METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING CONTACTS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20090156186A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D.
• Application Number:
  US11/954,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156186A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

An improved method, device and computer-readable medium for managing contacts in a mobile communications device are presented. A contact manager receives a telephone call in a mobile communications device and identifies a telephone number associated with the telephone call. If the user attempts to add the number to a contact list, the contact manager consults a contact list policy which is used to determine whether the number is a temporary number. If the telephone number is a temporary number, the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary and automatically assigned a triggering event. The telephone number is automatically removed from the contact list upon an occurrence of the triggering event.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communications device comprising:

receiving a telephone call in a mobile communications device;

identifying a telephone number associated with the telephone call;

automatically searching a contact list of the mobile communications device;

determining that the telephone number is not included in the contact list;

detecting an attempt by a user of the mobile communications device to add the telephone number to the contact list;

determining whether a contact list policy of the mobile communications device indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number;

in response to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number, storing the telephone number in the contact list;

in response to determining that the contact list policy indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number;

storing the telephone number in the contact list;

automatically marking the telephone number as temporary;

automatically assigning a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed from the contact list upon an occurrence of the triggering event; and

displaying an indication to the user that the telephone number is stored as a temporary telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number further comprises:

displaying a prompt to the user to manually mark the telephone number as temporary; and

displaying a prompt to the user to manually assign a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed upon an occurrence of the triggering event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said contact list policy is defined by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary in response to the telephone number of the telephone call being a number that was recently dialed by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary in response to the telephone call being received during a predefined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary in response to an attribute associated with the telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is set to occur after a predefined period of time.

8. A mobile communications device comprising:

means for receiving a telephone call in a mobile communications device;

means for identifying a telephone number associated with the telephone call;

means for automatically searching a contact list of the mobile communications device;

means for determining that the telephone number is not included in the contact list;

means for detecting an attempt by a user of the mobile communications device to add the telephone number to the contact list;

means for determining whether a contact list policy of the mobile communications device indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number;

means, responsive to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number, for storing the telephone number in the contact list;

means, responsive to determining that the contact list policy indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number, comprising;

means for storing the telephone number in the contact list;

means for automatically marking the telephone number as temporary;

means for automatically assigning a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed from the contact list upon an occurrence of the triggering event; and

means for displaying an indication to the user that the telephone number is stored as a temporary telephone number.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the means responsive to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number further comprises:

means for displaying a prompt to the user to manually mark the telephone number as temporary; and

means for displaying a prompt to the user to manually assign a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed upon an occurrence of the triggering event.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein said contact list policy is defined by the user.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the means for automatically marking the telephone number as temporary is responsive to the telephone number of the telephone call being a number that was recently dialed by the user.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the means for automatically marking the telephone number as temporary is responsive to the telephone call being received during a predefined time period.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the means for automatically marking the telephone number as temporary is responsive to an attribute associated with the telephone number.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the triggering event is set to occur after a predefined period of time.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program that, when executed, causes control circuitry within a mobile communications device to perform the steps of;

receiving a telephone call in a mobile communications device;

identifying a telephone number associated with the telephone call;

automatically searching a contact list of the mobile communications device;

determining that the telephone number is not included in the contact list;

detecting an attempt by a user of the mobile communications device to add the telephone number to the contact list;

determining whether a contact list policy of the mobile communications device indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number;

in response to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number, storing the telephone number in the contact list;

in response to determining that the contact list policy indicates the telephone number is a temporary telephone number;

storing the telephone number in the contact list;

automatically marking the telephone number as temporary;

automatically assigning a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed from the contact list upon an occurrence of the triggering event; and

displaying an indication to the user that the telephone number is stored as a temporary telephone number.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the response to determining that the contact list policy does not indicate the telephone number is a temporary telephone number further comprises:

displaying a prompt to the user to manually mark the telephone number as temporary; and

displaying a prompt to the user to manually assign a triggering event to the telephone number, wherein the telephone number is automatically removed upon an occurrence of the triggering event.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said contact list policy is defined by the user.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary in response to the telephone number of the telephone call being a number that was recently dialed by the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the telephone number is automatically marked as temporary in response to the telephone call being received during a predefined time period.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the triggering event is set to occur after a predefined period of time.