TIME AND LOCATION DATA APPENDED TO CONTACT INFORMATION

• US 20130091156A1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Water's Edge Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Water's Edge Partners LLC
• Inventors: Falkauff, Adam Jay, Raiche, Samuel B.
• Application Number:
  US13/267,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs

Abstract

On a handheld device, a user enters new contact information to create a new contact entry, and a time stamp and geographic location are automatically added to the new contact entry. Therefore, when the user later views that contact entry, the location and time when the user gathered that contact information is noted. This can assist the user in identifying the particular individual represented by the contact entry.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a new contact entry record on a hand held computing device that includes a processor, the method comprising:

displaying, with the processor, a user interface on the hand held computing device having a user input element;

receiving user input to create a new contact entry record for a given person through the user input element, the user input including contact information for the new contact entry record that identifies the given person;

obtaining location information corresponding to the contact information that is indicative of a geographic location of the hand held computing device where the new contact entry record was created;

obtaining time information corresponding to the contact information that is indicative of a time when the new contact entry record was created;

storing, with the processor, the new contact entry record in a data store, the new contact entry record including the contact information, the associated location information and the associated time information;

receiving, at the processor, a user search input to search the data store for a desired contact entry record based on search criteria that includes at least one of input location information indicative of a location of the hand held computing device where the desired contact entry record was created and input time information indicative of a time when the desired contact entry record was created; and

displaying, on the hand held computing device, a list of contact entry records based on the search criteria.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of contact entry records comprises:

when the search criteria comprises input location information, identifying contact entry records in the data store based on a geographic distance between the location information associated with the contact entry records and the input location information.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of contact entry records comprises:

when the search criteria comprises input time information, identifying contact entry records in the data store based on a temporal distance between the time information associated with the contact entry records and the input time information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying a list of contact entries comprises:

automatically receiving a current location of the processor; and

displaying a map that includes the current location of the processor and contact points, located on the map, each contact point corresponding to a contact entry record and being located on the map at a location identified by associated location information in the content entry record.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein displaying a list of contact entries comprises:

displaying the contact entry points as icons that visually differ based on a context in which the associated contact entry was obtained.

4. (canceled)

7. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a data store that stores one or more computer readable contact entry records that each include contact information for a subject of the contact entry record along with additional information comprising at least one of;

a time stamp indicative of a time when the contact entry record was created, and

a location stamp indicative of a geographical location where the contact entry record was created;

a processor that receives a user search input and searches the data store to identify a desired contact entry record based on the user search input; and

a user interface display, the processor generating a display on the user interface display that shows the contact information and the additional information for the desired contact entry record.

8. The handheld computing device of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to automatically store last contact information, associated with the identified contact entry, in the data store, the last contact information including a date that a user of the handheld computing device last contacted the subject of the identified contact entry.

9. The handheld computing device of claim 8 wherein the processor generates the display to show the last contact information.

10. The handheld computing device of claim 9 wherein the last contact information displayed includes a mode portion indicative of a mode of communication used to make the last contact.

11. The handheld computing device of claim 10 wherein the last contact information displayed includes a content portion that shows a substantive content of the last contact.

12. The handheld computing device of claim 7 wherein the user search input comprises a request to display contacts and wherein the processor generates the display by displaying a list of the contact entries grouped according to a date range having a first granularity.

13. The handheld computing device of claim 12 wherein the processor receives a second user input to increase granularity and wherein the processor generates the display by displaying a list of the contact entries grouped according to a date range having a second granularity, that is increased relative to the first granularity.

14. The handheld computing device of claim 7 wherein the user search input comprises a request to display contacts and wherein the processor generates the display by displaying a list of the contact entries grouped according to a geographic area having a first granularity.

15. The handheld computing device of claim 14 wherein the processor receives a second user input to increase granularity and wherein the processor generates the display by displaying a list of the contact entries grouped according to a geographic area having a second granularity, that is increased relative to the first granularity.

16. The handheld computing device of claim 7, wherein the user search input comprises at least one of:

input location information indicative of a time when the desired contact entry record was created; and

input time information indicative of a location of the hand held computing device where the desired contact entry record was created.

17. The handheld computing device of claim 16, wherein the user search input comprises input location information and the processor searches the data store to identify contact entries based on a geographic distance between the location stamp associated with the identified contact entry and the input location information, and wherein the processor generates the display by displaying contact entries in order based on the geographic distance.

18. The handheld computing device of claim 17 and further comprising:

a location system that provides an output indicative of a current geographic location of the handheld computing and wherein the processor receives the input location information by automatically receiving the current geographic location from the location system.

19. The handheld computing device of claim 18 wherein the processor displays the contact entries by displaying a map that includes the current geographic location and contact points, located on the map, each contact point corresponding to a contact entry and being located on the map at a location identified by the associated location stamp.

20. A hardware computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, comprising:

generating a user interface display on the computer that receives contact information from a user, the contact information corresponding to a given person, other than the user, that is a subject of the contact information;

automatically generating a time stamp that identifies a time that the contact information is received from the user through the user interface display on the computer;

automatically generating a location stamp that identifies a geographical location of the computer where the contact information is received from the user through the user interface display on the computer;

storing the contact information, the time stamp and the location stamp as a contact entry in a data store;

receiving a user input requesting display of the contact entry; and

generating a user interface display for the identified contact entry, including a display of the contact information for the identified contact entry, the time stamp for the identified contact entry and the location stamp for the identified contact entry.

21. The hardware computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer comprises a handheld mobile device.