Auto update utility for digital address books

• US 8,032,549 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Robert L Gropper
• Inventors: Gropper, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US12/406,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who'"'"'s contact information or partial contact information is present in the user'"'"'s address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user'"'"'s address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them.

Claims

1. A method in a client computer for updating contact information in a network with client and server computers, comprising:

a. extracting contact information, including an address, for an addressee from an address book data structure for an address book,

b. sending the extracted contact information to a server;

c. causing the server to generate and send to the address a contact information update request;

d. receiving updated contact information for the addressee from the server computer, the server having received the updated contact information from the address; and

e. automatically updating the address book data structure for the addressee.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

f. before sending the extracted contact information to the server, presenting on a display on the client computer at least one item of extracted contact information for the addressee and sending the extracted contact information only if affirmative user input is received in response to the contact information having been presented on the display.

3. A method on a network with client computers for presenting a user with a request for an update of contact information and an editable reply form, comprising:

a. generating on a sender client computer an update request for an update of contact information, the update request including a sender identifier and a copy of existing contact information extracted from an address book data structure, the update request further including an address on the network for an addressee;

b. sending the update request across the network to the address;

c. causing an addressee client computer to present an editable reply form containing the extracted contact information;

d. receiving from the addressee client computer updated contact information, the updated contact information received on the addresses client computer from user input entered in the editable reply form.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the contact information update request is sent via e-mail the editable reply form is presented from a web page, and the updated contact information is received from a user viewing the web page.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the contact information update request is sent via text message, the editable reply form is presented as a part of the text message, and the updated contact information is received via text message reply.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the contact information update request is sent via e-mail, the editable reply form is presented as a part of the e-mail, and the updated contact information is received via e-mail reply.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the contact information update request is sent via text message, the editable reply form is presented from a web page, and the updated contact information is received from a user viewing the web page.

8. A method in a network with client computers for a user to respond to a request for an update of contact information with a counter-request for an update of contact information, comprising:

a. on an addressee client computer, receiving a request for updated contact information concerning an addressee, the request including a sender identifier;

b. presenting on a display on the client computer information identifying a sender of the request, which information is generated using the sender identifier; and

c. in response to user input received after the information identifying the sender is presented on the display, sending to the sender a counter-request for updated contact information concerning the sender.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the network includes a server and the request for updated contact information was generated by the server.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the request for updated contact information received from the server includes existing contact information associated with the addressee extracted from an address book data structure associated with the sender.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a server provides tho a copy of the existing contact information is served from a web page of a server to a browser program on the addressee client computer.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the addressee client computer receives a copy of the existing contact information in a text message.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the addressee client computer receives a copy of the existing contact information in an e-mail.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the request for updated contact information was generated on a sender client computer.

15. A method in a server in a networked computer system for obtaining and providing updated contact information, comprising:

a. receiving from a sender client computer an identifier of a sender and a request for updated contact information with an associated address,

b. generating and sending to the address a request for updated contact information,

c. receiving from a responding client computer a communication responsive to the request,

d. determining whether the responding client computer is associated with the address, and

e. if the responding client computer is associated with the address, receiving updated contact information from the responding client computer and automatically transmitting the updated contact information to the sender client computer.

16. The method of claim 15 where the communication responsive to the request is received from a web browser program on the responding client computer at a web page on the server.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein;

the request for updated contact information received from the sender client computer includes existing contact information associated with the address, and

in response to receipt of the communication responsive to the request, the server provides to the responding client computer a copy of the received existing contact information.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

f. on the sender client computer, automatically writing the updated contact information to a digital address book.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the identifier of the sender is a network address.