Method, system and apparatus for managing contact data

• US 9,454,579 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dalia N. Asterbadi
• Original Assignee: Dalia N. Asterbadi
• Inventors: Asterbadi, Dalia N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US12/914,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a method, system and apparatus for managing contact data are provided. The method comprises storing a plurality of contact attributes distilled from at least one data source in a memory, the contact attributes defining a plurality of contacts; receiving input data at a communications interface; identifying at least one search attribute from the received input data; selecting at least one of the plurality of contacts based on matches between the plurality of contact attributes and the at least one search attribute; and transmitting notification data based on the selected contact.

Claims

1. A method of managing contact data, the method comprising:

storing in a memory of a computing device, a network address and authentication data for at least one data source;

receiving a set of keywords independently of any contact data, and storing the set of keywords in the memory;

automatically transmitting a request for contact data from the computing device to the at least one data source at a server associated with the network address, the request including the authentication data;

receiving the contact data from the server in response to the request and storing the contact data in the memory;

distilling a plurality of contact attributes from the contact data received from the at least one data source, and storing the contact attributes in the memory, the contact attributes including a plurality of names and a plurality of additional attributes associated with the names, wherein distilling the additional attributes comprises detecting matches between the contact data and the set of keywords;

after receiving the contact data and distilling the contact attributes, receiving, from a client device, input data at a communications interface of the computing device;

identifying at least one common attribute from the received input data by determining that the at least one common attribute matches one of the keywords in the set of keywords;

selecting at least one of the plurality of contact attributes that matches the at least one common attribute; and

transmitting notification data to the client device based on the selected contact attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after distilling the plurality of contact attributes, deleting the received contact data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data comprises at least one of the keywords in the set of keywords, and wherein the at least one common attribute is the at least one keyword in the set of keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting notification data comprises transmitting the selected contact attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitted contact attribute is a name attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data is gathered by the client device via monitoring of at least one application being executed on the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the contact data and distilling the contact attributes, detecting a match between at least one contact attribute and one of the keywords in the set of keywords; and

transmitting additional notification data based on the at least one contact attribute.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the notification data comprises:

generating a notification bar in an application window from which the input data was received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the notification data further comprises:

generating a listing identifying the selected contact attribute in a clipboard application separate from the application window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the additional notification data comprises:

generating an additional listing identifying the additional contact attribute in the clipboard application.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification bar is generated via a plugin for the application window.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a communications interface; and

a processor configured to perform the method of claim 1.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing computer-readable instructions executable by a processor, the computer-readable instructions implementing the method of claim 1.