Method and system for updating an electronic mail address book

• US 20070106728A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Vander Veen, Raymond, Kuhl, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method for updating an electronic mail (“email”) address book comprising: determining whether an email message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system contains address information; and, if the email message contains address information: identifying the address information in the email message; determining whether the address information is contained in one or more contact records in the email address book; and, if the address information is not contained in one or more contact records, presenting first means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add a new contact record to the address book for the address information.

Claims

1. A method for updating an electronic mail (“

email”

) address book comprising;

determining whether an email message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system contains address information; and

,

if the email message contains address information;

identifying the address information in the email message;

determining whether the address information is contained in one or more contact records in the email address book; and

if the address information is not contained in one or more contact records, presenting first means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add a new contact record to the address book for the address information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the address information is contained in one or more contact records, presenting second means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add the address information to the one or more contact records and to identify the address information in the one or more contact records.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying an input screen to the user for the new contact record or the one or more contact records; and

, receiving input from the user to at least one of;

add information to the new contact record or to the one or more contact records; and

, correct information in the new contact record or in the one or more contact records.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying is underlining.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second means are at least one of a first and a second menu item and a first and a second button icon, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the address information includes one or more items, the one or more items including at least one of:

a street type, a street type abbreviation, a street number, a street name, a city name, a province name, a province name abbreviation, a state name, a state name abbreviation, a country name, a country name abbreviation, a postal code, a ZIP code, a telephone number, a fax number, an email address, and a personal identification number (“

PIN”

).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the email message contains address information further comprises:

searching for at least one of the one or more items in the email message;

identifying a number of the one or more items in a section of the email message; and

comparing the number to a predetermined number to determine if the one or more items represent an address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the email message is one of a short message system (“

SMS”

) message and a peer-to-peer message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is a wireless device having a clickable thumbwheel.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising opening the email message on the display screen when the email message is selected from a list of email messages by the user with the clickable thumbwheel.

11. A system for updating an electronic mail (“

email”

) address book comprising;

a processor coupled to memory for storing the email address book, to a display screen, and to an interface to a network, and adapted for;

determining whether an email message presented to a user on the display screen contains address information; and

,

if the email message contains address information;

identifying the address information in the email message;

determining whether the address information is contained in one or more contact records in the email address book; and

if the address information is not contained in one or more contact records, presenting first means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add a new contact record to the address book for the address information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted for, if the address information is contained in one or more contact records, presenting second means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add the address information to the one or more contact records and to identify the address information in the one or more contact records.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted for:

displaying an input screen to the user for the new contact record or the one or more contact records; and

, receiving input from the user to at least one of;

add information to the new contact record or to the one or more contact records; and

, correct information in the new contact record or in the one or more contact records.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifying is underlining.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second means are at least one of a first and a second menu item and a first and a second button icon, respectively.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the address information includes one or more items, the one or more items including at least one of:

a street type, a street type abbreviation, a street number, a street name, a city name, a province name, a province name abbreviation, a state name, a state name abbreviation, a country name, a country name abbreviation, a postal code, a ZIP code, a telephone number, a fax number, an email address, and a personal identification number (“

PIN”

).

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determining whether the email message contains address information further comprises:

searching for at least one of the one or more items in the email message;

identifying a number of the one or more items in a section of the email message; and

comparing the number to a predetermined number to determine if the one or more items represent an address.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the email message is one of a short message system (“

SMS”

) message and a peer-to-peer message.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is a wireless device having a clickable thumbwheel.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further adapted for opening the email message on the display screen when the email message is selected from a list of email messages by the user with the clickable thumbwheel.

21. A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable code for directing a data processing system to update an electronic mail (“

email”

) address book, the computer program product comprising;

code for determining whether an email message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system contains address information; and

code for, if the email message contains address information;

identifying the address information in the email message;

determining whether the address information is contained in one or more contact records in the email address book; and

, if the address information is not contained in one or more contact records, presenting first means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add a new contact record to the address book for the address information.