Processing contact information

• US 8,812,515 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Auerbach, David Benjamin, Lawrence, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US11/961,922
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing contact information are described. In one embodiment, an entity name is identified from an event associated with an article, wherein the entity name is associated with an entity and the event is associated with a user, contact information associated with the entity name is identified, the entity name and at least some of the contact information is indexed, and the entity name and at least some of the contact information is stored.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying an entity name;

identifying a plurality of contact information related to the entity name;

determining, for each of the plurality of contact information, a confidence score indicating a likelihood that the contact information is correctly associated with the entity name, the confidence score determined based on co-occurrence of the entity name and the contact information in a plurality of events; and

displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name based on the confidence scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of contact information comprises:

identifying an entity ID associated with the entity name; and

identifying the plurality of contact information associated with the entity ID.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the entity ID is the same as the entity name.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the entity ID preexists if the entity name has previously been identified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity name is associated with a file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the file comprises one selected from the group consisting of an email, a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, a drawing, a programming application document, a presentation application document, a web page, an mp3, an image, and a media file document.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of contact information comprises contact information selected from the group consisting of one or more names, one or more addresses, one or more telephone numbers, one or more facsimile numbers, one or more email addresses, and one or more website addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing alternative contact information for the entity name.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a confidence score indicating a likelihood that the alternative contact information is correctly associated with the entity name.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name comprises:

providing a link to at least one of the plurality of contact information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related the entity name comprises:

providing at least one of the plurality of contact information in a popup window.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an implicit query related to the entity name;

wherein the plurality of contact information is identified in response to receiving the implicit query.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact information comprises an email address.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of events in which the entity name and the contact information co-occur include at least one of sending an email including the entity name and the contact information, receiving an email including the entity name and the contact information, interaction with a web page including the entity name and the contact information, or interaction with a document including the entity name and the contact information.

9. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and including computer executable code, the code adapted to perform steps comprising:

identifying an entity name;

identifying a plurality of contact information related to the entity name;

determining, for each of the plurality of contact information, a confidence score indicating a likelihood that the contact information is correctly associated with the entity name, the confidence score determined based on co-occurrence of the entity name and the contact information in a plurality of events; and

displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

providing alternative contact information for the entity name and a confidence score indicating a likelihood that the alternative contact information is correctly associated with the entity name.

21. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information comprises:

displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information in a popup window.

22. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the code is adapted to perform further steps comprising:

receiving an implicit query related to the entity name;

wherein the plurality of contact information is identified in response to receiving the implicit query.

23. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the plurality of contact information comprises an email address.

25. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the plurality of events in which the entity name and the contact information co-occur include at least one of sending an email including the entity name and the contact information, receiving an email including the entity name and the contact information, interaction with a web page including the entity name and the contact information, or interaction with a document including the entity name and the contact information.

11. A computer system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing computer executable code that when executed by the computer processor perform steps comprising;

identifying an entity name;

identifying a plurality of contact information related to the entity name;

determining, for each of the plurality of contact information, a confidence score indicating a likelihood that the contact information is correctly associated with the entity name, the confidence score determined based on co-occurrence of the entity name and the contact information in a plurality of events; and

displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name based on the confidence scores.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of contact information comprises contact information selected from the group consisting of one or more names, one or more addresses, one or more telephone numbers, one or more facsimile numbers, one or more email addresses, and one or more website addresses.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the computer executable code when executed by the processor further perform the steps comprising:

providing alternative contact information for the entity name.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name comprises:

providing a link to at least one of the plurality of contact information.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein displaying at least one of the plurality of contact information related to the entity name comprises:

providing at least one of the plurality of contact information in a popup window.