Communication device, communication system and program

• US 8,954,110 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazuhiro, Yamada, Eiju
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): GENACK, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US12/670,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20100240394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

To improve convenience of a function of rearranging and conveying information registered in an address book. A mobile phone, if any one of users registered in an address book is selected, obtains location information of a mobile phone owned by the selected user from a location search server. The mobile phone, by comparing location information of a home or an office of the selected user registered in the address book and the location information of the mobile phone obtained from the location search server, decides an indication sequence of plural communication addresses registered in the address book for the selected user.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a storage means for storing plural communication addresses for one user, one of the plural communication addresses being a communication address of a mobile device owned by the user, and one or more of the plural communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, being associated with first location information at which the user communicates using the corresponding communication address;

a mobile device location obtaining means for obtaining second location information indicating a location of the mobile device;

a deciding means for deciding a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses stored in the storage means so that the notification sequence begins with, from the first location information stored in association with the communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, first location information corresponding with the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, or first location information indicating a location within a predetermined range from a location indicated by the second location information;

a notification control means for notifying the plural communication addresses in accordance with the notification sequence decided by the deciding means

a time keeping means for keeping time;

a sequence correction means for correcting the notification sequence decided by the deciding means, on the basis of the time, wherein the notification control means notifies the plural communication addresses in accordance with the notification sequence corrected by the correction means;

a determining means for determining, on the basis of the location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, whether a location indicated by the location information is in a foreign country;

a time difference correction means for, if it is determined by the determining means that the location is in a foreign country, obtaining a time difference from the location, and correcting the time kept by the time keeping means by an amount of the time difference, wherein the sequence correction means corrects the notification sequence on the basis of the time corrected by the time difference correction means;

wherein the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means is switch ID;

when the mobile device location obtaining means cannot obtain the second location information, the deciding means decides a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses stored in the storage means so that the communication address of the mobile device is set at a bottom of the notification sequence; and

the communication device further comprises another determining means for determining whether an hour kept by the time keeping means is a predetermined hour, wherein the sequence correction means, in response to an affirmative determination made by the other determining means, corrects the notification sequence decided by the deciding means so that a mail address is prioritized over a telephone number.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the deciding means, if there is neither first location information corresponding with the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, nor first location indicating a location within a predetermined range from a location indicated by the second location information, from the first location information stored in association with the communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, decides a notification sequence beginning with the communication address of the mobile device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an own device location obtaining means for obtaining location information of the communication device;

a time difference correction means for obtaining, on the basis of the location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means and the location information obtained by the own device location obtaining means, a time difference between a time at a location of the mobile device and a time at a location of the communication device, and correcting the time kept by the time keeping means by an amount of the time difference; and

a sequence correction means for correcting the notification sequence decided by the deciding means, on the basis of the time corrected by the time difference correction means.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selection means for selecting one of the plural communication addresses notified by the notification control means; and

a communication means for communicating using the communication address selected by the selection means.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device location obtaining means comprises:

an accumulating means for obtaining location information of the mobile device at predetermined intervals, and accumulating the location information in a memory in association with time information indicating a time at which the location information was obtained; and

a retrieving means for retrieving location information whose corresponding time information indicates a most recent time, from among the location information accumulated in the memory.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device location obtaining means comprises:

an accumulating means for obtaining location information of the mobile device at predetermined intervals, and accumulating the location information in a memory in association with time information indicating a time at which the location information was obtained; and

an estimation means for estimating a current location of the mobile device, using a history of location information accumulated in the memory.

7. A communication system comprising a communication device and a management device for managing an address book for the communication device, wherein:

the management device comprises;

the address book for the communication device for registering plural communication addresses for one user, one of the plural communication addresses being a communication address of a mobile device owned by the user, and one or more of the plural communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, being associated with first location information at which the user communicates using the corresponding communication address;

a mobile device location obtaining means for obtaining second location information indicating a location of the mobile device;

a deciding means for deciding a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses registered in the storage means so that the notification sequence begins with, from the first location information registered in association with the communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, first location information corresponding with the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, or first location indicating a location within a predetermined range from a location indicated by the second location information; and

a sending means for sending the address book and the notification sequence decided by the deciding means, to the communication device, and

the communication device comprises;

a receiving means for receiving the address book and the notification sequence;

a notification control means for notifying the plural communication addresses registered in the address book received by the receiving means, in accordance with the notification sequence received by the receiving means;

a time keeping means for keeping time;

a sequence correction means for correcting the notification sequence decided by the deciding means, on the basis of the time, wherein the notification control means notifies the plural communication addresses in accordance with the notification sequence corrected by the correction means;

a determining means for determining, on the basis of the location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, whether a location indicated by the location information is in a foreign country;

a time difference correction means for, if it is determined by the determining means that the location is in a foreign country, obtaining a time difference from the location, and correcting the time kept by the time keeping means by an amount of the time difference, wherein the sequence correction means corrects the notification sequence on the basis of the time corrected by the time difference correction means;

wherein the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means is switch ID;

when the mobile device location obtaining means cannot obtain the second location information, the deciding means decides a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses stored in the storage means so that the communication address of the mobile device is set at a bottom of the notification sequence; and

the communication device further comprises another determining means for determining whether an hour kept by the time keeping means is a predetermined hour, wherein the sequence correction means, in response to an affirmative determination made by the other determining means, corrects the notification sequence decided by the deciding means so that a mail address is prioritized over a telephone number.

8. A computer program comprising instructions on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program for causing a computer to function as:

a storage means for storing plural communication addresses for one user, one of the plural communication addresses being a communication address of a mobile device owned by the user, and one or more of the plural communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, being associated with first location information at which the user communicates using the corresponding communication address;

a mobile device location obtaining means for obtaining second location information indicating a location of the mobile device;

a deciding means for deciding a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses stored in the storage means so that the notification sequence begins with, from the first location information stored in association with the communication addresses other than the communication address of the mobile device, first location information corresponding with the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, or first location indicating a location within a predetermined range from a location indicated by the second location information;

a notification control means for notifying the plural communication addresses in accordance with the notification sequence decided by the deciding means;

a time keeping means for keeping time;

a sequence correction means for correcting the notification sequence decided by the deciding means, on the basis of the time, wherein the notification control means notifies the plural communication addresses in accordance with the notification sequence corrected by the correction means;

a determining means for determining, on the basis of the location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means, whether a location indicated by the location information is in a foreign country;

a time difference correction means for, if it is determined by the determining means that the location is in a foreign country, obtaining a time difference from the location, and correcting the time kept by the time keeping means by an amount of the time difference, wherein the sequence correction means corrects the notification sequence on the basis of the time corrected by the time difference correction means;

wherein the second location information obtained by the mobile device location obtaining means is switch ID;

when the mobile device location obtaining means cannot obtain the second location information, the deciding means decides a notification sequence of the plural communication addresses stored in the storage means so that the communication address of the mobile device is set at a bottom of the notification sequence; and

comprising another determining means for determining whether an hour kept by the time keeping means is a predetermined hour, wherein the sequence correction means, in response to an affirmative determination made by the other determining means, corrects the notification sequence decided by the deciding means so that a mail address is prioritized over a telephone number.