Apparatus and methods of sharing contact information between mobile communication devices using short message service

• US 8,126,484 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Scott, Clifton Eugene, Baron, Jason C., Vines, Michael Janacek
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JOSHUA L
• Application Number:
  US11/691,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/466, 715/513, 715/234
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and devices are presented for sharing contact information amongst wireless communication devices using Short Message Service (SMS) communication. SMS transfer of contact information occurs seamlessly, in that the sender automatically generates and sends a SMS message(s) that includes the contact information upon designating a contact file for sharing and supplying a recipient identifier, such as the recipient phone number. On the recipient device end, receiving the contact information also may occur seamlessly, such that the contact information can be automatically stored in the recipient'"'"'s phone book or, in some aspects, automatically stored in the recipient'"'"'s phone book based a user setting or response.

Claims

1. A method for communicating shared contact information between mobile communication devices, comprising:

receiving an input of text for a message within a text body of the message, wherein the text is plain text that is different from a hypertext link and that is without an embedded electronic address function;

recognizing at least a portion of the text within the text body of the message as data corresponding to a stored contact information file;

generating a contact information share query based on the recognizing of the data corresponding to the stored contact information file;

receiving a user request for sharing the stored contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices;

generating one or more Short Message Service (SMS) contact information messages that each include at least a portion of the contact information file in a format operable to be recognizable as shared contact information by an SMS-receiving wireless communication device;

generating a SMS text message that includes the text, wherein the SMS text message is different from the one or more SMS contact information messages;

communicating the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices, and

communicating the SMS text message separately from the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a listing of user contact information files;

receiving a user selection of a contact information file;

receiving a user selection for sharing the selected contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices; and

receiving a user selection of one or more wireless communication devices for sharing the selected contact information file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an identification of a recipient of the one or more SMS contact information messages, wherein communicating the one or more SMS contact information messages further comprises communicating the one or more SMS contact information messages to the identified recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the text input further comprises receiving data corresponding to a contact file entry, wherein the entry is chosen from the group consisting of a contact name, a contact telephone number, a contact street address, and a contact email address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating one or more SMS contact information messages further comprises automatically generating the one or more SMS contact information messages upon a received selection of the contact information file and the one or more wireless communications devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the SMS text message such that a wireless communication device that receives the one or more SMS contact information messages automatically recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages include at least a portion of the contact information file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a portion of the text input such that a user of a wireless device receiving the one or more SMS contact information messages recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages provide for acquiring the contact information file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifying further comprises embedding a link in the text input, wherein the link is operable to initiate execution to store the contact information file corresponding to the one or more SMS contact information messages in a contact listing database of the one or more wireless communication devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the link corresponds to either a network resource for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file or a previous SMS contact information message for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating one or more SMS contact information messages that each include at least a portion of a contact information file in a format operable further defines the format as a personal data exchange file format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating one or more SMS contact information messages that each include at least a portion of a contact information file in a format operable further defines the format as a format executable by a wireless communication device-application development platform.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating one or more SMS contact information messages that include at least a portion of a contact information file further comprises generating two or more SMS contact information messages that each include a separate portion of the contact information file.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprises identifying each of the two or more SMS contact information messages to associate the two or more SMS contact messages and to allow for the contact information file to be assembled at the one or more wireless communication devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognizing comprises matching the portion of the text with an entry included within the stored contact information file.

15. At least one processor configured for communicating shared contact information between mobile communication devices, comprising:

a first module for receiving an input of text for a message within a text body of the message, wherein the text is plain text that is different from a hypertext link and that is without an embedded electronic address function;

a second module for recognizing at least a portion of the text within the text body of the message as data corresponding to a stored contact information file;

a third module for generating a contact information share query based on the recognizing of the data corresponding to the stored contact information file;

a fourth module for receiving a user request for sharing the stored contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices;

a fifth module for generating one or more Short Message Service (SMS) contact information messages that each include at least a portion of the contact information file in a format operable to be recognizable as shared contact information by an SMS-receiving wireless communication device;

a sixth module for generating a SMS text message that includes the text, wherein the SMS text message is different from the one or more SMS contact information messages;

a seventh module for communicating the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices; and

an eighth module for communicating the SMS text message separately from the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices.

16. The processor of claim 15, further comprising:

a ninth module for identifying a portion of the text input such that a user of a wireless device receiving the one or more SMS contact information messages recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages provide for acquiring the contact information file;

wherein the identifying further comprises embedding a link in the text input, wherein the link is operable to initiate execution to store the contact information file corresponding to the one or more SMS contact information messages in a contact listing database of the one or more wireless communication devices; and

wherein the link corresponds to either a network resource for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file or a previous SMS contact information message for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file.

17. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive an input of text for a message within a text body of the message, wherein the text is plain text that is different from a hypertext link and that is without an embedded electronic address function;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to recognize at least a portion of the text within the text body of the message as data corresponding to a stored contact information file;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to generate a contact information share query based on the recognizing of the data corresponding to the stored contact information file;

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to receive a user request for sharing the stored contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices;

a fifth set of codes for causing the computer to generate one or more Short Message Service (SMS) contact information messages that each include at least a portion of the contact information file in a format operable to be recognizable as shared contact information by an SMS-receiving wireless communication device;

a sixth set of codes for causing the computer to generate a SMS text message that includes the text, wherein the SMS text message is different from the one or more SMS contact information messages;

a seventh set of codes for causing the computer to communicate the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices; and

an eighth set of codes for causing the computer to communicate the SMS text message separately from the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

a ninth set of codes for causing the computer to identify a portion of the text input such that a user of a wireless device receiving the one or more SMS contact information messages recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages provide for acquiring the contact information file;

wherein the identifying of the portion of the text input further comprises embedding a link in the text input, wherein the link is operable to initiate execution to store the contact information file corresponding to the one or more SMS contact information messages in a contact listing database of the one or more wireless communication devices; and

wherein the link corresponds to either a network resource for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file or a previous SMS contact information message for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file.

19. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for receiving an input of text for a message within a text body of the message, wherein the text is plain text that is different from a hypertext link and that is without an embedded electronic address function;

means for recognizing at least a portion of the text within the text body of the message as data corresponding to a stored contact information file;

means for generating a contact information share query based on the recognizing of the data corresponding to the stored contact information file;

means for receiving a user request for sharing the stored contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices;

means for generating one or more Short Message Service (SMS) contact information messages that each include at least a portion of the contact information file in a format operable to be recognizable as shared contact information by an SMS-receiving wireless communication device;

means for generating a SMS text message that includes the text, wherein the SMS text message is different from the one or more SMS contact information messages;

means for communicating the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices; and

means for communicating the SMS text message separately from the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for identifying a portion of the text input such that a user of a wireless device receiving the one or more SMS contact information messages recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages provide for acquiring the contact information file;

wherein the identifying further comprises embedding a link in the text input, wherein the link is operable to initiate execution to store the contact information file corresponding to the one or more SMS contact information messages in a contact listing database of the one or more wireless communication devices; and

wherein the link corresponds to either a network resource for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file or a previous SMS contact information message for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file.

21. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a computer platform including a processor and a memory;

a Short Message Service module stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the SMS application is operable to;

receive an input of text for a message within a text body of the message, wherein the text is plain text that is different from a hypertext link and that is without an embedded electronic address function;

recognize at least a portion of the text within the text body of the message as data corresponding to a stored contact information file;

generate a contact information share query based on the recognizing of the data corresponding to the stored contact information file;

receive a user request for sharing the stored contact information file with one or more wireless communication devices;

generate one or more SMS contact information messages that each include at least a portion of the contact information file in a format operable to be recognizable as shared contact information by an SMS-receiving wireless communication device;

generate a SMS text message that includes the text, wherein the SMS text message is different from the one or more SMS contact information messages; and

a communication module operable to communicate the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices and to communicate the SMS text message separately from the one or more SMS contact information messages to the one or more wireless communication devices.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the data corresponding to the stored contact information file further comprises an entry chosen from the group consisting of a contact name, a contact telephone number, a contact street address, and a contact email address.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the SMS module is further operable to identify a portion of the text input such that a user of a wireless device receiving the one or more SMS contact information messages recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages provide for acquiring the contact information file.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the SMS module is further operable to embed a link in the text input, wherein the link is operable to initiate execution to store the contact information file corresponding to the one or more SMS contact information messages in a receiving wireless communication device contact listing database.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 24, wherein the link corresponds to either a network resource for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file or a previous SMS contact information message for retrieving at least a part of the contact information file.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the SMS module is further operable to identify the one or more SMS contact information messages such that a wireless communication device that receives the one or more SMS contact information message automatically recognizes that the one or more SMS contact information messages include at least a portion of the contact information file.

27. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the format is further defined as a personal data exchange file format.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the format is further defined as a format executable by a wireless communication device-application development platform.

29. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the SMS module further comprises a contact file segmentor operable to segment the contact information file into two or more segments, wherein a respective one of the two or more segments is included in a respective one of two or more SMS contact information messages.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the SMS module is further operable to identify each of the two or more SMS contact information messages to associate the two or more SMS contact messages and to allow for the contact information file to be assembled at the one or more wireless communication devices.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the SMS application is further operable to match the portion of the text with an entry included within the stored contact information file.