Programmatic discovery of common contacts

• US 7,099,862 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Gregory P., Lebowitz, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEL JALIL, NEVEEN
• Application Number:
  US09/921,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/102, 707/104, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/230, 709/238, 705/26, 713/202, 455/412, 455/456
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A common contact identification system. The common contact identification system can include at least two contact lists, a comparator for comparing contacts in each of the contact lists, and a common contact list including contacts matched by said comparator. Each contact list can include a plurality of contacts. Each contact list further can have a publicly accessible interface through which the contacts can be accessed remotely. As such, the comparator can identify matching contacts in each of the contact lists.

Claims

1. A computerized method of generating a list of common contacts, comprising the steps of:

exchanging at least two contact lists over a physical communications link, wherein each contact list is stored in a distinct database and defines a distinct set different from the other and corresponds to a different user;

comparing contacts in said exchanged contact lists to identify matching contacts; and

,

generating and storing in a common contacts database a contact list defining yet another distinct set and containing said matched contacts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said exchanging step comprises the steps of:

establishing a wireless communications link; and

,

exchanging said contact lists over said established wireless communications link.

3. A computerized method of generating a list of common contacts, comprising the steps of:

accessing a contact list defining a set being stored in a remotely accessible database of contacts;

comparing contacts in said contact list with contacts in a stored database of contacts defining another distinct set, said contact list and said contacts in a stored database of contacts each corresponding to a different user;

producing matching contacts as a result of said comparing; and

providing a visual hyperlink for each matching contact produced by said comparing step, wherein said hyperlinked matching contacts define a third set.

4. A computerized method of generating a list of common contacts, comprising the steps of:

first retrieving a plurality of contacts from an exposed, remotely accessible contact list stored in a first database, the exposed, remotely accessible contact list defining a first set associated with a user;

first comparing said first retrieved contacts to contacts contained in a locally accessible contact list stored in a second database, said locally accessible contact list defining a second set distinct from said first set and associated with a different user;

first identifying common contacts among said first compared contacts;

second retrieving a plurality of contacts from an exposed, remotely accessible contact list associated with one of said first retrieved contacts stored in a third database;

second comparing said second retrieved contacts to said locally stored contacts;

second identifying common contacts among said second compared contacts; and

,

generating and storing a common contacts list in a common contacts database, the common contacts list defining yet another distinct set and containing said identified common contacts.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of repeating said second retrieving, second comparing and second identifying steps for each first retrieved contact not identified as a common contact in said first identifying step.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the step of second retrieving a plurality of contacts from an exposed, remotely accessible contact list associated with one of said first retrieved contacts not identified as a common contact in said first identifying step.

7. A common contact identification system comprising:

at least two contact lists stored in separate databases, each said contact list defining a distinct set comprising a plurality of contacts, each said contact list having a publicly accessible interface through which said contacts are accessed remotely, each said contact list corresponding to a different user;

a comparator comparing contacts in each of said at least two contact lists, said comparator identifying matching contacts in each of said at least two contact lists; and

,

a common contact list resulting from the comparison and defining yet another distinct set comprising contacts matched by said comparator, said matching contacts being stored in a common contacts database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each said contact list is stored in a storage medium selected from the group consisting of a database, a contact management program data store, an e-mail program address book, an instant messenger address book, a cellular phone address book and a personal digital assistant address book.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a communications link between said contact lists over which said contacts in said contact lists are transmitted.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said communications link is selected from the group consisting of an infrared communications link, a short range radio frequency communications link, and a TCP/IP wireline link.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said common contact list comprises at least one hyperlinked address of a matched contact.

12. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for generating a list of common contacts, said machine readable storage having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine to perform a series of steps, said steps comprising:

identifying a contact list defining a set of contacts corresponding to a user;

identifying at least one other contact list defining a different set of contacts corresponding to a different user,

exchanging at least two of said contact lists over a physical communications link;

comparing contacts in said exchanged contact lists to identify matching contacts; and

,

storing said matched contacts in a common contact list, said common contact list defining an additional distinct set of contacts.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said exchanging step comprises the steps of:

establishing a wireless communications link; and

,

exchanging said contact lists over said established wireless communications link.

14. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for generating a list of common contacts, said machine readable storage having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine to perform a series of steps, said steps comprising:

accessing a contact list in a remotely accessible database of contacts, said contact list defining a set of contacts corresponding to a user;

comparing contacts in said contact list with contacts in a stored database of contacts defining a different set of contacts corresponding to a different user;

producing matching contacts as a result of said comparing; and

,

providing a visual hyperlink for each matching contact produced by said comparing step.

15. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for generating a list of common contacts, said machine readable storage having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine to perform a series of steps, said steps comprising:

first retrieving a plurality of contacts from an exposed, remotely accessible contact list, the exposed, remotely accessible contact list defining a first set associated with a user;

first comparing said first retrieved contacts to stored contacts in a locally accessible contact list, said locally accessible contact list defining a second set distinct from said first set and associated with a different user;

first identifying common contacts among said first compared contacts;

second retrieving a plurality of contacts from an exposed, remotely accessible contact list associated with one of said first retrieved contacts;

second comparing said second retrieved contacts to said locally stored contacts;

second identifying common contacts among said second compared contacts; and

,

generating and storing a common contacts list, the common contacts list defining yet another distinct set of contacts and containing said identified common contacts.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the step of repeating said second retrieving, second comparing and second identifying steps for each first retrieved contact not identified as a common contact in said first identifying step.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 15, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the step of second retrieving a plurality of contacts from another exposed, remotely accessible contact list associated with one of said first retrieved contacts not identified as a common contact in said first identifying step.