Methods for managing aggregated address books

• US 8,041,745 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newton, Gregory, Ruckart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US11/321,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods of managing data associated with an entity include providing an address book entry for the entity in an address book of a user. The address book entry has an associated name and includes a plurality of identifications associated with the entity. Data records associated with the entity are automatically obtained from a plurality of applications based on the plurality of identifications associated with the entity, including a communications service of the entity. The obtained data records and the address book entry are formatted to provide an address book record for the entity in the address book. The address book record includes contact information for the entity and includes an identification of communications between the user and the entity and/or common appointments of the user and the entity.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing data associated with an entity, comprising:

providing an address book entry for the entity in an address book of a user, the address book entry having an associated name and including a plurality of identifications associated with the entity;

automatically selectively obtaining data records associated with the entity from a plurality of applications based on the plurality of identifications associated with the entity, at least one of the applications including a communications service of the entity; and

formatting the obtained data records and the address book entry to provide an address book record for the entity in the address book, the address book record including contact information for the entity and including, based on the selectively obtained data records, an identification of communications exchanged between the user and the entity and common appointments of the user and the entity, wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records includes a plurality of the following;

obtaining electronic mail associated with the entity from an electronic mail application of the user to provide the identification of communications between the user and the entity;

obtaining incoming and outgoing phone calls associated with the entity from a voice communications service application of the user to provide the identification of communications between the user and the entity;

obtaining voicemail messages associated with the entity from the voice communications service application of the user to provide the identification of communications between the user and the entity;

obtaining text messages associated with the entity from a data communications service application of the user to provide the identification of communications between the user and the entity;

obtaining calendar entries associated with the entity from a calendar application of the user and a calendar application of the entity to provide the identification of common appointments;

obtaining an identification of a current profile corresponding to a status of the entity from a voice communications service application of the entity; and

obtaining instant messaging data associated with the entity from an instant messaging application of the user and an instant messaging application of the entity,

wherein the plurality of identifications comprise a phone number associated with the communications service of the entity, an electronic mail address of the entity and an instant messaging identity of the entity;

wherein providing an address book entry includes receiving the associated name and the plurality of identifications from the user and wherein the method further comprises displaying the address book record to the user;

wherein the user preferences include at least one filter criterion and wherein formatting the obtained data records including selecting ones of the obtained data records to be displayed based on the at least one filter criterion;

wherein ones of the data records have an associated time and wherein the at least one filter criterion specifies an earliest time and wherein formatting the obtained data records includes deleting data records having an associated time before the earliest time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifications includes the phone number associated with the communications service of the entity and wherein the communications service of the entity has a plurality of selectable profiles for the phone number that correspond to the status of the entity, the profiles including settings for a plurality of features of the communications service including call forwarding, call waiting and voicemail, and wherein the obtained data records include the status of the entity and wherein formatting the obtained data records includes formatting the obtained data records to provide the address book record including an indication of the status of the entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifications includes a password associated with the communications service of the entity and wherein obtaining the identification of the current profile corresponding to the status of the entity comprises obtaining the identification of the current profile using the password associated with the communications service of the entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records is preceded by obtaining authorization to obtain data records from the voice communications service application of the entity including the identification of the current profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the address book record comprises displaying the address book record responsive to a request from the user and wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records and formatting the obtained data records are performed responsive to the request from the user to display the address book record.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing user preferences for the user and wherein formatting the obtained data records comprises formatting the obtained data records based on the user preferences.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records comprises:

storing initial values of data records in an aggregated database;

subscribing with the plurality of applications;

obtaining notifications of changes to the stored initial values of the data records from the subscribed to applications; and

updating the stored initial values based on the notifications of changes;

wherein formatting the obtained data records comprises retrieving the data records from the aggregated database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records includes obtaining instant messaging (IM) data associated with the entity from an instant messaging application of the user and an instant messaging application of the entity and wherein the obtained instant messaging data includes a presence status of the entity and wherein displaying the address book record includes displaying an indication of the presence status of the entity along with data records obtained from at least one of the applications other than the instant messaging application of the user and the instant messaging application of the entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selectively obtaining data records includes obtaining an indication that the entity is currently participating in a phone call from the voice communications service application of the entity and wherein displaying the address book record includes displaying a notification that the entity is currently participating in a phone call along with data records obtained from at least one of the applications other than the voice communications service application of the entity.