Automatic Population of a Contact File With Contact Content and Expression Content

• US 20110029560A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramakrishnan, TS, Stremel, Jed, Slee, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/900,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method automatically populate a contact file on a device with contact content and expression content. An image or other content associated with a user automatically populates into the contact file from a web-based social network. When the image on the web-based social network database changes, the contact file on the device is automatically updated. As a result, the need to manually populate contact files by using a keyboard or similar data entry device is avoided. The device also may receiving an identifier in the form of caller identification or caller ID from a second device, which may be used to trigger the display of the image from the contact file.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting from a mobile communication device to a social networking system a request for an image associated with a user account for a user of the social networking system, the request comprising an identifier for the user of the social networking system;

receiving at the device the requested image;

storing the received image at the mobile communication device in association with a contact file for the user; and

in response to receiving a call from the user at the mobile communication device, automatically displaying the image associated with the user'"'"'s contact file on a display of the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted in response to receiving the call from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier for the user is received in conjunction with the received call.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier is a phone number.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier is a caller ID associated with a phone number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a user identifier is received in conjunction with the received call that is distinct from the identifier for the user of the social networking system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting is in response to manual entry of the identifier into the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting is in response to a device user joining the social networking system and the identifier is retrieved from the contact file for the device user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically retrieving the identifier from the contact file for the user at a time specified by a device setting; and

wherein the transmitting is in response to the retrieving.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a new image in response to the user providing the new image to the social networking system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the requested image is subject to a social networking system privacy setting for the user governing access by others to the requested image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the requested image by contacts of the user within the social networking system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the requested image by individual specified contacts of the user in the social networking system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the privacy setting limits access to the requested image sent to the device from the social networking system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the image associated with the user is a photograph of the user.

16. A method performed on a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

receiving at the mobile communication device an updated image associated with a user'"'"'s account in the social networking system;

storing the received image in the mobile communication device in association with a contact file for the user; and

in response to receiving a call from the user on the mobile communication device, automatically displaying the image associated with the user'"'"'s contact file on a display of the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the updated image associated with the user'"'"'s account in the social networking system is received in response to the user updating the image within the social networking system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the updated image associated with the user'"'"'s account in the social networking system is received in conjunction with the call from the user on the mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the image stored in association with the contact file updates an existing image for the user stored on the mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the updated image is subject to a social networking system privacy setting for the user governing access by others to the requested image.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the updated image by contacts of the user within the social networking system.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the updated image by individual specified contacts of the user in the social networking system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the privacy setting limits access to the updated image sent to the device from the social networking system.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the updated image is a photograph of the user.