System and method for managing contact information based on use of a communications device

• US 6,529,724 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khazaka, Samir K., Kaplan, Diego A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marleau
• Application Number:
  US09/420,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/412, 455/575, 455/413, 455/414, 455/418, 455/419, 455/556, 455/557, 379/167.1, 379/142.06, 379/142.07, 379/83, 379/85
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use

Abstract

The contact information manager manages contact information based on information automatically obtained through use of a communications device. The contact information manager stores information about contacts and allows options for retrieval of the contact information. Contact information is managed by modifying values in one or more dynamic fields with call information obtained through use of the communications device. The contact information is retrieved by a user selecting to retrieve information and providing a retrieval selection indicating a preference of format of the presentation of the retrieved contact information.

Claims

1. A method for managing contact information stored in a memory of a communications network interface device, the memory containing a static field and a dynamic field, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing contact information in the memory and associating the stored contact information with the static field;

(b) storing information relating to a specific active communication of the interface device within the communications network interface device;

(c) associating the information stored in step (b) with the dynamic field of the memory; and

(d) sorting the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored contact information associated with the static field comprises destination information for at least one other communications network interface device coupled to a communications network, and the information associated with the dynamic field comprises at least one of frequency of outgoing calls, frequency of incoming calls, length of outgoing calls, length of incoming calls, time of last outgoing call, and time of last incoming call, comprising the further steps of:

(e) updating the information associated with the dynamic field upon completion of a specific communication with a stored destination number; and

(f) re-sorting the stored contact information according to the updated information associated with the dynamic field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the memory contains a plurality of static fields, comprising the further steps of:

(g) performing step (f) as a function of the information associated with a selected one or more of the plurality of static fields.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first interface device comprises a wireless telephone and the at least one other interface device comprises devices selected from the group including wireless telephones and wireless paging devices, the stored contact information includes a telephone number associated with the at least one other interface device, comprising the further steps of:

(g) storing contact information associated with a plurality of other interface devices;

(h) initially sorting the stored contact information according to the static field; and

(i) following step (h), sorting the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the memory contains a plurality of dynamic fields, comprising the further steps of:

(j) associating the information stored in step (b) with one or more of the plurality of dynamic fields as a function of the type of information being stored; and

(k) sorting the stored contact information as a function of the information associated with a selected one or more of the plurality of dynamic fields.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(j) selecting one item of stored contact information; and

(k) activating the first interface device to communicate via the communications network with the at least one other communications network interface device associated with a telephone number contained in the selected item of stored contact information.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

(j) displaying on a display contained in the first interface device the sorted stored contact information.

8. In a communications network interface device, apparatus for managing contact information, comprising:

a memory containing a static field and a dynamic field;

means for storing contact information in the memory and associating the stored contact information with the static field;

means for storing information relating to a specific active communication of the interface device within the communications network and for associating the information relating to a specific active communication with the dynamic field of the memory; and

means for sorting the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the stored contact information associated with the static field comprises destination information for at least one other interface device coupled to the communications network, and the information associated with the dynamic field comprises at least one of frequency of outgoing calls, frequency of incoming calls, length of outgoing calls, length of incoming calls, time of last outgoing call, and time of last incoming call.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for updating the information associated with the dynamic field upon completion of a specific communication with a stored destination number; and

means for re-sorting the stored contact information according to the updated information associated with the dynamic field.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory contains a plurality of static fields, and further comprising:

means for sorting the stored contact information as a function of the information associated with a selected one or more of the plurality of static fields.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first interface device comprises a wireless telephone and the at least one other interface device comprises devices selected from the group including wireless telephones and wireless paging devices, the stored contact information includes a telephone number associated with the at least one other interface device, further comprising:

means for storing contact information associated with a plurality of other interface devices;

means for sorting the stored contact information according to the static field; and

means for sorting the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory contains a plurality of dynamic fields, and further comprising:

means for associating the stored information relating to a specific active communication with one or more of the plurality of dynamic fields as a function of the type of information being stored; and

means for sorting the stored contact information as a function of the information associated with a selected one or more of the plurality of dynamic fields.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for selecting one item of stored contact information; and

means for activating the first interface device to communicate via the communications network with the at least one other communications network interface device associated with a telephone number contained in the selected item of stored contact information.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for displaying on a display contained in the first interface device the sorted stored contact information.

16. For use in a communications network interface device having a memory containing a static field and a dynamic field, a computer program product for managing contact information comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to organize data, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling the processor to store contact information in the memory and associate the stored contact information with the static field;

means for enabling the processor to store information relating to a specific active communication of the interface device within the communications network and to associate the information relating to a specific active communication with the dynamic field of the memory; and

means for enabling the processor to sort the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the stored contact information associated with the static field comprises destination information for at least one other interface device coupled to the communications network, and the information associated with the dynamic field comprises at least one of frequency of outgoing calls, frequency of incoming calls, length of outgoing calls, length of incoming calls, time of last outgoing call, and time of last incoming call, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to update the information associated with the dynamic field upon completion of a specific communication with a stored destination number; and

means for enabling the processor to re-sort the stored contact information according to the updated information associated with the dynamic field.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the memory comprises a plurality of static fields, the stored contact information includes a telephone number associated with the at least one other interface device and at least one other item of information associated with the at least one other interface device, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to store contact information associated with a plurality of other interface devices;

means for enabling the processor to sort the stored contact information according to each of the static fields; and

means for enabling the processor to sort the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field and according to the contact information stored in the plurality of static fields.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first interface device comprises a wireless telephone and the at least one other interface device comprises devices selected from the group including wireless telephones and wireless paging devices, the stored contact information includes a telephone number associated with the at least one other interface device, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to store contact information associated with a plurality of other interface devices;

means for enabling the processor to sort the stored contact information according to the static field; and

means for enabling the processor to sort the stored contact information according to the stored information associated with the dynamic field.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to select one item of stored contact information; and

means for enabling the processor to activate the first interface device to communicate via the communications network with the at least one other communications network interface device associated with a telephone number contained in the selected item of stored contact information.