Method and system for collecting contact information from contact sources and tracking contact sources

• US 20060195422A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cadiz, Jonathan J., Shtiegman, Eran, Setty, Venkateshaiah, Zwiegincew, Arthur, Chakravarty, Sumit
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for aggregating contact information of contacts from multiple contact sources is provided. The aggregation system collects contact information for a user from various contact sources. The aggregation system stores the collected content information in a contact data store. The aggregation system may also store an indication of the contact source of the collected contact information. The aggregation system provides a user interface through which the user may search the contact information of the contact data store to find contact information of contacts that are collected from the different contact sources. The aggregation system allows a user to add a contact to a real-time contact list to enable real-time communications with that contact.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for collecting contact information of contacts, the method comprising:

collecting from contact sources contact information of contacts; and

for contacts for whom contact information was collected, storing contact information and an indication of the contact source from which the contact information was collected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact information of a contact includes an identification, a telephone number, and a presence information address of the contact.

3. The method of claim 1 including, when requested by a user, adding a contact to a contact list.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the adding of the contact to the contact list includes notifying a contact list server that maintains the contact list.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the contact list includes for contacts in the contact list an identification, a presence information address, and a contact source.

6. The method of claim 1 including receiving from a contact source updates when contact information of the contact source is updated.

7. The method of claim 1 including receiving a search criterion from a user and searching the collected contact information of the contacts for contacts who satisfy the search criterion.

8. The method of claim 7 including displaying contact information of the contacts who match the search criterion in an order based on the contact sources of the contact information of the contacts.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein a contact identified from a personal contact source is ordered before a contact identified from a global contact source.

10. The method of claim 1 including collecting contact information from a contact list and subscribing to presence information of contacts in the contact list.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein contact information for a contact is displayed within the context of an application associated with the contact source from which contact information of the contact was collected.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein contact information for a contact is edited within the context of an application associated with the contact source from which contact information of the contact was collected.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to collect contact information of contacts, by a method comprising:

collecting from contact sources contact information of contacts;

for contacts for whom contact information was collected, storing the contact information and an indication of the contact source from which the contact information was collected; and

when requested by a user, adding a contact for whom contact information was collected to a contact list.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the contact list is maintained on a contact list server.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the contact list includes for contacts in the contact list an identification, a presence information address, and a contact source.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 including subscribing to presence information of contacts in the contact list.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 including displaying contact information of the contacts who match a search criterion in an order based on the contact sources of the contact information of the contacts.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein contact information for a contact is manipulated within the context of an application associated with the contact source from which contact information of the contact was collected.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure comprising for a plurality of contacts, an identification of each contact, a presence information address of each contact, and an indication of a contact source.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the contact source is the contact source from which contact information of the contact was collected.