System and method for integrating an address book with an instant messaging application in a mobile station

• US 8,131,803 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hardy, Michael Thomas, Dunk, Craig A., Klassen, Gerhard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, George
• Application Number:
  US10/848,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,849 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A system for integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station is provided. An instant messaging database may be used to store instant messaging data, the instant messaging data including instant messaging contacts and instant messaging (IM) presence information to indicate whether the instant messaging contacts may currently be accessed by the instant messaging application. An address book database may be used for storing address book data. An aggregated data viewer may be used to relate instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database.

Claims

1. A system for integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory subsystem;

an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data in the memory subsystem, the instant messaging data including a listing of instant messaging contacts and corresponding instant messaging presence information, the instant messaging presence information being dynamically updatable state information that indicates whether the instant messaging contacts are currently accessible by the instant messaging application;

an address book database for storing address book data in the memory subsystem;

an aggregated data and facilities database in the memory subsystem for relating instant messaging data, including instant messaging presence information, from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database, the aggregated data and facilities database accessible by the instant messaging application to display and manipulate data from both the instant messaging database and the address book database;

an address library application program interface (API) stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor, when executed the address library API being configured to propagate the address book data between the address book database and the aggregated data and facilities database; and

an instant messaging library API stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor, when executed the instant messaging library API being configured to propagate the instant messaging data between the instant messaging database and the aggregated data and facilities database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database is accessible by the address book application to present and manipulate data in both the instant messaging database and the address book database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data and facilities database is accessible by the instant messaging application to present and manipulate data in both the instant messaging database and the address book database.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface comprising a buddy list that includes a list of IM handles that are stored in the instant messaging database and that are contactable using the instant messaging application,

the user interface further including a contact name list that provides address book data corresponding to one or more of the IM handles in the buddy list;

wherein a menu function is executable by selecting an entry in one of the buddy list and the contact list that is operable to modify instant messaging data and address book data associated with the selected entry.

5. A system for integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory subsystem;

an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data in the memory subsystem that includes instant messaging contacts and instant messaging presence information, the instant messaging presence information being dynamically updatable state information that indicates whether the instant messaging contacts are currently accessible by the instant messaging application;

an address book database for storing address book data in the memory subsystem that is updatable by user input to the address book application;

an aggregated data viewer stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor, when executed the aggregated data viewer being configured to relate instant messaging data, including instant messaging presence information, from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database;

the aggregated data viewer being further configured to simultaneously display an address of a contact from the address book database and an online/offline state of the contact from the instant messaging database.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a user interface comprising a buddy list that includes a list of IM handles that are stored in the instant messaging database and that are contactable using the instant messaging application, the user interface further comprising a contact name list that provides address book data corresponding to one or more of the IM handles in the buddy list;

wherein a menu function is executable by selecting an entry in one of the buddy list and the contact list that is operable to modify instant messaging data and address book data associated with the selected entry.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

an instant messaging library application program interface (API) configured to interface the aggregated data viewer with the instant messaging database; and

an address book library API configured to interface the aggregated data viewer with the address book database.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the address book application.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the instant messaging application.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the aggregated data viewer is configured to provide API entry points usable by the address book application to retrieve and store address book data via the address book library API and instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to automatically update the address book application with changes to the IM presence information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the API entry points include library-specific data loading functions, library-specific display functions and library-specific editing functions.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the address book library API is configured to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer usable to store and retrieve address book data via the address book library API, and wherein the instant messaging library API is configured to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer usable to store and retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregated data viewer provides an indirection repository for storing the API entry points.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the aggregated data viewer is configured to provide API entry points usable by the instant messaging application to retrieve address book data from the address book database via the address book library API and to retrieve instant messaging data from the instant messaging database via the instant messaging library API.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the API entry points include library-specific data loading functions, library-specific display functions and library-specific editing functions.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the address book library API is configured to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer usable to retrieve address book data via the address book library API, and wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer usable to retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the API entry points are usable by the instant messaging application to store instant messaging data in the instant messaging database via the instant messaging library API.

19. A user interface program product for use in a mobile station, the mobile station including a system for integrating an address book application with an instant message application that includes a processor, a memory subsystem, an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data in the memory subsystem, an address book database for storing address book data in the memory subsystem, and an aggregated data and facilities database in the memory subsystem for relating instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database, the user interface program being stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor, when executed the user interface program causing the processor to generate interface fields for display on the mobile station comprising:

a buddy list generated by the processor and displayed on the mobile station that includes a list of IM handles that are stored in the instant messaging database and that are contactable using the instant messaging application; and

a contact name list generated by the processor and displayed on the mobile station that provides address book data corresponding to one or more of the IM handles in the buddy list;

the contact name list simultaneously displaying an address of a contact from the address book database and an online/offline presence of the contact from the instant messaging database;

wherein a menu function is executable by selecting an entry in the buddy list or the contact list that is operable to modify instant messaging data and address book data associated with the selected entry.

20. The user interface program product, wherein modifications to the address book database and the instant messaging database are propagated in the aggregated data and facilities database.

