METHOD AND DEVICE FOR STORING AND ACCESSING RETAIL CONTACTS

• US 20110179018A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Lazaridis, Mihal
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method and device for storing and accessing retail contacts. The retail contact data includes retail contact information detailing a plurality of retail contacts, keywords, and a plurality of associations linking each retail contacts to at least one of the keywords. User input of a keyword results in display of the associated retail contacts. Selection of a retail contact from the display may result in initiation of a session such as a voice call or website access.

Claims

1. A method of connecting with a retail contact using a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device having a display and an input device, the method comprising:

storing retail contact data in memory on the mobile communication device, wherein the retail contact data includes retail contact information detailing a plurality of retail contacts, a plurality of keywords, and a plurality of associations linking each retail contact to one or more of the keywords;

receiving an input search term through the input device;

determining that the input search term matches one of the keywords;

identifying each retail contact linked to the matching keyword by one of the associations and retrieving retail contact information for each of the identified retail contacts;

displaying on the display the retail contact information retrieved for each of the identified retail contacts;

receiving a selection of one of the retail contacts displayed on the display; and

initiating a communication with the retail contact using a retail contact electronic address contained within the retail contact information for the selected retail contact.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the retail contact information for the selected retail contact further includes a graphic logo, and wherein said initiating includes displaying an active call user interface, and wherein the active call user interface includes the graphic logo.

4. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the retail contact information for the selected retail contact further includes special offer information received from the retail contact, and wherein said initiating includes displaying an active call user interface, and wherein the active call user interface includes displaying the special offer information.

5. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein said initiating includes displaying an active call user interface, and wherein the active call user interface includes a field for displaying information received from the retail contact over a simultaneous data channel.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the information received from the retail contact includes details of an order entered at a retail contact system.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises an HTTP request to access a webpage.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the webpage comprises a retail order entry page.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said retrieving retail contact information for each of the identified retail contacts includes retrieving order history data containing data regarding past orders placed with the identified retail contacts.

10. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein said displaying includes ranking the identified retail contacts based on their respective past orders and displaying the retail contacts in order of ranking.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, further including receiving a new keyword command relating to the selected retail contact and, in response, displaying an input field, receiving an input keyword, and storing the input keyword and a new association linking the input keyword to the selected retail contact.

23. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to execute the method claimed in claim 1.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an input device;

a display;

a communication subsystem; and

a contact application stored in memory and containing instructions for configuring the processor to connect with a retail contact by

storing retail contact data in said memory, wherein the retail contact data includes retail contact information detailing a plurality of retail contacts, a plurality of keywords, and a plurality of associations linking each retail contact to one or more of the keywords,

receiving an input search term through the input device,

determining that the input search term matches one of the keywords,

identifying each retail contact linked to the matching keyword by one of the associations and retrieving retail contact information for each of the identified retail contacts,

displaying on the display the retail contact information retrieved for each of the identified retail contacts,

receiving a selection of one of the retail contacts displayed on the display, and

initiating a communication with the retail contact using a retail contact electronic address contained within the retail contact information for the selected retail contact.

13. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 12, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

14. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 13, wherein the retail contact information for the selected retail contact further includes a graphic logo, and wherein said contact application configures the processor to display an active call user interface when initiating said communication, and wherein the active call user interface includes the graphic logo.

15. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 13, wherein the retail contact information for the selected retail contact further includes special offer information received from the retail contact, and wherein said contact application configures the processor to display an active call user interface, and wherein the active call user interface includes displaying the special offer information.

16. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 13, wherein said contact application configures the processor to display an active call user interface, and wherein the active call user interface includes a field for displaying information received from the retail contact over a simultaneous data channel.

17. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 16, wherein the information received from the retail contact includes details of an order entered at a retail contact system.

18. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 12, wherein the communication comprises an HTTP request to access a webpage.

19. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 18, wherein the webpage comprises a retail order entry page.

20. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 12, wherein said contact application configures the processor to retrieve retail contact information for each of the identified retail contacts by retrieving order history data containing data regarding past orders placed with the identified retail contacts.

21. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 20, wherein said contact application configures the processor to rank the identified retail contacts based on their respective past orders and display the retail contacts in order of ranking.

22. The mobile communication device claimed in claim 12, wherein said contact application further configures the processor to receive a new keyword command relating to the selected retail contact and, in response, display an input field, receive an input keyword, and store the input keyword and a new association linking the input keyword to the selected retail contact.