Dynamically Updated Web-Enabled and Embedded Contact Address in Communication Devices

• US 20110082896A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Doshi, Bhavin A., Awad, Mina, Doshi, Piyush Anoop, Kumar, Saurabh
• Application Number:
  US12/575,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Systems and methods for seamless automated updating of a subscriber'"'"'s address book based on relationships or “links” created between a subscriber and their contacts. The contacts are stored in a centralized addressbook database, and any updates to a subscriber'"'"'s profile or record within the database results in an update to each of the subscriber'"'"'s contacts'"'"' local address books stored on the contacts'"'"' devices. The system includes communication devices on a network being associated with subscribers of the network and an application server hosting an addressbook application, the application server having linking logic that creates a link between the subscribers where a modification of the first address on the addressbook database by the first subscriber results in a subsequent modification of the first address within a local copy of the addressbook database stored on a memory on the second device associated with the second subscriber.

Claims

1. A system for automatically updating an address for a subscriber, the system comprising:

a first communication device on a network, the first communication device being associated with a first subscriber of the network and having a first address on the network;

a second communication device on the network, the second communication device being associated with a second subscriber of the network and having a second address on the network;

an application server on the network that hosts an addressbook application, the application server being in communication with an addressbook database on the network, wherein the addressbook database stores at least the first and second addresses and associates them with the first and second subscribers; and

linking logic on the application server that creates a link between the first and second subscriber based on a communication between the first and second subscriber;

wherein a modification of the first address on the addressbook database by the first subscriber results in a subsequent modification of the first address within a local copy of the addressbook database stored on a memory on the second device associated with the second subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the addressbook database on the network comprises a plurality of records for a plurality of subscribers on the network, each record having a plurality of addresses for a plurality of devices associated with a subscriber of the network, each record further having a unique identifier for the subscriber of the network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the unique identifier is any combination of:

an email address, a social security number, a first and a last name, and a date of birth.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the first and second subscriber comprises a text message, the text message including a link request to be approved by the second subscriber.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the linking logic retrieves the communication from a billing record for the first or the second subscriber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the first and second subscriber comprises a link request submitted to the second subscriber via the application server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the linking logic creates the link by modifying the addressbook database on the network, the modification comprising adding the unique identifier of the second subscriber in a contact field in the record for the first subscriber, and adding the unique identifier of the first subscriber in a contact field in the record for the second subscriber.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first address is performed via a local copy of the addressbook application stored on a memory on the first device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the modification of the first address is performed via a web interface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the subsequent modification of the local copy of the addressbook database is performed by an updating logic on the application server, the updating logic modifying the local copy of the addressbook database over the network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the subsequent modification of the local copy of the addressbook database is performed by an updating logic on the second mobile device, the updating logic modifying the local copy of the addressbook database by retrieving the updated addressbook database from the network.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a permissions field in the record for each subscriber, the permissions field enabling the first subscriber to add a permission for the second subscriber to retrieve the record of the first subscriber from the addressbook database from the network.

13. A method for automatically updating an address for a contact, the method comprising:

storing a first record for a first subscriber on a network and a second record for a second subscriber on the network, the first and second records being stored in an addressbook database in communication with an application server on the network, wherein each record includes at least a unique identifier for the subscriber on the network, and an address of a device associated with the corresponding subscriber on the network;

creating a link between a first subscriber and the second subscriber based upon a communication between a first address of a first device associated with the first subscriber and a second address of a second device associated with the second subscriber;

modifying the record for the first subscriber on the addressbook database on the network; and

subsequently modifying a record for the first subscriber on a local copy of the addressbook database stored on a memory within the second device associated with the second subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

registering the first subscriber with the application server, wherein the registering further comprises creating a record for the first subscriber in the addressbook database on the network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is any combination of:

an email address, a social security number, a first and a last name, and a date of birth.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication between the first and second subscriber comprises a text message, the text message including a link request to be approved by the second subscriber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein creating a link further comprises retrieving the communication from a billing record for the first or the second subscriber.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein creating the link further comprises modifying the addressbook database on the network by adding the unique identifier of the second subscriber in a contact field in the record for the first subscriber, and adding the unique identifier of the first subscriber in a contact field in the record for the second subscriber.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein subsequently modifying the local copy of the addressbook database comprises modifying the local copy of the addressbook database over the network, or modifying the local copy of the addressbook database by retrieving the updated addressbook database from the network.

20. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium on a network, the computer program product embodying logic that performs the steps of:

storing a first record for a first subscriber on a network and a second record for a second subscriber on the network, the first and second records being stored in an addressbook database in communication with an application server on the network, wherein each record includes at least a unique identifier for the subscriber on the network, and an address of a device associated with the corresponding subscriber on the network;

creating a link between a first subscriber and the second subscriber based upon a communication between a first address of a first device associated with the first subscriber and a second address of a second device associated with the second subscriber;

modifying the record for the first subscriber on the addressbook database on the network; and

subsequently modifying a record for the first subscriber on a local copy of the addressbook database stored on a memory within the second device associated with the second subscriber.