Mobile device with enhanced telephone call information and a method of using same

• US 8,577,351 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Kuhl, Lawrence Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US13/397,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20120149347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/415, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/41.3, 455/466, 455/425, 455/186.1, 455/552.1, 455/414.3, 379/88.01, 379/354, 379/218.01, 379/142.06, 379/142.17, 379/355.02, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• 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 1/57 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 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/354 Reverse directory service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A mobile device with enhanced telephone call information and a method of using same are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of providing enhanced phone call information on a mobile communication device, comprising: receiving an incoming call on the device; identifying a contact name in an address book stored in a memory of the device in accordance with a phone number associated with the incoming call when the contact name is not provided with the incoming call; identifying a contact name in a remote contact source in accordance with a phone number associated with the incoming call when the contact name is not provided with the incoming call and not found in the address book stored in a memory of the device; and displaying the identified contact name in a user interface screen on a display screen of the device.

Claims

1. A method of providing enhanced contact information on a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface screen of a messaging application on a display screen of the mobile communication device, the user interface screen including a contact input field;

receiving input via the contact input field;

determining whether a contact name in an address book stored in a memory of the mobile communication device matches the input in the contact input field;

when no contact name in the address book matches the input in the contact input field, searching for the input in the contact input field in two or more remote contact sources over a wireless data network, the remote contact sources including a global address book of a messaging server of a wireless connector system associated with the mobile communication device, and a reverse lookup directory service having a contact database;

determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field; and

displaying one or more contact names from the remote contact sources which match the input in the user interface screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message application is one of a text messaging application and an email application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote contact sources include a directory service having a contact database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

instructing a messaging server to search a global address book for contact names matching the input in the contact input field;

receiving from the messaging server contact information comprising at least a contact name matching the input in the contact input field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the reverse lookup directory service to search a contact database for contact names matching the input in the contact input field; and

receiving from the reverse lookup directory service contact information comprising at least a contact name matching input in the contact input field.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the messaging server to search the global address book for contact names matching the input in the contact input field;

receiving from the messaging server contact information comprising at least a contact name matching the input in the contact input field;

instructing the reverse lookup directory service to search the contact database for contact names matching the input in the contact input field; and

receiving from the reverse lookup directory service contact information comprising at least a contact name matching input in the contact input field.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the received contact information comprises additional contact information, wherein the additional contact information is displayed in the user interface screen with the respective contact names.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein received contact information comprises an indication of whether the received contact information originates from the address book, the global address book or the contact database, and wherein the indication is displayed in the user interface screen with the respective contact names.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile communication device;

wherein the location of the mobile communication device is used in combination with the input in the contact input field as a filter in determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein only contacts having a location which matches the location of the mobile communication device are determined to be matching contacts.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is an email messaging application, the user interface screen being an email composition user interface screen and the contact input field being an address field of the email composition user interface screen, wherein the step of determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field is only performed in response to respective input.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller;

a display screen coupled to the controller;

a communication subsystem coupled to the controller and configured for data and voice communication;

the controller being configured for;

displaying a user interface screen of a messaging application on a display screen of the mobile communication device, the user interface screen including a contact input field;

receiving input via the contact input field;

determining whether a contact name in an address book stored in the memory matches the input in the contact input field;

when no contact name in the address book matches the input in the contact input field, searching for the input in the contact input field in two or more remote contact sources over a wireless data network, the remote contact sources including a global address book of a messaging server of a wireless connector system associated with the mobile communication device, and a reverse lookup directory service having a contact database;

determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field; and

displaying one or more contact names from the remote contact sources which match the input in the user interface screen.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the message application is one of a text messaging application and an email application.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more remote contact sources include a directory service having a contact database.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the application is an email messaging application, the user interface screen being an email composition user interface screen and the contact input field being an address field of the email composition user interface screen, wherein the step of determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field is only performed in response to respective input.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured for:

instructing the messaging server to search the global address book for contact names matching the input in the contact input field;

receiving from the messaging server contact information comprising at least a contact name matching the input in the contact input field;

instructing the reverse lookup directory service to search the contact database for contact names matching the input in the contact input field; and

receiving from the reverse lookup directory service contact information comprising at least a contact name matching input in the contact input field.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 16, wherein the received contact information comprises additional contact information, wherein the additional contact information is displayed in the user interface screen with the respective contact names.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 16, wherein received contact information comprises an indication of whether the received contact information originates from the address book, the global address book or the contact database, and wherein the indication is displayed in the user interface screen with the respective contact names.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured for:

determining a location of the mobile communication device;

wherein the location of the mobile communication device is used in combination with the input in the contact input field as a filter in determining whether a contact name in the remote contact sources matches the input in the contact input field.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 19, wherein only contacts having a location which matches the location of the mobile communication device are determined to be matching contacts.