METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING CONTACT INFORMATION IN A UNIVERSAL PLUG AND PLAY HOME NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140010358A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Patil, Mayuresh Madhukar, Ramamoorthy, Arun Prasath, Maeng, Je-Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for managing contact information in a universal plug and play (UPnP) home network environment. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of a telephony server (TS) for providing contact information to a telephony control point (TelCP) in a universal plug and play home network environment. The method includes receiving a request for providing contact information updates associated with at least one contact entry from the TelCP connected to the TS in an UPnP home network environment. The method further includes obtaining the requested contact information updates from an address book associated with the at least one contact entry. The method also includes providing the obtained contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry to the TelCP.

Claims

1. A method of a telephony server (TS) for providing contact information updates to a telephony control point (TelCP) in a universal plug and play home network environment, comprising:

receiving a request for providing contact information updates associated with at least one contact entry from a TelCP connected to a TS in a UPnP home network environment;

obtaining the requested contact information updates from an address book associated with the at least one contact entry; and

providing the obtained contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry to the TelCP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the requested contact information updates from the address book associated with the at least one contact entry comprises:

determining whether the requested contact information updates are associated with at least one contact entry in a local address book based on a contact identifier, wherein the request comprises the contact identifier of a contact entry for which the contact information updates are requested;

if so, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the local address book; and

if not, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from a network address book.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the local address book comprises:

determining whether there is any update made to the contact information associated with the at least one contact entry in the local address book; and

fetching update associated with the contact information from the local address book associated with the at least one contact entry if the contact information is updated in the local address book.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the network address book comprises:

determining whether there is any update made to the contact information associated with the at least one contact entry in the network address book; and

fetching update associated with the contact information from the network address book associated with the at least one contact entry if the contact information is updated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein fetching update associated with the contact information from the network address book associated with the at least one contact entry comprises:

storing the update associated with the contact information of the at least one contact entry in the local address book.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the network address book comprises:

subscribing contact information updates associated with the contact entry in the network address book.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry comprises at least one of telephony number, status, display name, and display image.

8. A telephony server (TS) comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes a contact information management module configured for;

receiving a request for providing contact information updates associated with at least one contact entry from a Telephony Control Point (TelCP) in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) home network environment;

obtaining the requested contact information updates from an address book associated with the at least one contact entry; and

providing the obtained contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry to the TelCP via the communication interface.

9. The telephony server of claim 8, wherein in obtaining the requested contact information updates from the address book associated with the at least one contact entry, the contact information management module is configured for:

determining whether the requested contact information updates are associated with at least one contact entry in a local address book based on a contact identifier, wherein the request comprises the contact identifier of a contact entry for which the contact information updates are requested;

if so, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the local address book; and

if not, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from a network address book.

10. The telephony server of claim 9, wherein in obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the local address book, the contact information management module is configured for:

determining whether there is any update made to the contact information associated with the at least one contact entry in the local address book; and

fetching update associated with the contact information from the local address book associated with the at least one contact entry if the contact information is updated in the local address book.

11. The telephony server of claim 9, wherein in obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the network address book, the contact information management module is configured for:

determining whether there is any update made to the contact information associated with the at least one contact entry in the network address book; and

fetching update associated with the contact information from the network address book associated with the at least one contact entry if the contact information is updated.

12. The telephony server of claim 11, wherein in fetching update associated with the contact information from the network address book associated with the at least one contact entry, the contact information management module is configured for:

storing the update associated with the contact information of the at least one contact entry in the local address book.

13. The telephony server of claim 9, wherein in obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the network address book, the contact information management module is configured for:

subscribing contact information updates associated with the contact entry in the network address book.

14. The telephony server of claim 8, wherein contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry comprises at least one of telephony number, status, display name, and display image.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, that when executed by a telephony server, cause the telephony server to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request for providing contact information updates associated with at least one contact entry from a Telephony Control Point (TelCP) in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) home network environment;

obtaining the requested contact information updates from an address book associated with the at least one contact entry; and

providing the obtained contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry to the TelCP via the communication interface.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein in obtaining the requested contact information updates from the address book associated with the at least one contact entry, the method comprises:

determining whether the requested contact information updates are associated with at least one contact entry in a local address book based on a contact identifier, wherein the request comprises the contact identifier of a contact entry for which the contact information updates are requested;

if so, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from the local address book; and

if not, obtaining the requested contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry from a network address book.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry comprises at least one of telephony number, status, display name, and display image.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the address book comprises one of a local address book and a network address book.

19. A method of a telephony server (TS) for sharing a personal contact card of a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) user with a remote party, comprising:

receiving a request for a personal contact card associated with a user of a telephony control point (TelCP) in a UPnP home network environment from a wireless area network (WAN) device;

determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device;

if so, sending the personal contact card associated with the user of the TelCP with the WAN device; and

if not, returning an error message to the WAN device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device comprises:

sending a notification regarding the request for personal contact card associated with the user to the TelCP;

receiving a response message to the notification from the TelCP,

wherein the response indicates whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the WAN device and type of information in the personal contact card to be shared with the WAN device; and

determining whether the personal contact card associated with the user is to be shared with the WAN device based on the received response.

21. A telephony server (TS) comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes a contact information management module configured for;

receiving a request for a personal contact card associated with a user of a telephony control point (TelCP) in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) home network environment from a wireless area network (WAN) device via the communication interface;

determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device;

if so, sending the personal contact card associated with the user of the TelCP with the WAN device via the communication interface; and

if not, returning an error message to the WAN device via the communication interface.

22. The telephony server of claim 21, wherein in determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device, the contact information management module is configured for:

sending a notification regarding the request for personal contact card associated with the user to the TelCP;

receiving a response message to the notification from the TelCP,

wherein the response indicates whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the WAN device and type of information in the personal contact card to be shared with the WAN device; and

determining whether the personal contact card associated with the user is to be shared with the WAN device based on the received response.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, that when executed by a telephony server, cause the telephony server to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request for a personal contact card associated with a user of a telephony control point (TelCP) in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) home network environment from a wireless area network (WAN) device via the communication interface;

determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device;

if so, sending the personal contact card associated with the user of the TelCP with the WAN device via the communication interface; and

if not, returning an error message to the WAN device via the communication interface.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein in determining whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the user of the WAN device, the method comprises:

sending a notification regarding the request for personal contact card associated with the user to the TelCP;

receiving a response message to the notification from the TelCP,

wherein the response indicates whether the personal contact card is to be shared with the WAN device and type of information in the personal contact card to be shared with the WAN device; and

determining whether the personal contact card associated with the user is to be shared with the WAN device based on the received response.