SHARED DIRECTORY SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a computing device, a search request from a user;
searching, by the computing device, a directory in response to the search request;
identifying, by the computing device, contacts from the directory based on the search request;
identifying, by the computing device, degrees of separation between the user and the contacts;
determining, by the computing device, a first weighting for the contacts based on the degrees of separation between the user and the contact;
identifying, by the computing device, data sources providing the contacts;
determining, by the computing device, a second weighting for the contacts based on the data sources providing the contacts; and
ranking, by the computing device, the contacts based on the first weightings and the second weightings.
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Abstract
A directory system aggregates and synchronizes contact information across users, devices, and services. The directory system may aggregate contact information globally or across groups or organizations. The directory system may synchronize contact information for different users and resolve conflicts between inconsistent entries for a given entity. The directory system also may provide user-customized views of aggregated and synchronized contact information and list search results according to different attributes or based on relationships the search results may have with the user performing the search.
74 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving, by a computing device, a search request from a user; searching, by the computing device, a directory in response to the search request; identifying, by the computing device, contacts from the directory based on the search request; identifying, by the computing device, degrees of separation between the user and the contacts; determining, by the computing device, a first weighting for the contacts based on the degrees of separation between the user and the contact; identifying, by the computing device, data sources providing the contacts; determining, by the computing device, a second weighting for the contacts based on the data sources providing the contacts; and ranking, by the computing device, the contacts based on the first weightings and the second weightings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus, comprising:
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logic circuitry configured to; receive a search request from a user; identify names and associated contact information in response to the search request; enable the names to be displayed to the user; identify visibility settings for the contact information; enable the contact information to be displayed to the user based on the visibility settings; receive a selection of one of the displayed names; identify a phone number in the contact information associated with the selected one of the displayed names; identify a shut off state for the visibility settings of the contact information associated with the selected one of the displayed names; and use the hone number to initiate a phone call while preventing the hone number from being displayed to the user based on the shut off state for the visibility settings. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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14. (canceled)
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processing device configured to; identify contact information for different users; generate records in a directory associated with the different users and containing the contact information; compare the contact information in the records associated with the different users; identify differences in the contact information; identify the contact information most likely to be correct contact information; identify the contact information most likely to be incorrect contact information; and update the incorrect contact information with the correct contact information. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification