CONNECTED ADDRESS BOOK SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100083125A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodrigues, Ruchir, Relyea, Donald, Hao, Jack, Beckwith, Robert, Zafar, Shadman, Aldrey, Raul, Roberts, Brian, Felt, Michelle, Stallings, Heath
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

In an exemplary method, contacts data for a network address book is maintained, data representative of at least a portion of a local address book maintained on an access device is received over a network, and the received local address book data is used to perform at least one connected address book operation. In one example in which the contacts data includes data representative of a network address book listing associated with a user, data representative of a persona associated with the user is maintained, a request to access the network address book listing is received, and at least a subset of the data representative of the network address book listing is identified and provided in response to the request and based at least in part on the persona.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining contacts data for a network address book;

receiving, over a network, data representative of at least a portion of a local address book maintained on an access device; and

using said data representative of said at least a portion of said local address book to perform at least one connected address book operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one connected address book operation includes

identifying at least one listing common to said local address book and said network address book, and

providing to said access device at least one indication of said at least one common listing.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying said at least one indication in an address book view included in a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one connected address book operation includes

providing at least one tool configured to facilitate a user selection to relinquish control of a local address book listing in said local address book to said network address book, and

converting said local address book listing to a network address book listing in response to said user selection to relinquish control of said local address book listing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one connected address book operation includes converting said local address book to a hybrid address book including at least one local address book listing and at least one network address book listing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said contacts data includes data representative of a network address book listing associated with a user, and wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining data representative of a persona associated with said user;

receiving a request to access said network address book listing; and

identifying and providing at least a subset of said data representative of said network address book listing in response to said request and based at least in part on said persona.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

maintaining data representative of another persona associated with said user;

receiving another request to access said network address book listing; and

identifying and providing at least another subset of said data representative of said network address book listing in response to said another request and based at least in part on said another persona.

8. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium.

9. A method comprising:

maintaining contacts data for an address book listing associated with a first user;

maintaining data representative of a persona associated with said first user;

receiving a request from a second user to access said address book listing;

identifying a select set of said contacts data associated with said address book listing in response to said request and based at least in part on said persona; and

providing said second user with access to said select set of said contacts data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining data representative of another persona associated with said first user;

receiving, from a third user, another request to access said address book listing;

identifying another select set of said contacts data associated with said address book listing in response to said another request and based at least in part on said another persona; and

providing said third user with access to said another select set of said contacts data.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining said address book listing as part of a connected address book including a plurality of address book listings associated with a plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said request is received and said access to said select set of said contacts data is provided over a network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said persona is defined by said first user and specifies an association between said second user and said select set of contacts data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving data representative of a local listing included in a local address book maintained on an access device; and

using said data representative of said local listing to perform at least one connected address book operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one connected address book operation includes

identifying a match between said local listing and said address book listing, and

providing an indication of said match to said access device.

16. A system comprising:

a data store configured to store contacts data for a network address book;

a communication module configured to receive data representative of at least a portion of a local address book maintained on an access device;

a processing module; and

a connected address book module configured to direct said processing module to use said data representative of said at least a portion of said local address book to perform at least one connected address book operation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one connected address book operation includes

identifying at least one listing common to said local address book and said network address book, and

providing at least one indication of said at least one common listing to said access device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a connected address book facility within said access device, said connected address book facility configured to interface with a local address book facility within said access device to provide said indication for display in a local address book view included in a graphical user interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said connected address book facility is configured to convert a local listing included in a local address book maintained on said access device to a connected address book listing associated with said network address book.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said connected address book facility is configured to provide at least one tool configured to facilitate a user selection to relinquish control of said local listing, wherein said connected address book facility is configured to convert said local listing to said connected address book listing in response to said user selection to relinquish control of said local listing.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a connected address book facility within said access device, said connected address book facility configured to interface with a local address book facility within said access device and with said connected address book module to provide a hybrid address book including at least one local address book listing associated with a local address book maintained on said access device and at least one network address book listing associated with said network address book.

22. A system comprising:

a connected address book module configured to maintain contacts data for an address book listing associated with a user; and

a profile management module configured to maintain data representative of a user profile associated with said user, said user profile including data representative of a plurality of personas specifying a plurality of different sets of said contacts data;

wherein, in response to a request from another user to access said address book listing, said connected address book module is configured to

match said another user to one of said personas, and

provide said another user with access to said set of contacts data specified by said matched persona.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said profile management module is configured to provide at least one tool configured to facilitate user designation of at least a subset of said user profile data for use by said connected address book module.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said profile management module is configured to provide at least one tool configured to facilitate user definition of said plurality of personas.