MANAGEMENT OF CONTACT INFORMATION ON A COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110087747A1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: HIRST, David M., JUDGE, Francis Patrick, DAMODARAN, Prakash
• Application Number:
  US12/755,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087747A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs

Abstract

A system and method for the display and selection of contact data for inclusion in an address entry field in a graphical user interface of a communication device is provided. When a character string is input in an address entry field, a selection list such as a drop-down list is presented for selection of a contact having contact information matching the input string. The list is populated from both an address book and a contact data store. The contact data store comprises contact data mined from incoming and outgoing messages at the communication device. The contact data in the contact data store is aged or evaluated for frequency of use. A copy of the contact data store may be maintained in an enterprise system associated with the communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving, from memory at the communication device, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field at the communication device,

wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from a contact data store, said contacts being obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit; and

inserting an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the message comprising the address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of contacts further comprises contacts matching the character string retrieved from an address book.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message; and

storing the extracted contacts in the contact data store.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of contacts further comprises contacts matching the character string retrieved from an address book, and further wherein storing an extracted contact comprises storing said extracted contact if it does not match a contact currently stored in the address book at the communication device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing a frequency value in association with each contact in the contact data store, the frequency value representing a frequency of use of said contact since its inclusion in the contact data store.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

deleting from the contact data store contacts stored in the contact data store for longer than a predetermined limit and having less than the minimum predetermined frequency of use.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein deleting is carried out either:

periodically;

or

each time an extracted contact is stored in the contact data store.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication device is in communication with a host system, the method further comprising:

the host system extracting contacts from both messages received at the host system for transmission to the communication device and messages received from the communication device for transmission from the host system, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message; and

storing said extracted contacts in a second contact data store at the host system.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a processor in communication with a transceiver and for receiving and transmitting messages; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing a contact data store, the contact data store comprising contacts obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit,

wherein the processor is configured to;

retrieve, from the memory, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field displayed on the communication device, wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from the contact data store; and

insert an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the message comprising the address.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the memory is further configured to store an address book, the address book comprising contacts, and the set of contacts further comprises contacts matching the character string retrieved from the address book.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

extract contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message; and

store the extracted contacts in the contact data store.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the set of contacts further comprises contacts matching the character string retrieved from an address book, and wherein the processor is further configured to store an extracted contact if it does not match a contact currently stored in the address book.

15. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store a frequency value in association with each contact in the contact data store, the frequency value representing a frequency of use of said contact since its inclusion in the contact data store.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

delete from the contact data store contacts stored in the contact data store for longer than a predetermined limit and having less than the minimum predetermined frequency of use.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to carry out deletion either:

periodically;

or

each time an extracted contact is stored in the contact data store.

18. A system comprising:

a communication device, comprising;

a processor in communication with a transceiver and for receiving and transmitting messages; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing a contact data store, the contact data store comprising contacts obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit,

wherein the processor is configured to;

retrieve, from the memory, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field displayed on the communication device, wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from the contact data store;

insert an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device;

extract contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message; and

store the extracted contacts in the contact data store; and

a host system in communication with the communication device, wherein the host system is configured to extract contacts from both messages received at the host system for transmission to the communication device and messages received from the communication device for transmission from the host system, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message, and to store said extracted contacts in a second contact data store at the host system.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing program code which, when executed, causes a communication device to carry out the method of:

retrieving, from memory at the communication device, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field at the communication device,

wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from a contact data store, said contacts being obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit; and

inserting an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing program code which, when executed, causes a communication device to carry out the method of:

extracting contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message;

storing the extracted contacts in a contact data store in a memory of the communication device;

retrieving a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field at the communication device,

wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from a contact data store, said contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit; and

inserting an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.