Smart capture for populating an address book with entries

• US 8,300,780 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Tellme Networks Incorporated ([24]7.ai, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Angus Macdonald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US11/051,939
• Time in Patent Office: 2,826 Days
• Field of Search: 379/218, 379/88, 379/207, 379/67.1, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.1, 379/142.15, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/415, 715/700, 715/733, 715/738, 715/739
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party

Abstract

One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a method that includes automatically identifying a telephone number associated with an incoming or outgoing telephone call. The telephone call is associated with a telephone system account. A name is automatically determined that corresponds to the telephone number. The name and the telephone number are automatically stored in association with an electronic address book.

Claims

1. A method for electronically populating an address book with a telephone number associated with an incoming call to a computing device or an outgoing call from the computing device, the method, comprising:

identifying a telephone number associated with the incoming call received via an account or the outgoing telephone call placed via the account using the computing device;

wherein, the account is associated with a user of the computing device;

determining whether the user has made contact using the telephone number associated with the incoming or outgoing telephone call;

wherein, the contact is determined to have been made when the user communicates using applications associated with the account of the user;

wherein, the applications include a web interface associated with the account and a voice message service associated with the account;

informing the user that the telephone number is pending to become a new entry in the address book;

determining whether the user wants to review the telephone number that is pending;

electronically storing the telephone number in the address book in response to receiving a response from the user to add the telephone number as the new entry.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, the user is informed that the telephone number is pending via an audio message transmitted via telephone communication to the computing device.

3. The method as described in claim 2,

automatically determining whether a name corresponding to the telephone number is automatically identifiable;

in response to determining that the name that corresponds to the telephone number is not automatically identifiable, prompting the user of the computing device to provide the name that corresponds to the telephone number;

wherein, the prompting comprises providing an audible prompt or text prompt to the user of the computing device to provide the name.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising, automatically determining whether a parameter associated with the incoming or outgoing call satisfies a threshold;

wherein the parameter comprises a number of times the telephone number has been encountered by the account.

5. The method as described in claim 3, further comprising, recording audible data provided by the user in response to the audible prompt;

automatically translating the audible data into the name associated with the telephone number.

6. A method of populating an address book using a set of communication records, the set of communication records generated from communications that occurred with an account using a computing device, the method, comprising:

accessing a communication record from the set of communication records that are associated with the account;

wherein the set of communication records comprises a voice service and data service usage record;

automatically identifying, by the computing device, a telephone number associated with the communication record;

determining a name that corresponds to the telephone number;

determining whether a user associated with the account has made contact using the telephone number associated with the communication record;

wherein, the contact is determined to have been made when the user communicates using applications associated with the account of the user;

wherein, the applications include a web interface associated with the account and a voice message service associated with the account;

informing the user that there is the telephone number is pending to become a new entry in the address book;

prompting the user whether the user wants to add the new telephone number as the new entry, in response to determining that the user wants to review the telephone number that is pending;

receiving a response from the user to add the new telephone number as the new entry,

electronically storing the telephone number in the address book.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the set of communication records further comprises one or more of a historical call record and a usage invoice.

8. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the set of communication records comprises a data message record.

9. The method as described in claim 6, further comprising:

automatically accessing a second communication record of the set of communication records;

wherein, the second communication record is accessed in a sequential or random order.

10. The method as described in claim 6, further comprising:

determining automatically whether a parameter associated with the telephone number satisfies a threshold.

11. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the parameter comprises a number of times the telephone number exists within the set of communication records.

12. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the parameter comprises a duration of a telephone call corresponding to the telephone number.

13. The method as described in claim 9, further comprising,

automatically identifying the second telephone number of the second communication record of the set of communication records;

determining a second name that corresponds to the second telephone number; and

electronically storing the second name and the second telephone number in the address book.

14. A method for electronically populating an address book responsive to an occurrence, on a computing device, of an event associated with a predefined condition, the method, comprising:

detecting the occurrence of the event associated with the predefined condition on the computing device,

the event comprising an outgoing or incoming text message associated with an account;

identifying, by the computing device, a telephone number associated with the event in response to the detecting of the occurrence of the event;

determining, by the computing device, a name corresponding to the telephone number;

determining whether a user associated with the account has made contact using the telephone number associated with the event;

wherein, the contact is determined to have been made when the user communicates using applications associated with the account of the user;

wherein, the applications include a web interface associated with the account and a voice message service associated with the account;

informing the user that there is the telephone number is pending to become a new entry in the address book;

electronically storing the name and the telephone number as part of the address book, in response to receiving a response from the user to add the telephone number as the new entry.

15. The method as described in claim 14,

further comprising, determining whether a parameter associated with the telephone number satisfies a threshold;

wherein the parameter comprises one or more of, a number of times the telephone number has been encountered by a telephone system account, a time period associated with the telephone number, and a relationship between the telephone number and a second electronic network address book.

16. The method as described in claim 14, wherein, the predefined condition further includes an occurrence of an incoming or outgoing telephone call associated with the account.

17. The method as described in claim 14, wherein, the predefined condition further includes an occurrence of an incoming or outgoing email message associated with the account;

and

wherein, the identifying the telephone number comprises analyzing the incoming or outgoing email message to identify the telephone number associated with a sender or an intended recipient of the email message.

18. A computing system for electronically populating an electronic organizer based on a call, the computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a bus coupled to the processor; and

a memory device coupled to the bus to communicate with the processor;

wherein, when in operation, the processor;

identifies automatically a telephone number associated with the call, the telephone call being placed by or received by a user using the account;

determining whether the user has made contact using the telephone number;

wherein, the contact is determined to have been made when the user communicates using applications associated with the account of the user;

wherein, the applications include a web interface associated with the account and a voice message service associated with the account;

informs the user that there is the telephone number is pending to become a new entry in the electronic organizer;

prompt the user whether the user wants to add the new telephone number as the new entry;

wherein, the user is informed that the telephone number is pending via a website interface;

receive a response from the user to add the new telephone number as the new entry,

electronically store the telephone number in the electronic organizer.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein, the processor further determines whether a parameter associated with the incoming or outgoing call satisfies a threshold;

wherein the parameter further comprises a number of times the telephone number has been encountered by the account.