Auto update utility for digital address books

• US 8,862,618 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gropper, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US14/077,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 707/778, 707/776, 707/796, 707/915, 707/922, 707/959, 707/966, 707/770, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who'"'"'s contact information or partial contact information is present in the user'"'"'s address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user'"'"'s address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them.

Claims

1. A method for updating contact information on a client computer, comprising:

a. using a computer processor of a client computer to extract contact information for an addressee from an address book data structure for an address book in a memory of the client computer;

b. sending the extracted contact information from the client computer to a server, which extracted contact information causes a computer processor of the server to generate and send to the addressee a contact information update request;

c. receiving, from the addressee via the server, (i) updated contact information or (ii) a confirmation of the contact information for the addressee; and

d. if the updated contact information is received from the server, using a computer processor of the client computer to automatically update the contact information with the updated contact information in the memory of the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before sending the extracted contact information to the server, (i) presenting on a display of the client computer at least one item of extracted contact information for the addressee, and (ii) sending the extracted contact information only if affirmative user input is received in response to the displayed contact information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information update request is sent via an electronic communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electronic communication is an e-mail or text message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information update request includes existing contact information associated with the addressee.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the existing contact information is extracted from the address book data structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the update request includes an identifier of a user of the client computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein updated contact information is received on the client computer if the addressee has (i) provided an update to the contact information or (ii) a confirmation of the contact information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information update request is sent to an addressee computer of the addressee.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, upon execution by a computer processor, implement a method for updating contact information on a client computer, the method comprising:

a. using a computer processor of a client computer to extract contact information for an addressee from an address book data structure for an address book in a memory of the client computer;

b. sending the extracted contact information from the client computer to a server, which extracted contact information causes a computer processor of the server to generate and send to the addressee a contact information update request;

c. receiving, from the addressee via the server, (i) updated contact information or (ii) a confirmation of the contact information for the addressee; and

d. if the updated contact information is received from the server, using a computer processor of the client computer to automatically update the contact information with the updated contact information in the memory of the client computer.