Communications and information resource manager

• US 7,472,187 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/997,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-225
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments describe methods and systems for managing the communications and information resources of a user. When a request for data is received, a message log is queried for the data. The message log tracks both wireline communications and electronic communications sent to and received by the user. A result of the query is then communicated.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications of a user, comprising:

presenting a message log that tracks the communications of the user, the message log representing the communications as entries in the message log, with each entry having data fields comprising at least one of a “

from”

field describing an origin of a corresponding communication, a “

subject”

field describing informational content associated with the corresponding communication, and a “

date”

field describing a date associated with the corresponding communication;

causing display of an entry in the message log;

receiving a selection of a data field within the entry;

querying an information resource to retrieve information that is correlated to the selected data field;

if there is only one type of correlated information, then presenting the one type of correlated information;

if there are different types of correlated information, then presenting a list of the different types of correlated information;

receiving another selection that selects a type of information from the list;

retrieving the selected type of information; and

presenting the selected type of information correlated to the selected field.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein presenting the list comprises presenting at least one of a website, a telephone number, and an address that is are correlated to the selected field in the entry.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising causing the selected field to be highlighted upon selection by the user.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising querying a third party resource when retrieving the type of information correlated to the selected field in the entry.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting in the list an icon for each of the different types of information correlated to the selected field.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein upon the user'"'"'s selection of a particular icon, then retrieving the selected type of information correlated to the selected field.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining there are different types of information correlated to a subject field in the entry.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein presenting the list comprises presenting contact information associated with the subject field, a website associated with the subject field, and a map associated with the subject field.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the selection comprises highlighting a “

from”

field in the entry in the message log.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the selection comprises highlighting an address field in the entry in the message log, and further comprising determining there are different types of information correlated to the address field.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of retrieving information correlated to a “

from”

field in the entry, a “

type”

field in the entry, a “

subject”

field in the entry, and a “

date”

field in the entry.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for performing a method of managing communications of a user, the method comprising:

presenting a message log that tracks the communications of the user, the message log representing the communications as entries in the message log, with each entry having data fields comprising at least one of a “

from”

field describing an origin of a corresponding communication, a “

subject”

field describing informational content associated with the corresponding communication, and a “

date”

field describing a date associated with the corresponding communication;

causing display of an entry in the message log;

receiving a selection of a data field within the entry;

querying an information resource to retrieve information that is correlated to the selected data field;

if there is only one type of correlated information, then presenting the one type of correlated information

if there are different types of correlated information, then presenting a list of the different types of correlated information;

receiving another selection that selects a type of information from the list;

retrieving the selected type of information; and

presenting the selected type of information correlated to the selected field.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for presenting at least one of a website, a telephone number, and an address that are correlated to the selected field in the entry.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for causing the selected field to be highlighted upon selection by the user.

16. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for querying a third party resource when retrieving the type of information correlated to the selected field in the entry.

17. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for presenting in the list an icon for each of the different types of information correlated to the selected field.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein upon the user'"'"'s selection of a particular icon, then further comprising instructions for retrieving the selected type of information correlated to the selected field.

19. A computer program product according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for determining there are different types of information correlated to a subject field in the entry.

20. A computer program product according to claim 12, wherein causing display of the entry further comprises instructions for presenting at least one of a “

from”

feature in the entry, a “

type”

feature in the entry, a “

subject”

feature in the entry, and a “

date”

feature in the entry.

13. A system, comprising:

means for presenting a message log that tracks communications of a user, the message log representing the communications as entries in the message log, with each entry having data fields, the data fields comprising at least one of;

a “

from”

field describing a source or origin of a corresponding communication,

a “

type”

field describing a type or kind of the corresponding communication,

a “

subject”

field describing informational content associated with the corresponding communication, and

a “

date”

field describing a date associated with the corresponding communication;

means for causing display of an entry in the message log;

means for receiving a selection of one of the “

from,”

“

type,”

“

subject,” and

“

date”

fields within the entry;

when the user selects one of the “

from,”

“

type,”

“

subject,” and

“

date”

fields in the entry, then means for querying an information resource to retrieve information that is correlated to the selected field;

if there is only one type of correlated information, then means for causing display of the one type of correlated information;

if there are different types of correlated information, then means for causing display of a list of the different types of correlated information;

means for receiving another selection that selects a type of information from the list;

means for retrieving the selected type of information; and

means for causing display of the selected type of information correlated to the selected field.