Offline global address list

• US 20050164651A1
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Flynt, David W., Xu, Jon, Todd, Marc W., Ollis, Joseph Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for providing a mobile device with a selected subset of global address list (GAL) contacts. The offline GAL contacts stored on the device are in sync with the master corporate GAL. The GAL contacts are automatically selected based on the user'"'"'s emails or meetings and are not duplicates of the contacts within the user'"'"'s personal contact list. The GAL contacts are browsed and searched seamlessly with the user'"'"'s other contacts.

Claims

1. A method for populating a list of GAL contacts on a device, comprising:

automatically selecting global address list (GAL) contacts for a user that are unique from the user'"'"'s personal contacts;

preparing the GAL contacts; and

providing the GAL contacts to a device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting the global GAL contacts, further comprises obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails, further comprises obtaining a primary addressee from each of a predetermined number of sent emails from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting the global GAL contacts, further comprises obtaining the GAL contacts from meeting requests.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining the GAL contacts from meeting requests.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the GAL contacts to the device, further comprises providing updates to the device in order to update a GAL contact store on the device.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising limiting the number of GAL contacts provided to the device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising maintaining a user snapshot list outside of the device that is related to the GAL contacts for the user.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the GAL contacts along with the user'"'"'s personal contacts.

10. A system for populating a list of GAL contacts on a device, comprising:

a device including a communications connection, a data store, a display, and a processor that is configured to perform the following actions, including;

connecting to a network using the communications connection to perform a synchronization;

receiving an update list from the network containing information to update global address list (GAL) contacts that are unique from a user'"'"'s personal contacts;

updating the GAL contacts;

storing the updated GAL contacts in the data store; and

displaying the GAL contacts on the display;

a server including a communications connection, a data store, and a processor that is configured to perform the following actions, including;

obtaining the global address list (GAL) contacts for the user;

preparing an update list based on the GAL contacts in the data store on the device and the obtained GAL contacts; and

providing the GAL contacts to a device over the network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein obtaining the global address list (GAL) contacts for the user, further comprises obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails, further comprises obtaining a primary addressee from each of a predetermined number of sent emails from the user.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising obtaining the GAL contacts from meeting requests.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails further comprises accessing a mail server and retrieving a predetermined number of emails from the user'"'"'s sent emails.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising displaying the GAL contacts along with the user'"'"'s personal contacts on the display.

16. A computer-readable medium for populating a list of GAL contacts on a device, comprising:

beginning a synchronization session;

automatically selecting global address list (GAL) contacts for a user that are unique from the user'"'"'s personal contacts from the user'"'"'s emails; and

providing the GAL contacts to a device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein obtaining the GAL contacts from the user'"'"'s emails, further comprises obtaining a primary addressee from each of a predetermined number of sent emails from the user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein automatically selecting the global GAL contacts, further comprises obtaining the GAL contacts from meeting requests.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein providing the GAL contacts to the device, further comprises providing updates to the device in order to update a GAL contact store on the device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising maintaining a user snapshot list outside of the device that is related to the GAL contacts for the user.