Automatic update of a directory entry within a directory of an electronic communication device by electronic notification

• US 7,039,177 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US09/662,431
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 379/200, 379/280, 37935501-35601, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/355.06, 379/355.08, 379/213.01, 379/218.01
• US Class Current: 379/355.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A system and method are presented for updating directory entries within an electronic communication device upon receipt of an electronic notification. Electronic communication devices may include, but are not limited to telephones, facsimile machines and electronic organizers. The system and method as described herein allows a portion of a directory entry, which may be referred to as an entry content value, to be updated within a directory of an electronic communication device upon the receipt of an altered value. For example, if a user calls a telephone number of a person listed in a directory entry of the telephone and receives a message stating that the number has been changed, the new number may be electronically transmitted to the directory of the telephone. The transfer searches the directory of the telephone for the existing entry and updates the changed entry content value. Thus, the other entry content values within the directory are not changed.

Claims

1. An electronic communications device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium comprising program instructions executable by the processor for;

receiving an electronic notification of a change to a directory entry stored within the electronic communications device, wherein the electronic notification includes an identifier, a category heading, and an altered value;

presenting the electronic notification to a user of the electronic communications device; and

automatically updating the directory entry to include the altered value upon receipt of an acceptance command generated by the user, wherein the step of automatically updating the directory entry comprises;

comparing the identifier of the electronic notification to entry identifiers corresponding to a plurality of directory entries stored within the electronic communications device;

comparing the category heading of the electronic notification to field headings corresponding to the plurality of directory entries, upon matching the identifier of the electronic notification to an entry identifier associated with the directory entry; and

replacing one or more entry content values corresponding to the directory entry with the altered value, upon matching the category heading of the electronic notification to one or more field headings associated with the directory entry.

2. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said altered value comprises a name, a telephone number, a mailing address or an email address.

3. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic communications device comprises a telephone.

4. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic communications device comprises a facsimile machine.

5. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic communications device comprises a personal digital assistant.

6. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage medium further comprises a data structure, wherein said data structure comprises fields adapted for storage of entry content values and an entry identifier associated with each of the plurality of directory entries, and wherein the category heading associated with the electronic notification corresponds to one or more headings of said fields.

7. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 6, wherein said entry content values comprise a name, a telephone number, a mailing address or an email address.

8. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions executable by the processor for presenting a permission prompt to the user of the electronic communications device.

9. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 8, wherein said presenting comprises displaying on an output mechanism of the electronic communications device.

10. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 8, wherein said presenting comprises providing audible output.

11. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 8, wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions executable by the processor for receiving a confirmation indicator to accept the received electronic notification.

12. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 8, wherein the storage medium further comprises program instructions executable by the processor for receiving a reject command to reject the received electronic notification.

13. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 12, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a vocal input.

14. The electronic communications device as recited in claim 12, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tone.