21. The user interface program product, wherein the instant messaging data and the address book data are stored with corresponding metadata in the aggregated data and facilities database.

22. The user interface program product, wherein the address book database is configured to update the address book data based on user input.

23. The user interface program product, wherein the instant messaging database is configured to dynamically update the instant messaging data based on IM presence information.

24. A mobile station, comprising:

a processor;

a memory subsystem;

an instant messaging application stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor;

an instant messaging database for storing instant messaging data in the memory subsystem, the instant messaging data including a listing of instant messaging contacts, corresponding instant messaging handles, and corresponding instant messaging presence information to indicate whether the instant messaging contacts are currently accessible by the instant messaging application, the instant messaging presence information of an instant messaging contact being determined via a monitoring of online notifications and offline notifications of the instant messaging contact;

an address book database for storing address book data in the memory subsystem;

an aggregated data and facilities database in the memory subsystem for relating instant messaging data, including instant messaging presence information, from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database; and

a user interface program stored in the memory subsystem and executable by the processor, when executed the user interface program causing the processor to generate interface fields for display on the mobile station comprising;

a contact name list providing address book data and related instant messaging data corresponding to one or more of the instant messaging contacts; and

at least one user-selectable function executable by selecting an entry in the contact list that is operable to modify at least one of instant messaging data and address book data associated with the selected entry.

25. The mobile station of claim 24, wherein modifications to the address book database and the instant messaging database are propagated in the aggregated data and facilities database.

26. The mobile station of claim 24, wherein the instant messaging data and the address book data are stored with corresponding metadata in the aggregated data and facilities database.

27. The mobile station of claim 24, wherein the instant messaging database is configured to dynamically update the instant messaging data based on IM presence information.

28. A method of integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station, comprising:

creating an address book schema using an address library application program interface (API), the address book schema defining address book data fields for an aggregated data and facilities database, and the address library API providing a generic interface between the aggregated data and facilities database and an address book database; and

extending the address book schema using an instant messaging library API to define instant messaging fields for the aggregated data and facilities database, the instant messaging library API providing a generic interface between the aggregated data and facilities database and an instant messaging database;

the address book schema including metadata associated with each field that identifies the contents of the field such that instant messaging and address book data fields stored in the aggregated data and facilities database are generically identifiable by both the address book application and the instant messaging application.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the instant messaging database stores instant messaging data including instant messaging contacts and corresponding instant messaging presence information, the instant messaging presence information being dynamically updatable state information that indicates whether the instant messaging contacts are currently accessible by the instant messaging application.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the metadata associated with each field identifies a representation, a range and a label.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving an entry into the aggregated data and facilities database from the address book application that includes both address book fields and instant messaging fields;

in response to receiving the entry, sending a notification from the aggregated data and facilities database to the instant messaging library API that identifies the entry.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

detecting, at the instant messaging API, that the instant messaging fields in the entry include an instant messaging identification field;

in response to detecting that the instant messaging fields include an instant messaging identification field, the instant messaging library API determining current instant messaging presence information associated with the instant messaging identification field; and

the instant messaging library API updating the entry in the aggregated data and facilities database to include the current instant messaging presence information.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

in response to receiving the update from the instant messaging library API, the aggregated data and facilities database sending a notification of the update to the address book application.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

the instant messaging application identifying, from the instant messaging presence information, a plurality of instant messaging contacts that are currently accessible; and

the instant messaging application retrieving, from the aggregated data and facilities database, address book information corresponding to each of the plurality of instant messaging contacts.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the instant messaging application uses the metadata to retrieve the address book information from the aggregated data and facilities database without executing address book specific software.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

the instant messaging library API detecting a state change in the instant messaging present information corresponding to an instant messaging contact; and

the instant messaging library updating the aggregated data and facilities database to reflect the state change.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

in response to the update to reflect the state change, the aggregated data and facilities database sending a notification to the address book application.

38. A method of integrating an address book application with an instant messaging application in a mobile station, comprising:

providing a first set of application program interface (API) entry points from an address library API to an aggregated data viewer, the first set of API entry points being specific to an address book database;

providing a second set of API entry points from an instant messaging library API to the aggregated data viewer, the second set of API entry points being specific to an instant messaging database;

the aggregated data viewer receiving requests from the instant messaging application and the address book application for an interface for data entry; and

in response to the interface requests, the aggregated data viewer providing the address book application and the instant messaging application with opaque references to the address book library API and the instant messaging library API.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

the address book application receiving data entry elements from the address library API and the instant messaging library API;

displaying both address book and instant messaging entry fields on a user interface of the address book application using the data entry elements, wherein representation of the entry fields is controlled by the aggregated data viewer;

receiving data input to the address book and instant messaging entry fields; and

the aggregated data viewer storing the data input to the address book entry fields in the address book database and storing data input to the instant messaging entry fields in the instant messaging database.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

the aggregated data viewer receiving a request from the instant messaging application to load data fields for one or more contact records;

in response to the request, the aggregated data viewer using the first and second sets of API entry points to request display elements from the address book library API and the instant messaging library API for display on a user interface of the instant messaging application.