System and method for converting and loading interactive pager address books

• US 6,748,402 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reeves, Jon, Reeves, Karla
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamilton, Monplaisir G.
• Application Number:
  US09/822,317
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/104.1, 707/201, 707/202, 707/204, 707/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A conversion tool inputs an address book downloaded from an interactive pager executing an operating system that is not compatible with personal information managers. The conversion tool outputs a user database in a format compatible with a target personal information manager. The conversion tool analyzes each record of contact information in the address book information file to determine the corresponding field of the target personal information manager. If there is no corresponding field in the personal information manager, the conversion tool places the record in a default field in the target personal information manager. The determination is made on the basis of a pre-determined mapping of field names from the address book information file to the target personal information manager. The user database is merged with a corporate database in a personal information manager contacts list database. The personal information manager contacts list database is uploaded to an interactive pager that is compatible with the personal information manager.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user to load user contact information in an address book stored in a first interactive pager into a second interactive pager into a second interactive pager via a target personal information manager, wherein a first operating system of the first interactive pager is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second interactive pager, and wherein the second interactive pager is compatible with the personal information manager, comprising:

a computer having a computer disk on which the address book is downloaded from the first interactive pager to an address book information file, wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager stored on the computer

a conversion tool (i) for converting all of the user contact information from the address book downloaded to the address book information file and (ii) for storing converted user contact information representing all of the user contact information after conversion in a user database, wherein the converted user contact information stored in the user database is in a format compatible with the target personal information manager;

a corporate master database comprising corporate contact information in communication with the computer;

a merge contact lists processor to merge the converted user contact information in the user database with the corporate contact information in the corporate master database and to store merged contact information in a personal information manager contacts list database; and

uploading software for uploading the merged contact information in the personal information manager contacts list database to the second interactive pager that is compatible with the target personal information manager.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the user contact information comprises a plurality of name-tag-value data records.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the converted user contact information comprises a plurality of contact information records, and wherein the conversion tool comprises means for analyzing a tag associated with each contact record to determine a corresponding tag in the target personal information manager and means for storing the each contact record in the personal information manager contacts list database according to its corresponding tag in the target personal information manager.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the conversion tool further comprises means for removing redundant contact information.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the conversion tool further comprises means for removing inconsistent contact information.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the address book information file is a .LFA file.

7. A method for enabling a user to load user contact information in an address book stored in a first interactive pager to a second interactive pager via a target personal information manager, wherein a first operating system of the first interactive pager is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second interactive pager, and wherein the second interactive pager is compatible with the personal information manager, comprising the steps of:

backing up the address book in the first interactive pager to an address book information file, wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager;

converting (i) all of the user contact information of the address book downloaded to the address book information file and (ii) storing converted user contact information representing all of the user contact information after conversion to a user database, wherein the converted user contact information stored in the user database having a format compatible with the personal information manager;

merging the converted user contact information stored in the user database with corporate contact information stored in a corporate master database having a format compatible with the personal information manager, and storing merged contact information into a personal information manager contacts list database; and

uploading the merged contact information stored in the personal information manager contacts list database to the a second interactive pager executing an operating system that is compatible with the personal information manager.

8. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

flashing the first interactive pager that is not compatible with the personal information system with an operating system that is compatible with the personal information manager; and

uploading the merged contact information in the personal information manager contacts list database to the first interactive pager that has been flashed.

9. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

extracting a contact information record from the address book information file;

determining a field in the personal information manager corresponding to a tag in the contact information record; and

storing the information in the contact information record in the personal information manager contacts list database in accordance with the determined field.

10. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the backing up step comprises the step of creating a .LFA file.

11. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the merging step comprises the step of removing redundant contact information records.

12. The method recited in claim 11, wherein the removing step determines that a contact record is redundant if it contains the same name, tag and value information as a prior contact information record.

13. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the merging step comprises the step of removing inconsistent information.

14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of giving precedence to contact record information in the corporate master database.

15. A system for enabling;

a user to load user contact information in an address book stored in a first interactive pager to a second interactive pager via a target personal information, wherein a first operating system of the first interactive pager is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second interactive pager, and wherein the second interactive pager is compatible with the personal information manager, comprising;

means for downloading the user contact information from the address book to a computer disk to be stored as an address book information file, wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager;

means for converting all of the user contact information of the address book downloaded to the address book information file and storing converted user contact information representing all of the user contact information after conversion to a user database that is compatible with the target personal information manager, wherein the converted user contact information stored in the user database is in a format compatible with the target personal information manger and contains a plurality of user contact information records;

means for creating a corporate master database containing a plurality of corporate contact information records;

means for merging the converted user contact information in the user database and the plurality of corporate contact information records in the corporate master database and storing merged contact information into a personal information contacts list database that is accessible to the target personal information manager; and

means for uploading the merged contact information stored in the personal information contacts list database to the a second interactive pager executing an operating system that is compatible with the target, personal information manager.

16. The system recited in claim 15, further comprising, means for flashing the first interactive pager with an operating system that is compatible with the target personal information manager so that the first interactive pager is capable of executing the operating system that is compatible with the target personal information manager, and means for uploading the personal information contacts list to the first interactive pager.

