System and method for identifying a contact associated with an electronic communication

• US 8,208,911 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Abdel-Kader, Sherif Aly
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US12/713,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method is provided on an electronic communications device having a subscriber identifier, the method for identifying a contact entry associated with an electronic communication specified by a communication identifier. The method comprises searching an address book associated with the device; in response to finding a first and a second contact entry each having a respective first contact communication identifier matching the communication identifier, comparing a second contact communication identifier with the subscriber identifier; and identifying the second contact entry associated with the electronic communication if the second contact communication identifier in the first contact entry matches the subscriber identifier.

Claims

1. A method for execution at a communications device, the method comprising:

searching an address book for a first and second contact entries, the address book having a plurality of contact entries, each contact entry storing a contact name identifier and at least two contact communication address identifiers, each of the first and second contact entries having a respective first contact communication address identifier matching a predetermined communication address identifier associated with an electronic communication;

in response to finding the first and second contact entries, comparing a second contact communication address identifier in each of the first and second contact entries with a subscriber address identifier associated with the communications device

in response to a match of the second contact communication address identifier in the first contact entry to the subscriber address identifier, identifying the second contact entry as the contact entry associated with the electronic communication; and

displaying the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication further comprises an incoming communication, and wherein the contact entry associated with the electronic communication includes an initiator of the incoming communication.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication further comprises an outgoing communication, and wherein the contact associated with the electronic communication includes a recipient of the outgoing communication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise personal identification numbers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise e-mail addresses.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein both the predetermined communication address identifier and the first contact communication address identifier further comprise telephone numbers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein both the predetermined communication address identifier and the first contact communication address identifier further comprise electronic mail addresses.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry comprises displaying a message containing the contact name identifier.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed, direct a communications device to:

search an address book for a first contact entry and a second contact entry, the address book having a plurality of contact entries, each contact entry storing a contact name identifier and at least two contact communication address identifiers, each of the first and second contact entries having a respective first contact communication address identifier matching a predetermined communication address identifier associated with an electronic communication;

in response to finding the first and second contact entries, compare a second contact communication address identifier in each of the first and second contact entries with a subscriber address identifier;

in response to a match of the second contact communication address identifier in the first contact entry to the subscriber address identifier, identify the second contact entry as the contact entry associated with the electronic communication; and

display the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein both the predetermined communication address identifier and the first contact communication address identifier further comprise telephone numbers.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein both the predetermined communication address identifier and the first contact communication address identifier further comprise electronic mail addresses.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions to direct the communications device to display the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry further direct the communications device to display a message containing the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry.

14. An electronic communications device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor, for storing at least one address book having a plurality of contact entries, each contact entry storing a contact name identifier and at least two contact communication address identifiers; and

computer-readable instructions, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, for an identification software module, the identification module operable for;

searching the address book for a first contact entry and a second contact entry, each of the first and second contact entries having a respective first contact communication address identifier matching a predetermined communication address identifier associated with an electronic communication;

in response to finding the first and second contact entries, comparing a second contact communication address identifier in each of the first and second contact entries with a subscriber address identifier associated with the electronic communications device;

in response to a match of the second contact communication address identifier in the first contact entry to the subscriber address identifier, identifying the second contact entry as the contact entry associated with the electronic communication; and

displaying the contact name identifier stored in the second contact entry.

15. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein the electronic communication further comprises an incoming communication, and wherein the contact entry associated with the electronic communication includes an initiator of the incoming communication.

16. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein the electronic communication further comprises an outgoing communication, and wherein the contact associated with the electronic communication includes a recipient of the outgoing communication.

17. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise telephone numbers.

18. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise personal identification numbers.

19. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein both the subscriber address identifier and the second contact communication address identifier further comprise e-mail addresses.

20. The electronic communications device of claim 14 wherein both the predetermined communication address identifier and the first contact communication address identifier further comprise telephone numbers.