Contact query data system and method

• US 20050169213A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tysowski, Piotr Konrad, Scian, Anthony F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A processor-implemented method of operating a mobile communication device operable to execute one or more communication applications includes issuing a query for contact data over a communication network, creating a contact resolution object, receiving contact data responsive to the query over the communication network, the contact data comprising communication contact data for the one or more communication applications, associating the contact data received with the contact resolution object, and resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data.

Claims

1. A mobile device operable to initiate and receive communications over one or more wireless communication networks, the mobile device comprising:

a processing subsystem, a memory subsystem, a display subsystem, a communication subsystem, and an input/output subsystem, the processing subsystem coupled to the memory subsystem, display subsystem, input/output subsystem and communication subsystem, and operable to store and retrieve data in the memory subsystem, to execute instructions stored in the memory subsystem, receive input data from the input/output subsystem, and to cause the communication subsystem to transmit and receive data over the communication network; and

mobile device program code comprising program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem and upon execution cause the mobile device to;

issue a query for contact data over a communication network;

create a contact resolution object;

receive contact data responsive to the query over the communication network, the contact data comprising communication contact data for one or more communication applications;

associate the contact data received with the contact resolution object; and

resolve the contact resolution object to select communication contact data.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device program code comprises further program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem and upon execution cause the mobile device to store the contact resolution object as a contact in a contact application.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the selected communication contact data corresponds to a selected communication application.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the contact resolution object is accessible as a contact by the one or more communication applications executed on the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the contact resolution object is resolved in a communication application environment of a communication application.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the query for contact data is issued from a communication application environment.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the communication application performs resolution independent functions that may be performed independent of resolution of the contact resolution object, and performs resolution dependent functions that may be performed after resolution of the contact resolution object.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the contact data responsive to the query over the communication network comprises communication contact data for one or more communication applications, and wherein the mobile device program code comprises further program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem and upon execution cause the mobile device to launch a communication application corresponding to the selected communication contact data.

9. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the contact resolution object is resolved in a contact application environment of the contact application.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the selection of the communication contact data launches a corresponding communication application.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device program code comprises further program instructions executable by the processing subsystem and stored in the memory subsystem and upon execution cause the mobile device to:

delete the contact data received after the occurrence of a first event; and

reissue the query for contact data over the communication network after the occurrence of the first event and a second event.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the first event is the expiration of a time period and the second event is a selection of the contact resolution object.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the contact resolution object includes status indicia indicating the status of the query for contact data.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions that upon execution cause the mobile device to resolve the contact resolution object to select communication contact data comprise instructions that upon execution cause the mobile device to auto-resolve the contact resolution object when contact data for only one contact is received.

15. A processor-implemented method of operating a mobile communication device operable to execute one or more communication applications, comprising:

issuing a query for contact data over a communication network;

creating a contact resolution object;

receiving contact data responsive to the query over the communication network, the contact data comprising communication contact data for the one or more communication applications;

associating the contact data received with the contact resolution object; and

resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the contact resolution object as a contact in a contact list.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected communication contact data corresponds to a selected communication application.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing the contact resolution object as a contact in a communication application environment.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data comprises resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data in a communication application environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein issuing a query for contact data over a communication network comprises issuing the query for contact data over a communication network from a communication application environment.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

performing resolution independent functions in a communication application prior to resolution of the contact resolution object; and

performs resolution dependent functions in the communication application after resolution of the contact resolution object.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising launching a communication application corresponding to the selected communication contact data.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

deleting the contact data received after the occurrence of a first event; and

reissuing the query for contact data over the communication network after the occurrence of the first event and a second event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first event is the expiration of a time period and the second event is a selection of the contact resolution object.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising deleting the contact resolution object after the occurrence of a deletion event.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising precluding deletion of a contact resolution object as long as the contact resolution object is referenced by a communication application.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting status indicia associated with the contact resolution object, the status indicia indicating the status of the query for contact data.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data comprises:

determining whether the contact data received corresponds to only one contact;

upon determining that the contact data received corresponds to only one contact, auto-resolving the contact resolution object.

29. A mobile communication device operable to execute one or more communication applications, comprising:

means for issuing a query for contact data over a communication network;

means for creating a contact resolution object;

means for receiving contact data responsive to the query over the communication network, the contact data comprising communication contact data for the one or more communication applications;

means for associating the contact data received with the contact resolution object; and

means for resolving the contact resolution object to select communication contact data.

30. Software stored on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions that upon execution by a computing device cause the computing device to:

issue a query for contact data over a communication network;

create a contact resolution object;

receive contact data responsive to the query over the communication network, the contact data comprising communication contact data for the one or more communication applications;

associate the contact data received with the contact resolution object; and

resolve the contact resolution object to select communication contact data.

31. The software of claim 30, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless communication network.