17. The system recited in claim 15, further comprising means for removing redundant user contact information records.

18. The system recited in claim 15, further comprising means for removing inconsistent user contact information records.

19. The system recited in claim 15, where there is no pre-existing personal information manager contacts list database, comprising means for creating the personal information manager contacts list database.

20. A computer program product for causing a computer to load user contact information in an address book stored in a first interactive pager into a second interactive pager via a target personal information manager, wherein a first operating system of the first interactive pager is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second interactive pager, and wherein the second interactive pager is compatible with the personal information manager, comprising:

computer programmable code means for causing the computer to download the user contact information of the address book to a computer disk to be stored as an address book information file wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager;

computer programmable code means for causing the computer to convert all of the user contact information from the address book downloaded to the address book information file and storing converted user contact information to a user database that is compatible with the personal information manager, wherein the converted user contact information stored in the user database is compatible with the target personal information manager and contains a plurality of user contact information records;

computer programmable code means for causing the computer to create a corporate master database containing a plurality of corporate contact information records;

computer programmable code means for causing the computer to merge the converted user contact information in the user database and the plurality of corporate contact information records in the corporate master database, and storing merged contact information into the personal information contacts list database that is accessible by to the target personal information manager; and

computer programmable code means for causing the computer to upload the merged contact information stored in the personal information contacts list database to the a second interactive pager executes an operating system that is compatible with the target personal information manager.

21. The computer program product recited in claim 20, further comprising computer programmable code means for causing the computer to flash the first interactive pager with an operating system that is compatible with the target personal information manager so that the first interactive pager is capable of executing the an operating system that is compatible with the personal information manager and computer programmable code means for uploading the personal information contacts list database to the first interactive pager.

22. The computer program product recited in claim 20, further comprising computer programmable code means for causing the computer to remove redundant user contact information records.

23. The computer program product recited in claim 20, further comprising computer programmable code means for causing the computer to remove inconsistent user contact information records.

24. The computer program product recited in claim 20, where there is no preexisting personal information manager contacts list database, comprising computer programmable code means for causing the computer to create the personal information manager contacts list database.

25. A method for loading user contact information stored in an address book stored in a first interactive pager via a target personal information manager, wherein a first operating system of the first interactive pager is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second interactive pager, and wherein the second interactive pager is compatible with the personal information manager, comprising the steps of:

downloading the user contact information of the address book to a computer disk as an address book information file, wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager stored on the computer;

converting all of the user contact information of the address book downloaded to the address book information book file and storing converted user contact information to a user database that is compatible with the personal information manager;

merging the converted user contact information of the user database with corporate contact information stored in a corporate master database and storing merged contact information into a personal information manager contacts list; and

uploading the merged contact information stored in the personal information manager contacts list to the a second interactive pager that is compatible with the target personal information manager.

26. The method recited in claim 25, wherein the merging step comprises the step of removing redundant contact information.

27. The method recited in claim 25, wherein the merging step comprises the step of removing inconsistent contact information.

28. The method recited in claim 25, wherein the converting step comprises the step of determining a field in the personal information manager corresponding to each record of contact information in the address book information file.

29. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

creating a mapping table of mappings of fields;

from the address book information file to fields in the personal information manager; and

referring to the table to performing the determining step.

30. A system for enabling a user to load user contact information in an address book stored in a first communications device to a second communications device via a target personal information manager, wherein a first operating system of the first communications device is not compatible with the personal information manager and a second operating system of the second communications device, and wherein the second communications device is compatible with the personal information manager, wherein the first and second communications devices are the same type of communication device, comprising:

a computer for downloading the address book from the first communication device to an address book information file wherein the address book information file is not compatible with the target personal information manager stored on the computer;

a conversion tool (i) for converting all of the user contact information from the address book downloaded to the address book information file and (ii) for storing converted user contact information representing all of the user contact information after conversion in a user database, wherein the converted user contact information stored in the user database is in a format compatible with the target personal information manager;

a corporate master database comprising corporate contact information in communication with the computer;

a merge contact lists process to merge the converted user contact information in the user database with the corporate contact information in the corporate master database and store merged contact information in a personal information manager contacts list database; and

uploading software for uploading the merged contact information stored in the personal information manager contacts list database to the a second communications device compatible with the target personal information manager.

31. The system recited in claim 30, wherein the user contact information comprises a plurality of name-tag-value data records.

32. The system recited m claim 30, wherein the converted user contact information comprises a plurality of contact information records, and wherein the conversion tool comprises means for analyzing a tag associated with each contact record to determine a corresponding tag in the target personal information manager and means for storing the each contact record in the personal information manager contacts list database according to its corresponding tag in the target personal information manager.

33. The system recited in claim 30, wherein the conversion tool further comprises means for removing redundant contact information.

34. The system recited in claim 30, wherein the conversion tool further comprises means for removing inconsistent contact information.

35. The system recited in claim 30, wherein the address book information file is a .LFA file.