System and method for generating a dynamic prioritized contact list

• US 20060209690A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brooke, Timothy Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method for generating a dynamic prioritized contact list for a communication device. The dynamic prioritized contact list may vary over the course of the day to provide an optimized contact list for a time interval. A prioritized contact list generator determines a current time interval. The prioritized contact list generator monitors communications from one or more past time intervals to determine contact priority for the current time interval. A prioritized contact list is generated for the current time interval based on the contact priority. The prioritized contact list generator automatically updates the dynamic prioritized contact list with priority changes when the current time interval expires.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a dynamic prioritized contact list, comprising:

determining a current time interval;

monitoring prior communications to determine contact priority for the current time interval; and

generating a dynamic prioritized contact list for the current time interval based on the determined contact priority.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a current time interval further includes accessing a clock and determining a current time interval from the clock.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current time interval includes at least one of:

the current time, the current minute, the current hour, the current day, the current week, the current month or the current year.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein monitoring prior communications includes monitoring a communication history database to determine contact frequency for a past time interval.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the past time interval includes at least one of:

a past time, a past minute, a past hour, a past day, a past week, a past month or a past year.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the past time interval corresponds to the current time interval.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein monitoring prior communications includes monitoring a scheduler having at least one contact to determine contact priority for a current time interval.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the at least one scheduler contact has super priority over the communication history database priority.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein monitoring prior communications includes monitoring a scheduler having at least one contact to determine contact priority for a current time interval.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized contact list is a dynamic prioritized contact list that is automatically updated to include contacts having the highest priority during the current time interval.

11. A computer-readable medium for generating a dynamic prioritized contact list for a communication device, comprising:

determining a current time interval;

monitoring communications from one or more past time intervals to determine contact priority for the current time interval;

generating the dynamic prioritized contact list for the current time interval based on the contact priority; and

automatically updating the dynamic prioritized contact list with priority changes when the current time interval expires.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein monitoring communications from one or more past time intervals includes monitoring a communication history database to determine contact frequency for the one or more past time intervals.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein one or more past time intervals correspond to the current time interval.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein monitoring communications includes monitoring a scheduler having at least one contact to determine contact priority for the current time interval.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least one scheduler contact has super priority over the communication history database priority.

16. A communication device for providing a dynamic prioritized contact list to a user interface of the communication device, comprising:

a communication history database configured to store prior communications with the communication device;

a scheduler configured to store scheduler events; and

a prioritized dynamic list generator configured to monitor the communication history database and the scheduler to determine contact priority for a current time interval.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the communication device includes at least one of:

a telephone, a cellular telephone, a satellite telephone, a pager, a desktop computing device, a mobile computing device or a televising device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the communication includes at least one of:

a telephone communication, a cellular telephone communication, an e-mail communication, a text messaging communication, or a Short Messaging Service communication.

19. The communication device of claim 16, wherein priority is at least partially determined by contact frequency from a past time interval.

20. The communication device of claim 16, wherein priority is at least partially determined by contact frequency from a past time interval and contacts associated with a scheduler event.