System and method for integrating an address book with an instant messaging application in a mobile station

• US 20050044152A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dunk, Craig A., Hardy, Michael Thomas, Klassen, Gerhard D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A system for integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station is provided. An instant messaging database may be used to store instant messaging data, the instant messaging data including instant messaging contacts and instant messaging (IM) presence information to indicate whether the instant messaging contacts may currently be accessed by the instant messaging application. An address book database may be used for storing address book data. An aggregated data viewer may be used to relate instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database.

Claims

1. A system for integrating an address book software application with an instant messaging software application in a mobile station, comprising:

an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data, the instant messaging data including instant messaging contacts and instant messaging (IM) presence information to indicate whether the instant messaging contacts may currently be accessed by the instant messaging application;

an address book database for storing address book data; and

an aggregated data viewer operable to relate instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an instant messaging library application program interface (API) operable to interface the aggregated data viewer with the instant messaging database; and

an address book library API operable to interface the aggregated data viewer with the address book database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the address book software application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the instant messaging software application.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the aggregated data viewer is operable to provide API entry points that may be used by the address book software application to retrieve and store address book data via the address book library API and instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to automatically update the address book software application with changes to the IM presence information.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the API entry points include library-specific data loading functions, library-specific display functions and library-specific editing functions.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the address book library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used to store and retrieve address book data via the address book library API, and wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used to store and retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the API entry points are function pointers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the API entry points are object pointers.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the aggregated data viewer provides an indirection repository for storing the API entry points.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the indirection repository is an object based storage in a virtual machine.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the aggregated data viewer is operable to provide API entry points that may be used by the instant messaging software application to retrieve address book data from the address book database via the address book library API and to retrieve instant messaging data from the instant messaging database via the instant messaging library API.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the API entry points include library-specific data loading functions, library-specific display functions and library-specific editing functions.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the address book library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used to retrieve address book data via the address book library API, and wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used to retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the API entry points are function pointers.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the API entry points are object pointers.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the aggregated data viewer provides an indirection repository for storing the API entry points.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indirection repository is an object based storage in a virtual machine.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the API entry points may be used by the instant messaging software application to store instant messaging data in the instant messaging database via the instant messaging library API.

21. A system for integrating an address book software application with an instant messaging software application in a mobile station, comprising:

an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data, the instant messaging data including instant messaging contacts and instant messaging (IM) presence information to indicate whether the instant messaging contacts may currently be accessed by the instant messaging application;

an address book database for storing address book data;

an aggregated data and facilities database for relating instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database;

an instant messaging library application program interface (API) operable to propagate the instant messaging data to the aggregated data and facilities database; and

an address library API operable to propagate the address book data to the aggregated data and facilities database.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the address book software application.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the instant messaging software application.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the address book software application is operable to enter both address book data and instant messaging data into the aggregated data and facilities database;

the instant messaging library API being further operable to interface with the aggregated data and facilities database to store the address book data in the address book database; and

the address book library API being further operable to interface with the aggregated data and facilities database to store the instant messaging data in the instant messaging database.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database is operable to notify the instant messaging software application of instant messaging data entered into the aggregated data and facilities database by the address book software application.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the instant messaging software application is operable to automatically update the aggregated data and facilities database with current IM presence information.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the instant messaging library API is further operable to interface with the aggregated data and facilities database to store the IM presence information in the instant messaging database.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database is operable to notify the address book software application of the current IM presence information.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the address book library API is operable to define the structure of the aggregated data and facilities database by creating an address book schema that identifies address book data fields.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to further define the structure of the aggregated data and facilities database by extending the address book schema to identify instant messaging data fields.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the address book schema includes metadata that identifies the contents of each address book data fields and instant messaging data fields, wherein the metadata is used by the address book software application to identify instant messaging data fields and is used by the instant messaging software application to identify address book data fields.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the metadata identifies a representation, a name, and a range for each address book data field and instant messaging data field.

33. An instant messaging user interface for use in a mobile station, the mobile station including a system for integrating an address book software application with an instant messaging software application that includes an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data, an address book database for storing address book data, and a means for relating instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database, the user interface comprising:

a buddy list that includes a list of instant messaging (IM) handles that are stored in the instant messaging database and that may be contacted using the instant messaging software application; and

a contact name list that provides address book data corresponding to one or more of the IM handles in the buddy list.

34. The instant messaging user interface of claim 33, wherein a menu function may be executed by selecting an entry in the buddy list or the contact name list.

35. The instant messaging user interface of claim 34, wherein the menu function is operable to open an instant messaging session using an IM handle associated with the selected entry.

36. The instant messaging user interface of claim 34, wherein the menu function is operable to modify address book data associated with the selected entry.

37. An instant messaging user interface for use in a mobile station, the mobile station including a system for integrating an address book software application with an instant messaging software application that includes an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data, an address book database for storing address book data, and a means for relating instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database, the user interface comprising:

a instant messaging (IM) group list that includes a list of IM groups, wherein each IM group represents a plurality of instant messaging (IM) handles that are stored in the instant messaging database and that may be contacted using the instant messaging software application;

a contact name list that provides address book data corresponding to one or more of the IM handles in each of the IM groups; and

instant messaging presence information that indicates a number of IM handles in each group that are currently available to be contacted via the instant messaging application.

38. The instant messaging user interface of claim 37, wherein a menu function may be executed by selecting an entry in the IM group list or the contact name list.

39. The instant messaging user interface of claim 38, wherein the menu function is operable to open an instant messaging session using one or more IM handles associated with the selected entry.

40. The instant messaging user interface of claim 38, wherein the menu function is operable to modify address book data associated with the selected entry.