Techniques for structuring suggested contacts and calendar events from messages

• US 10,620,787 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• 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:
  US15/273,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 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 receives a message and identifying, in the received message, an entity and an item of contact information associated with the entity. The electronic device determines that a contact associated with the identified entity exists among a plurality of contacts in a database and that the contact does not comprise the identified item of contact information. In response to the determining, the electronic device updates the contact to comprise the item of contact information and an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

receiving a message;

identifying, in the received message, an entity and an item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein the item of contact information includes at least one of a phone number, address, business name, or social networking handle;

in accordance with a determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists among a plurality of contacts in a database and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information;

concurrently displaying, on the display;

at least a portion of the received message;

an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact; and

a rejection affordance for the suggested item of contact information;

while displaying, on the display, the rejection affordance for the item of contact information, detecting selection of the rejection affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance;

ceasing to display, on the display, the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact, and

maintaining display of the at least a portion of the received message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises identifying a signature block of the message and analyzing the identified signature block for the entity and the item of contact information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the message comprises an email and the signature block comprises an e-mail signature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the email comprises one or more prior emails in an email thread, and identifying the signature block comprises analyzing the one or more prior emails in the email thread.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises:

identifying in the message one or more phrases based on a collection of predefined phrases; and

analyzing the one or more identified phrases for the entity and the item of contact information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the collection of predefined phrases over a network.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising downgrading one or more of the predefined phrases as a result of a request to reject the suggested item of contact information.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating one or more of the predefined phrases by cross-correlating contact information in the database with language associated with contact information on the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a contact; and

in response to the request for a contact, searching the suggested item of contact information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with the determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information, updating the contact in the database to comprise the item of contact information and an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information; and

in response to the updating of the contact, refraining from storing the suggested item of contact information in a remote database over a network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database; and

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in the database.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in a remote database over a network.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance, preventing the contact from being updated in the future with the suggested item of contact information as a result of the entity and the item of contact information being identified in a future message.

14. 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 a message;

identifying, in the received message, an entity and an item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein the item of contact information includes at least one of a phone number, address, business name, or social networking handle;

in accordance with a determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists among a plurality of contacts in a database and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information;

concurrently displaying, on the display;

at least a portion of the received message;

an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact; and

a rejection affordance for the suggested item of contact information;

while displaying, on the display, the rejection affordance for the item of contact information, detecting selection of the rejection affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance;

ceasing to display, on the display, the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact, and

maintaining display of the at least a portion of the received message.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein instructions for identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises instructions for identifying a signature block of the message and analyzing the identified signature block for the entity and the item of contact information.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the message comprises an email and the signature block comprises an e-mail signature.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the email comprises one or more prior emails in an email thread, and instructions for identifying the block signature comprises instructions for analyzing the one or more prior emails in the email thread.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein instructions for identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises instructions for:

identifying in the message one or more phrases based on a collection of predefined phrases; and

analyzing the one or more identified phrases for the entity and the item of contact information.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, further including instructions for updating the collection of predefined phrases over a network.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising instructions for downgrading one or more of the predefined phrases as a result of a request to reject the suggested item of contact information.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising instructions for generating one or more of the predefined phrases by cross-correlating contact information in the database with language associated with contact information on the electronic device.

23. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request for a contact; and

in response to the request for a contact, searching the suggested item of contact information.

24. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

in accordance with the determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information, updating the contact in the database to comprise the item of contact information and an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information; and

in response to the updating of the contact, refraining from storing the suggested item of contact information in a remote database over a network.

25. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database; and

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in the database.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, further comprising instructions for:

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in a remote database over a network.

27. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance, preventing the contact from being updated in the future with the suggested item of contact information as a result of the entity and the item of contact information being identified in a future message.

15. 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:

receiving a message;

identifying, in the received message, an entity and an item of contact information associated with the entity, wherein the item of contact information includes at least one of a phone number, address, business name, or social networking handle;

in accordance with a determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists among a plurality of contacts in a database and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information;

concurrently displaying, on the display;

at least a portion of the received message;

an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact; and

a rejection affordance for the suggested item of contact information;

while displaying, on the display, the rejection affordance for the item of contact information, detecting selection of the rejection affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance;

ceasing to display, on the display, the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information for the contact, and

maintaining display of the at least a portion of the received message.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein instructions for identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises instructions for identifying a signature block of the message and analyzing the identified signature block for the entity and the item of contact information.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the message comprises an email and the signature block comprises an e-mail signature.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the email comprises one or more prior emails in an email thread, and instructions for identifying the block signature comprises instructions for analyzing the one or more prior emails in the email thread.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein instructions for identifying the entity and the item of contact information associated with the entity comprises instructions for:

identifying in the message one or more phrases based on a collection of predefined phrases; and

analyzing the one or more identified phrases for the entity and the item of contact information.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further including instructions for updating the collection of predefined phrases over a network.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions for downgrading one or more of the predefined phrases as a result of a request to reject the suggested item of contact information.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions for generating one or more of the predefined phrases by cross-correlating contact information in the database with language associated with contact information on the electronic device.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request for a contact; and

in response to the request for a contact, searching the suggested item of contact information.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

in accordance with the determination that a contact associated with the identified entity exists and that the contact does not include the identified item of contact information, updating the contact in the database to comprise the item of contact information and an indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information; and

in response to the updating of the contact, refraining from storing the suggested item of contact information in a remote database over a network.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database; and

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in the database.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, further comprising instructions for:

in response to the request to add the suggested item of contact information to the database, storing the updated contact, without the indication that the item of contact information is a suggested item of contact information, in a remote database over a network.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

in response to detecting selection of the rejection affordance, preventing the contact from being updated in the future with the suggested item of contact information as a result of the entity and the item of contact information being identified in a future message.