Wireless device address book updates

• US 8,478,906 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Royce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thieu, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/175,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 709/249, 709/203, 709/17, 709/206, 709/219, 709/246, 709/248, 709/201, 705/1, 705/26, 455/414, 455/461, 455/412, 455/418, 379/354, 379/355.01, 379/355.04
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system for maintaining an address book, wherein the address book includes a plurality of entries with each entry containing contact information and wherein address book updates are transmitted over a wireless network. The system includes a gateway for storing the address book and transmitting the address book updates to a wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a database of a gateway, contact information;

storing, by the database, the contact information in an address book on the gateway;

storing, by a message storage device, messaging data, wherein;

the gateway serves as a gateway between a wireless network and an external network;

the gateway is accessible by a plurality of devices;

the gateway receives and stores contact information between the wireless network and the external network;

the gateway transmits data between the gateway and at least one computing device coupled to at least one of the wireless network or the external network; and

the database and the message storage device are configured between at least one protocol handling device and at least one mail router device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of an email address, a name, a residential address, a business address, a company name, a business phone number, a home phone number, a mobile phone number, or a fax number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting data representing the contact information from a first protocol to a second protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one of the first protocol and the second protocol is a wireless application protocols.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein one of the first protocol and the second protocol is an internet communications protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the contact information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein encoding comprises encoding wireless markup language into binary format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a directory structure for associate a user with the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the contact information or the messaging data is modifiable by the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a copy of the address book on at least one device of the plurality of devices in response to at least one of a predetermined time period, a request, or a modification to the contact information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the address book is modifiable via at least one of an internet or a wireless device.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium not being a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by a database of a gateway, contact information;

storing, by the database, the contact information in an address book on the gateway;

storing, by a message storage device, messaging data, wherein;

the gateway serves as a gateway between a wireless network and an external network;

the gateway is accessible by a plurality of devices;

the gateway receives and stores contact information between the wireless network and the external network;

the gateway transmits data between the gateway and at least one computing device coupled to at least one of the wireless network or the external network; and

the database and the message storage device are configured between at least one protocol handling device and at least one mail router device.

13. A network gateway comprising:

a database configured to receive and store contact information in an address book on the gateway; and

a message storage device configured to store messaging data, wherein;

the gateway serves as a gateway between a wireless network and an external network;

the gateway is accessible by a plurality of devices;

the gateway receives and stores contact information between the wireless network and the external network;

the gateway transmits data between the gateway and at least one computing device coupled to at least one of the wireless network or the external network; and

the database and the message storage device are configured between at least one protocol handling device and at least one mail router device;

a protocol handler coupled to the router;

a database coupled to the protocol handler; and

a mail router coupled to the database, the mailer router coupled to a network external to the network gateway, the network gateway configure to;

receive the contact information;

store the contact information in an address book, the network gateway being accessible by a plurality of devices;

determine for each of the plurality of devices if a device is capable of accessing the contact information;

determine for each of the plurality of devices if a device is authorized to access the contact information; and

determine for each of the plurality of devices if a device is authorized to modify the contact information;

when it is determined that a device of the plurality of devices is capable of accessing and authorized to access the contact information, upon receiving a request indicative of a request from the device that is capable of accessing and authorized to access the contact information to access contact information, provide access to the contact information; and

when it is determined that a device of the plurality of devices is capable of accessing and authorized to modify the contact information, upon receiving a request indicative of a request from the device that is capable of accessing and authorized to modify the contact information to modify the contact information, provide access to the contact information for modifying the contact information.