Apparatus and method for managing conversational contents with contacts in a terminal

• US 9,516,154 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Liang, Jiayan
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US14/602,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing conversational content associated with a contact in a terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store contact information including a name of each of contacts and a corresponding number, a management unit configured to preserve conversational information associated with one of the contacts, which includes the corresponding number of the one contact, the one contact, a time of occurrence and a detailed content associated with each of conversational messages, and to form a conversational content with the one contact to be displayed for a user based on the contact information and the conversational information, and a display unit configured to display the conversational content with the one contact formed by the management unit for the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing conversational content associated with a contact in a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store contact information including a name of each of contacts and a corresponding number;

a management unit configured to;

preserve conversational information associated with one of the contacts, which includes the corresponding number of the one contact, the one contact, a time of occurrence and a detailed content associated with each of conversational messages, and

form a conversational content with the one contact to be displayed for a user based on the contact information and the conversational information; and

a display unit configured to display the conversational content with the one contact formed by the management unit for the user,

wherein the management unit is further configured to incorporate the conversational message associated with the corresponding number of the one contact, before the corresponding number of the one contact is deleted from or replaced in the contact information, into the conversational content associated with the one contact by processing the conversational information associated with the corresponding number of the one contact before the corresponding number is deleted from or replaced in the contact information, such that the conversational message associated with the corresponding number of the one contact is included in the conversational content when the corresponding number of the one contact is deleted or replaced.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when an old number of the one contact is replaced by a new number, the management unit is further configured to incorporate the conversational message associated with the old number before the old number is replaced and all conversational messages associated with the new number into the conversational content associated with the one contact by processing the conversational information associated with the old number before the old number is replaced.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the management unit is further configured to incorporate each of the conversational messages associated with all numbers of the one contact into a single conversational content associated with the one contact.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when the corresponding number of the one contact is added to the conversational information associated with the one contact, the management unit is further configured to incorporate the conversational message associated with the corresponding number, before the corresponding number is added, into the single conversational content with the one contact by processing the conversational information associated with the corresponding number before the corresponding number is added.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the management unit is further configured to set the conversational message associated with the corresponding number which is deleted or replaced in the single conversational content associated with the one contact to be in a non-reply-able status.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the management unit is further configured to set a certain number of the one contact as a number of the one contact to which a reply message for the one contact is to be sent.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the certain number is a number corresponding to a last message which is not in the non-reply-able status listed in the single conversational content.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the certain number is a number corresponding to a message selected by the user among all messages listed in the single conversational content.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the management unit is further configured to preserve the conversational information associated with the one contact by making the conversational messages associated with the all numbers of the one contact corresponding to a same conversational identification.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the management unit comprises:

a number updating unit configured to;

preserve a correspondence relationship among the conversational identification, the number and the name of the one contact of each conversational message in a time sequence, and

update the preserved correspondence relationship depending on a change in the corresponding number of the one contact;

a message updating unit configured to;

preserve a correspondence relationship among the conversational identification, the number of the one contact, the detailed content and the time of occurrence of each conversational message, and

update the preserved correspondence relationship depending on the change in the corresponding number of the one contact;

a conversational entry updating unit configured to;

preserve a correspondence relationship among the conversational identification of each single conversational content and the time of occurrence and the detailed content of a latest conversational message in the single conversational content, and

update the preserved correspondence relationship depending on the change in the corresponding number of the one contact; and

a conversational content forming unit configured to form the conversational content associated with the one contact including a conversational entry message list and a conversational message list based on the correspondence relationships preserved by the number updating unit, the message updating unit and the conversational entry updating unit respectively and the contact information stored by the storage unit.

11. A method for managing conversational content associated with a contact in a terminal, the method comprising:

storing, by a storage unit of the terminal, contact information including a name of each of contacts and a corresponding number;

preserving conversational information associated with one of the contacts, which includes the corresponding number of the one contact, the one contact, a time of occurrence and a detailed content associated with each of conversational messages, and forming a conversational content with the one contact to be displayed for a user based on the contact information and the conversational information; and

displaying the formed conversational content with the one contact for the user,

wherein the forming of the conversational content further includes incorporating the conversational message associated with the corresponding number of the one contact, before the corresponding number of the one contact is deleted from or replaced in the contact information, into the conversational content associated with the one contact by processing the conversational information associated with the corresponding number of the one contact before the corresponding number is deleted from or replaced in the contact information, such that the conversational message associated with the corresponding number of the one contact is included in the conversational content when the corresponding number of the one contact is deleted or replaced.

12. An apparatus for managing conversational content associated with a contact in a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a prompting unit configured to;

generate an incorporation prompting message, when a corresponding number of the contact is deleted or replaced, and

output the generated incorporation prompting message;

an instruction receiving unit configured to receive an incorporating instruction for performing an incorporation after the incorporation prompting message is outputted by the prompting unit;

a management unit configured to process conversational information associated with the corresponding number of the contact before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced such that a conversational message associated with the corresponding number before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced is included in the conversational content associated with the contact, when the incorporating instruction is received by the instruction receiving unit; and

a display unit configured to display the conversational content with the contact.

13. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the prompting unit is further configured to:

generate and output the incorporation prompting message immediately when the corresponding number of the contact is deleted or replaced, or

output the generated incorporation prompting message when the conversational content associated with at least one of the contacts having a number that is deleted or replaced, and

wherein the corresponding number which is deleted or replaced and a new contact to which the deleted or replaced number belongs is displayed by the display unit after the corresponding number of the contact is deleted or replaced.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the prompting unit is further configured to:

generate a notification message for informing a user that the corresponding number is deleted from the contact or is replaced, and

output the generated notification message when the conversational content associated with at least one of the contacts having a number that is deleted or replaced, and

wherein the corresponding number which is deleted or replaced and the new contact to which the deleted or replaced number belongs is displayed by the display unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the incorporation prompting message or the notification message is embedded in the conversational content or placed in a separate window.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the prompting unit is further configured to output an entry for linking to the conversational message associated with the deleted or replaced number or an entry for linking to the conversational message associated with the contact having a number that is deleted or replaced, when outputting the incorporation prompting message or the notification message.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display unit is further configured to distinguish the conversational message from the corresponding number before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced from another conversational message in the conversational content associated with the contact while displaying the conversational content associated with the contact.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when the incorporating instruction is not received by the instruction receiving unit, the display unit is further configured to distinguish the conversational message from the corresponding number before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced from another conversational message in the conversational content associated with the new contact to which the deleted or replaced number belongs while displaying the conversational content associated with the new contact.

19. A method for managing conversational content associated with a contact in a terminal, the method comprising:

generating, by a prompting unit of the terminal, an incorporation prompting message, when a corresponding number of the contact is deleted or replaced, and outputting the generated incorporation prompting message;

receiving an incorporating instruction for performing an incorporation after the incorporation prompting message is outputted;

processing conversational information associated with the corresponding number of the contact before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced, when the incorporating instruction is received such that a conversational message associated with the corresponding number before the corresponding number is deleted or replaced is included in the conversational content associated with the contact; and

displaying the conversational content with the contact.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein the generated incorporation prompting message requests a user to indicate whether or not to incorporate the conversational message associated with the corresponding number,

wherein when, in response to the incorporation prompting message, the user indicates to incorporate the conversational message, the method performs the processing of the conversational information, and

wherein when, in response to the incorporation prompting message, the user indicates to not incorporate the conversational message, the method does not include the conversational message associated with the corresponding number in the conversational content associated with the contact.