Constructing a contact sharing history

• US 8,990,300 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Hillier, Peter Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRISHNAN, RAJESHWARI
• Application Number:
  US13/591,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 705/1.1, 715/205
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

Technology for constructing a contact sharing history is disclosed. One method comprises receiving, at a computing device of a second user, a communication contact information element of a first user. The contact information is linked to a personal identification key associated with the first user. A link to a personal identification key associated with the second user is added to the communication contact information element to form the contact sharing history. The contact sharing history can then be used to identify how the second user obtained the first user'"'"'s communication contact information element.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a contact sharing history, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device of a second user, a communication contact information element of a first user, wherein said communication contact information element is linked to a personal identification key associated with the first user;

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element to form the contact sharing history; and

communicating the contact sharing history from the computing device of the second user to a computing device of the first user when communicating with the first user to show the first user where the second user obtained the first user'"'"'s communication contact information element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the link to the personal identification key associated with the second user further comprises:

adding the link to the personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element on the second user'"'"'s computing device; and

adding a link to the personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element on the first user'"'"'s computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the communication contact information element of the first user from the computing device of the second user to a computing device of an additional user;

sending the contact sharing history for the communication contact information element to the computing device of the additional user;

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the additional user to the contact sharing history at the computing device of the additional user; and

communicating the contact sharing history from the computing device of the additional user to the computing device of the first user when communicating with the first user to show the first user where the additional user obtained the first user'"'"'s personal contact information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the additional user to the contact sharing history of the first user when the communication contact information element of the first user is shared with the additional user to allow the first user to identify when the first user'"'"'s personal contact is shared.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating the communication contact information element of the first user from the computing device of the second user to the computing device of the additional user only after receiving permission to share from the first user, wherein the permission can be received from one of a computing device of the first user and a network accessible location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the first user, with whom the second user has shared the first user'"'"'s contact information, via the contact sharing history on the second user'"'"'s computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying, by the first user, with whom the second user has shared the first user'"'"'s contact information, via the contact sharing history that is stored at a network accessible location.

8. A system for constructing a contact sharing history comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a computing device of a second user, a communication contact information element of a first user from the first user'"'"'s computing device, wherein the communication contact information element is linked to a personal identification key associated with the first user;

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element to form the contact sharing history on the computing device of the second user; and

communicating the contact sharing history from the computing device of the second user to the computing device of the first user when communicating with the first user to enable the first user to determine where the second user obtained the first user'"'"'s communication contact information element.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive, at a third user'"'"'s computing device, the communication contact information element of the first user from the second user;

receive, at the computing device of the third user, the contact sharing history of the communication contact information element and add a link to a personal identification key associated with the third user to the contact sharing history for the communication contact information element at the computing device of the third user; and

communicate the contact sharing history from the third user'"'"'s computing device to the first user'"'"'s computing device when communicating with the first user, to enable the first user to determine where the third user obtained the first user'"'"'s communication contact information element.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a server contact manager operable to:

operate on a server in communication with the first user and the second user; and

store the contact sharing history for the communication contact information element of first user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server contact manager is further configured to:

receive a report from one of the contact manager on the computing device of the second user or the first user that the communication contact information element is shared;

receive the personal identification key associated with the user sharing the communication contact information element; and

receive the personal identification key associated with the user receiving the communication contact information element.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the personal identification key of each of the first user, the second user and the additional user includes an authentication key to substantially secure each personal identification key.

13. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for constructing a contact sharing history, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device of a second user, a communication contact information element of a first user, from a computing device of the first user, wherein said communication contact information element is linked to a personal identification key associated with the first user;

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element to form the contact sharing history; and

communicating the contact sharing history from the computing device of the second user to the first user when communicating with the first user, to show the first user where the second user obtained the first user'"'"'s communication contact information element.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein adding the link to the personal identification key associated with the second user further comprises:

adding the link to the personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element on the second user'"'"'s computing device; and

adding a link to the personal identification key associated with the second user to the communication contact information element on the first user'"'"'s computing device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

communicating the communication contact information element of the first user from the computing device of the second user to a computing device of an additional user;

sending the contact sharing history for the communication contact information element to the additional user;

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the additional user to the contact sharing history at the computing device of the additional user; and

communicating the contact sharing history from the computing device of the additional user to the computing device of the first user, when communicating with the first user, to show the first user where the additional user obtained the first user'"'"'s personal contact information.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

adding a link to a personal identification key associated with the additional user to the contact sharing history of the first user when the communication contact information element of the first user is shared with the additional user, to allow the first user to identify when the first user'"'"'s personal contact is shared.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, by the first user, with whom the second user has shared the first user'"'"'s contact information, via the contact sharing history on the second user'"'"'s computing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, by the first user, with whom the second user has shared the first user'"'"'s contact information, via the contact sharing history that is stored at a network accessible location.