Systems and methods for remote deletion of contact information

• US 20090024633A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanson, Paul, Young, Chris, Swanburg, Scott, Okada, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• 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: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 : Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 : Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 : for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 : Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 : Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

An exemplary system for providing remote deletion of contact information includes a first device associated with a first user. The first device is configured to generate and send a delete request message to a second device. In some embodiments, the delete request message includes a request to delete contact information for the first user from the second device. The second device can be configured to receive the delete request message and delete the first user'"'"'s contact information. A method for providing remote deletion of contact information includes a delete request message being generated at a first device, associated with a first user. The delete request message can include a request to delete contact information for the first user. The first device can send the delete request message to a second device. The delete request message can instruct the second device to delete the first user'"'"'s contact information.

Claims

1. A system for remote deletion of contact information, the system comprising:

a first device, associated with a first user, the first device being configured to generate and send a delete request message to a second device, associated with a second user;

the delete request message comprising a request to delete contact information for the first user from the second device; and

the second device being configured to receive the delete request message and delete the contact information associated with the first user.

2. A method for remote deletion of contact information, the method comprising:

generating a delete request message at a first device, associated with a first user;

the delete request message comprising a request to delete contact information for the first user;

sending the delete request message from the first device to a second device, associated with a second user; and

deleting the contact information associated with the first user from the second device.

3. A system for remote deletion of contact information, the system comprising:

a first device, associated with a first user, the first device comprising;

a first local contact database and a first messaging application;

the first messaging application being configured to receive a character string and a destination telephone number and use the character string and destination telephone number to generate a delete request message and send the delete request message to the destination telephone number;

the delete request message being used to request contact information for the first user to be deleted from a second device associated with the destination telephone number;

and

the second device, associated with a second user, the second device comprising;

a second local contact database and a second messaging application;

the second local contact database comprising the contact information associated with the first user; and

the messaging application being configured to receive the delete request message sent from the first device and delete the contact information associated with the first user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the character string comprises a keyword associated with a delete request.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the character string further comprises an authorization key.

6. A method for providing remote deletion of contact information, the method comprising:

receiving an input on a first device, associated with a first user;

the input comprising a character string and a destination number;

generating a delete request message with the input on the first device;

sending the delete request message from the first device to a second device identified by the destination number;

receiving the delete request message at the second device; and

deleting contact information associated with the first user stored on the second device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the character string comprises a keyword associated with a delete request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the character string further comprises an authorization key.

9. A system for providing remote deletion of contact information, the system comprising:

a network contact database comprising a first network contact database entry and a second network contact database entry synchable with a first local contact database and a second local contact database, respectively;

the second network contact database entry comprising contact information associated with a first user;

a first device, associated with the first user, the first device comprising;

the first local contact database and a messaging application;

the messaging application being configured to receive, as input, a destination telephone number, a character string, and a network contact database number;

the messaging application being further configured to use the destination telephone number, the character string, and the network contact database number to generate a delete request message and send the delete request message to the network contact database;

the delete request message being used to request the contact information associated with the first user to be deleted from the second network contact database entry identifiable by the destination telephone number and initialize a synchronization process between the network contact database and a second device;

and

the second device, associated with a second user, the second device comprising;

the second local contact database comprising the contact information associated with the first user prior to being deleted via the synchronization process.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the character string comprises a keyword associated with a delete request.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the character string further comprises an authorization key.

12. A method for providing remote deletion of contact information, the method comprising:

receiving a delete request message at a network contact database from a first device associated with a first user, the delete request message comprising a network contact database number identifying the network contact database and a destination number identifying a network contact database entry within the network contact database that corresponds to a second user that is associated with a second device;

the second device comprising a local contact database;

deleting contact information for the first user that is stored within the network contact database entry; and

performing a synchronization process between the local contact database and the network contact database thereby deleting, from the local contact database, the contact information associated with the first user.