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

• US 20110029638A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• 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:
  US12/905,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A contact file is automatically populated with contact content and expression content. An identifier for a contact is received on a device. The identifier is not recognized as associated with the contact in the contact file, but is used to query a social networking system. Contact content received from the social networking system automatically updates the contact file on the device. As a result, the need to manually populate contact files by using a keyboard or similar data entry device is avoided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining a contact file on a device, the contact file storing contact information for a contact;

receiving at the device an identifier associated with the contact;

determining whether the received identifier is associated with the contact information for the contact stored in the contact file;

in response to the received identifier for the contact not being associated with the contact information for the contact stored in the contact file, transmitting a request to a social networking system for current contact information for a user of the social networking system using the received identifier not associated with the contact information in the contact file;

receiving the requested current contact information for the user from the social networking system; and

storing the current contact information for the user in the contact file on the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises an image associated with the user in the social networking system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the image associated with the user is a photograph of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises information about the user'"'"'s connections in the social networking system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving a call from the user on the device, automatically displaying the current contact information on the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted in response to receiving a call from the contact providing the identifier.

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

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the current contact information by contacts of the user within the social networking system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the current contact information by individual specified contacts of the user in the social networking system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the privacy setting limits access to the current contact information sent to the device from the social networking system.

11. An apparatus for automatically populating a contact file, the apparatus comprising:

a device configured to receive an identifier associated with a contact and to display contact information for the contact, the device comprising;

a contact file configured for storing the contact information for the contact; and

a contact content request module configured to request from a social networking system current contact information for the received identifier, wherein the received identifier is not associated with the stored contact information for the contact in the contact file; and

wherein the device is configured to automatically receive the current contact information and the contact file is further configured for storing the current contact information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contact information comprises an image associated with the contact.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the image is a photograph of the contact.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contact information comprises information about the contact'"'"'s connections in the social networking system.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a device display for, in response to receiving a call from the contact on the device, automatically displaying the current contact information on the device.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted in response to receiving a call from the contact providing the identifier.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the automatically received current contact information is subject to a social networking system privacy setting for the user governing access by others to the current contact information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the current contact information by contacts of the user within the social networking system.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the privacy setting provides access to the current contact information by individual specified contacts of the user in the social networking system.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the privacy setting limits access to the current contact information sent to the device from the social networking system.