METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING CONTACT INFORMATION

• US 20080313154A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: PEARSON, LARRY B., O'LEARY, JERRY, WALLIS, TYLER, STEELE, SUSAN S., RYAN, MARK, KARNALKAR, ANUP D., ROBBINS, WILLIAM S.
• Application Number:
  US12/135,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313154A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method for managing contact information is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to perform a web-based search for contact information based on a request, present search results obtained from the web-based search, monitor for a selection to populate an address book of the communication device with a target portion of the contact information for an entry of the search results, parse the entry of the search results to obtain the target portion of the contact information, and populate the address book with the target portion of the contact information. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium of a communication device, comprising computer instructions for:

monitoring for a request for a search for contact information;

performing a web-based search for the contact information in a contact information database based on the request;

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) with search results obtained from the web-based search;

monitoring for a user selection to populate an address book of the communication device with a target portion of the contact information for an entry of the search results;

parsing the entry of the search results to obtain the target portion of the contact information; and

populating the address book with the target portion of the contact information.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for obtaining the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a user profile associated with the communication.

3. The storage medium of claim 2, comprising computer instructions for overriding the user profile based upon a selection by a user.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for determining the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a predetermined user preference.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

displaying a toolbar associated with the request for the search on the communication device; and

monitoring for a user selection of the toolbar.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for presenting at least a portion of the search results on a map displayed on the GUI.

7. A communication device comprising a controller to:

perform a web-based search for contact information based on a request;

present search results obtained from the web-based search;

monitor for a selection to populate an address book of the communication device with a target portion of the contact information for an entry of the search results;

parse the entry of the search results to obtain the target portion of the contact information; and

populate the address book with the target portion of the contact information.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to:

display a toolbar associated with the request; and

monitor for a selection of the toolbar.

9. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to present at least a portion of the search results on a map displayed on a graphical user interface of the communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a user profile stored in the communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to override the user profile based upon a selection by a user.

12. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a predetermined user preference.

13. A communication device comprising a controller to:

store a user profile associated with the communication device;

perform a web-based search in a database for contact information based on a request for a search for the contact information;

present search results obtained from the web-based search;

monitor for a selection to populate an address book of the communication device with the contact information for an entry of the search results;

parse the entry of the search results to obtain the contact information for the entry;

determine a target portion of the contact information based on the user profile; and

populate the address book with the target portion of the contact information.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to:

display a toolbar associated with the request;

update the display of the toolbar with information associated with a location of the communication device; and

monitor for a selection of the toolbar.

15. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to present at least a portion of the search results on a map displayed on a graphical user interface of the communication device.

16. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to perform at least one of monitoring for the request for the search, the presenting of the search results, and the monitoring for the user selection to populate the address book based on voice recognition.

17. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to override the user profile based upon a selection by a user.

18. A server, comprising a controller to:

receive a request for a search for contact information; and

transmit search results to a communication device based on the request,

wherein the search results are displayed on a graphical user interface of the communication device, wherein an entry of the search results is parsed by the communication device to obtain a target portion of the contact information, and

wherein an address book of the communication device is populated with the target portion of the contact information based on a selection by a user of the communication device.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a user profile associated with the communication device.

20. A method, comprising:

performing a web-based search of a database for contact information based on a request;

displaying search results obtained from the web-based search on a graphical user interface (GUI) of a communication device;

monitoring for a selection to populate an address book of the communication device with a target portion of the contact information for an entry of the search results;

parsing the entry of the search results to obtain the target portion of the contact information; and

populating the address book with the target portion of the contact information.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising determining the target portion of the contact information to populate the address book based at least in part on a user profile associated with the communication device.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising presenting at least a portion of the search results on a map displayed on the GUI.

23. The method of claim 20, comprising determining the target portion of the contact information based at least in part on a predetermined user preference.

24. The method of claim 20, comprising performing at least one of the presenting of the search results and the monitoring for the user selection to populate the address book based on voice recognition.

25. The method of claim 20, comprising:

presenting a toolbar associated with the request; and

monitoring for a selection of the toolbar.