Handheld electronic device including automatic mobile phone number management, and associated method

• US 20070274511A1
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: May, Darrell, Gagne, Alain, Sundberg, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/355.40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A method of updating information included in a handheld device user'"'"'s contact entry included in a global address list wherein the device stores information of a first type, such as a mobile phone, SMS or MMS number or a PIN. The method includes determining whether the information of a first type has been modified from a first stored piece of information to a second stored piece of information, and generating a message including the second stored piece of information and sending the message to a computer system of the organization if it is determined that the information of a first type has been modified. The computer system stores the second stored piece of information in response to receipt of the message by the computer system for subsequent access by a requesting party. Also provided is an improved handheld electronic device having one or more routines adapted to implement the method.

Claims

1. A method of updating information included in a selected contact entry included in a global list of contact entries maintained by an organization, said selected contact entry being for a user of a handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device storing information of a first type, said selected contact entry being able to include said information of a first type, comprising:

determining whether said information of a first type stored by said handheld electronic device has been modified from a first stored piece of information to a second stored piece of information; and

generating a message including said second stored piece of information and sending said message to a computer system of said organization if it is determined that said information of a first type stored by said handheld electronic device has been modified, wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information for subsequent access by a requesting party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information by updating said selected contact entry to include said second stored piece of information in response to receipt of said message by said computer system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information by storing said second stored piece of information in a table in association with said user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said handheld electronic device includes a SIM card, and wherein said SIM card stores said information of a first type.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information of a first type is a mobile phone number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old mobile phone number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new mobile phone number for said user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information of a first type is a PIN, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old PIN for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new PIN for said user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information of a first type is an SMS number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old SMS number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new SMS number for said user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information of a first type is an MMS number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old MMS number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new MMS number for said user.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computer system includes a messaging server, and wherein said global list of contact entries is maintained by said messaging server.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of sending said message to a computer system of said organization includes sending said message to said messaging server.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein when said selected contact entry is updated to include said second stored piece of information, said first stored piece of information is removed from said selected contact entry and replaced by said second stored piece of information.

12. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more memory media in electronic communication with said processor, said one or more memory media storing information of a first type, said information of a first type being of a type that may be stored in a global list of contact entries maintained by an organization associated with a user of said handheld electronic device, said one or more memory media further storing one or more routines executable by said processor, said one or more routines being adapted to;

determine whether said information of a first type stored by said one or more memory media has been modified from a first stored piece of information to a second stored piece of information; and

generate a message including said second stored piece of information and send said message to a computer system of said organization if it is determined that said information of a first type stored by said one or more memory media has been modified;

wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information for subsequent access by a requesting party.

13. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information by updating a selected contact entry included in said global list of contact entries to include said second stored piece of information in response to receipt of said message by said computer system.

14. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said computer system stores said second stored piece of information by storing said second stored piece of information in a table in association with said user.

15. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said one or more memory media includes a SIM card, and wherein said SIM card stores said information of a first type.

16. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said information of a first type is a mobile phone number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old mobile phone number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new mobile phone number for said user.

17. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said information of a first type is a PIN, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old PIN for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new PIN for said user.

18. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said information of a first type is an SMS number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old SMS number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new SMS number for said user.

19. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said information of a first type is an MMS number, wherein said first stored piece of information is an old MMS number for said user and said second stored piece of information is a new MMS number for said user.

20. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said computer system includes a messaging server, and wherein said global list of contact entries is maintained by said messaging server.

21. The handheld electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said one or more routines are adapted to send said message to said messaging server.

22. The handheld electronic device according to claim 13, wherein when said selected contact entry is updated to include said second stored piece of information, said first stored piece of information is removed from said selected contact entry and replaced by said second stored piece of information.