Method and system for telephone number change notification and tracking

• US 8,041,024 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Keith Raymond, Chen, Yen-Fu, Morgan, Fabian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US11/550,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/566, 455/466, 455/556.2, 455/418, 455/412.2, 455/41.2, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/355.02, 379/213.01, 379/201.04, 379/207.02, 379/356.01
• US Class Current: 379/355.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A system for broadcasting a notification. In response to receiving a new telephone number for a communication device from a service provider, a telephone number change notification is automatically broadcast to a plurality of contact telephone numbers within a contact list. Each of the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list is tracked to determine whether each of the plurality of contact telephone numbers received the telephone number change notification. In response to a contact telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers not receiving the telephone number change notification, a configurable indicator is displayed in a display when a user inputs the contact telephone number into the communication device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a sending communication device for broadcasting a notification, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a new telephone number for the sending communication device from a service provider, automatically broadcasting, by the sending communication device, a telephone number change notification to a plurality of contact telephone numbers within a contact list;

tracking, by the sending communication device, whether each of the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list received the telephone number change notification;

responsive to a contact telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers being dialed by a user of the sending communication device, determining, by the sending communication device, whether the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification;

responsive to a determination that the dialed telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers received the telephone number change notification, determining, by the sending communication device, an action taken by a contact associated with the dialed telephone number in response to the telephone number change notification being received; and

displaying, by the sending communication device, a different color in a background of a display when the user inputs the contact telephone number into the sending communication device based on whether the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the action taken by the contact associated with dialed telephone number, wherein the sending communication device changes the background of the display to a first different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number saved the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a second different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number took no action with regard to the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a third different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number deleted the new telephone number, and changes the background of the display to a fourth different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number did not receive the telephone number change notification.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number change notification includes the new telephone number for the sending communication device.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically broadcasting, by the sending communication device, to the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list during non-peak network hours in a background when the sending communication device is not in use.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically rebroadcast, by the sending communication device, on a predetermined time interval basis to contact telephone numbers within the plurality of contact telephone numbers that did not previously receive the telephone number change notification.

5. A computer program product for broadcasting a notification, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable storage medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to automatically broadcast, by a sending communication device, a telephone number change notification to a plurality of contact telephone numbers within a contact list in response to receiving a new telephone number for the sending communication device from a service provider;

computer usable program code configured to track, by the sending communication device, whether each of the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list received the telephone number change notification;

computer usable program code configured to determine, by the sending communication device, whether a dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification in response to a contact telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers being dialed by a user of the sending communication device;

computer usable program code configured to determine, by the sending communication device, an action taken by a contact associated with the dialed telephone number in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers received the telephone number change notification; and

computer usable program code configured to display, by the sending communication device, a different color in a background of a display when the user inputs the contact telephone number into the sending communication device based on whether the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the action taken by the contact associated with dialed telephone number, wherein the sending communication device changes the background of the display to a first different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number saved the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a second different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number took no action with regard to the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a third different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number deleted the new telephone number, and changes the background of the display to a fourth different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number did not receive the telephone number change notification.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the telephone number change notification includes the new telephone number for the sending communication device.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically broadcasting, by the sending communication device, to the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list during non-peak network hours in a background when the sending communication device is not in use.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically rebroadcast, by the sending communication device, on a predetermined time interval basis to contact telephone numbers within the plurality of contact telephone numbers that did not previously receive the telephone number change notification.

9. A sending communication device for broadcasting a notification, the sending communication device comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device stores instructions; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the instructions to automatically broadcast, by the sending communication device, a telephone number change notification to a plurality of contact telephone numbers within a contact list in response to receiving a new telephone number for the sending communication device from a service provider;

track, by the sending communication device, whether each of the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list received the telephone number change notification;

determine, by the sending communication device, whether a dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification in response to a contact telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers being dialed by a user of the sending communication device;

determine, by the sending communication device, an action taken by a contact associated with the dialed telephone number in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number within the plurality of contact telephone numbers received the telephone number change notification; and

display, by the sending communication device, a different color in a background of a display when the user inputs the contact telephone number into the sending communication device based on whether the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the action taken by the contact associated with dialed telephone number, wherein the sending communication device changes the background of the display to a first different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number saved the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a second different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number took no action with regard to the new telephone number, changes the background of the display to a third different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number received the telephone number change notification and the contact associated with the dialed telephone number deleted the new telephone number, and changes the background of the display to a fourth different color in response to a determination that the dialed telephone number did not receive the telephone number change notification.

10. The sending communication device of claim 9, wherein the telephone number change notification includes the new telephone number for the sending communication device.

11. The sending communication device of claim 9, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically broadcasting, by the sending communication device, to the plurality of contact telephone numbers within the contact list during non-peak network hours in a background when the sending communication device is not in use.

12. The sending communication device of claim 9, wherein the telephone number change notification is automatically rebroadcast, by the sending communication device, on a predetermined time interval basis to contact telephone numbers within the plurality of contact telephone numbers that did not previously receive the telephone number change notification.