact associated with the entity, wherein displaying, on the display, the first user interface corresponding to the contact comprises concurrently displaying;

the first item of contact information, wherein the first item of contact information is displayed with a first user interface object, based on the generated indication, indicating that the identified first item of contact information is suggested contact information; and

the second item of contact information, wherein the second item of contact information is displayed to indicate that the second item of contact information is not a suggested item of contact information by displaying the second item of contact information without a user interface object that indicates that the second item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, comprising preventing an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information from invoking an application to contact the entity.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the first user interface, displaying a second user interface comprising a second user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to add the identified contact information to a database.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the second user interface comprises a third user interface object associated with the identified contact information that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the second user interface object.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein displaying the second user interface ceases displaying the first user interface.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the second user interface displays at least a portion of the message.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the displayed message, invoking an application to open the message.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the message comprises an email and the application comprises an email application.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, comprising:

detecting an input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface; and

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, invoking an application to contact the entity using the identified contact information.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, comprising:

in response to the detection of the input corresponding to a selection of the suggested contact information in the second user interface, adding the identified contact information to the database.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, comprising in response to adding the identified contact information to the database, ceasing display of the first user interface object.