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

• US 9,344,388 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• 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 Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US14/079,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/228, 707/3, 707/10, 379/207.02, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

This relates to a method for operating a mobile station. The method includes grouping two or more member addresses into a group. The group is presented as a group data in a transient data list. A selection of an option to open a messaging session with the group is selected. A messaging session is opened, with the member addresses of the selected group.

Claims

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

a hardware processor;

an instant messaging database for storing 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 software application;

an address book database for storing address book data; and

an aggregated data viewer is operable to indicate an association of instant messaging data from the instant messaging database with address book data from the address book database by displaying the instant messaging data together with the address book data;

wherein the aggregated data viewer is operable to provide application program interface (API) entry points that may be used by the address book software application to retrieve and store address book data via an address book library API interfacing the aggregated data viewer with the address book database and by the instant messaging software application to retrieve and store instant messaging data via an instant messaging library API interfacing the aggregated data viewer with the instant message database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the address book software application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer enables both address book data and instant messaging data to be accessed and displayed by the instant messaging software application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instant messaging library API is operable to automatically update the address book software application with changes to the IM presence information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the API entry points include library-specific data loading functions, library-specific display functions and library-specific editing functions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the address book library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used to store and 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 that may be used to store and retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the API entry points are function pointers.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the API entry points are object pointers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer provides an indirection repository for storing the API entry points.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the indirection repository is an object based storage in a virtual machine.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregated data viewer is operable to provide API entry points that may be used by the instant messaging software 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.

12. The system of claim 11, 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 11, wherein the address book library API is operable to register API entry points with the aggregated data viewer that may be used 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 that may be used to retrieve instant messaging data via the instant messaging library API.