Entering contacts in a communication message on a mobile device

• US 7,620,387 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited), Lionex Diagnostics and Therapeutics GmbH
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rybak, Rafal
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Huy Q
• Application Number:
  US11/286,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/514, 455/412.1, 709/206, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a user with the ability to enter and validate contact addresses when composing a message on a mobile device. The user may access at least one of a local contact address data store and a remote contact address data store when entering and validating contact addresses.

Claims

1. A method of contact address entry for messages composed on a mobile communication device, wherein the method comprises:

detecting entry of at least one manually entered completed contact address in an address field in the message;

checking for at least one potentially incorrect contact address by identifying, as the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, at least one manually entered completed contact address that does not have a matching entry in a local contact address data store;

notifying in a user interface of the at least one potentially incorrect contact address;

performing a search of the local contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the local contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the local contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the local contact address data store;

providing in the user interface a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address;

when none of the contact addresses in the list provided in the user interface have been selected to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, automatically checking a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address; and

when a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address is not found in the remote contact address data store, prompting in the user interface for a selection from at least one validation option to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one validation option comprises manually correcting the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said checking comprises checking the at least one entered contact address for proper syntax.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises contacting a remote contact service to allow browsing of a remote contact address store and entering the at least one contact address.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising prior to said detecting, allowing entering a few characters of one of a desired contact address and a name associated with the desired contact address and providing in the user interface a list of matching contact addresses found in the remote contact address data store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one validation option comprises:

accepting the at least one potentially incorrect contact address as a correct contact address, manually correcting the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, or remotely looking up a correct contact address for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a search of a remote contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the remote contact address data store, and providing a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address located in said search of the remote contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions executable on a computing device for implementing a contact address entry method, said method comprising:

detecting entry of at least one manually entered completed contact address in an address field in the message;

checking for at least one potentially incorrect contact address by identifying, as the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, at least one manually entered completed contact address that does not have a matching entry in a local contact address data store;

notifying in a user interface of the at least one potentially incorrect contact address;

performing a search of the local contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the local contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the local contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the local contact address data store;

providing in the user interface a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address;

when none of the contact addresses in the list provided in the user interface have been selected to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, automatically checking a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address; and

when a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address is not found in the remote contact address data store, prompting in the user interface for a selection from at least one validation option to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

9. A mobile communication device comprising:

a) a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device;

b) a communication subsystem connected to the main processor, the communication subsystem being adapted for wirelessly sending and receiving data;

c) a message application that interfaces with the communication subsystem to send and receive messages, and to receive contact data from a remote contact service;

d) a local contact address data store; and

,

e) a contact lookup module configured to detect entry of at least one manually entered completed contact address in an address field in the message, check for at least one potentially incorrect contact address by identifying , as the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, at least one manually entered completed contact address that does not have a matching entry in a local contact address data store, notify in a user interface of the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, perform a search of the local contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the local contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the local contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the local contact address data store, provide in the user interface a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, automatically checking a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address when none of the contact addresses in the list provided in the user interface have been selected to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, and prompt in the user interface for a selection from at least one validation option to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address when a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address is not found in the remote contact address data store.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one validation option comprises manually correcting the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the contact lookup module checks the entered contact addresses for proper syntax.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the contact lookup module is further configured to contact a remote contact service to allow browsing of a remote contact address store and entering the at least one contact address.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the contact lookup module is further configured to perform a search of a remote contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the remote contact address data store, and to provide a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address located in said search of the remote contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store.

14. A system comprising:

a) a mobile device comprising;

i) a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile device;

ii) a communication subsystem connected to the main processor, the communication subsystem being adapted for wirelessly sending and receiving data;

iii) a message application that interfaces with the communication subsystem to send and receive messages, and to receive contact data;

iv) a local contact address data store; and

,

v) a contact lookup module configured to detect entry of at least one manually entered completed contact address in an address field in the message, check for at least one potentially incorrect contact address by identifying, as the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, at least one manually entered completed contact address that does not have a matching entry in a local contact address data store, notify in a user interface of the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, perform a search of the local contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the local contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the local contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the local contact address data store, provide in the user interface a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, automatically checking a remote contact address data store for a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address when none of the contact addresses in the list provided in the user interface have been selected to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, and prompt in the user interface for a selection from at least one validation option to correct the at least one potentially incorrect contact address when a matching entry for the at least one potentially incorrect contact address is not found in the remote contact address data store;

b) a remote contact service for providing the contact data to the mobile device, the contact data including at least one contact address; and

,

c) a wireless network for providing communication between the mobile device and the remote contact service.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one validation option comprises manually correcting the at least one potentially incorrect contact address.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact lookup module checks the entered at least one contact address for proper syntax.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote contact service is provided by a contact server associated with one of a corporate enterprise and a website.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact lookup module is further configured to perform a search of a remote contact address data store to locate contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address, after identifying that the at least one manually entered completed contact address does not have a matching entry in the remote contact address data store, and to provide a list of the contact addresses similar to the at least one potentially incorrect contact address located in said search of the remote contact address data store, wherein each of said at least one potentially incorrect contact address comprises at least one of a misspelling of at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store or a transposition of characters in at least one contact address in the remote contact address data store.