Method for populating a caller's information to a host-based address book
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus is provided to populate a caller's information to a host-based address book automatically or by a single click on a virtual button included in a popup window or by a series of simple commands.
1. A method for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a users online services account, comprising operations of:
an online services provider providing multiple Internet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a user's online services account;
establishing service for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions, the prescribed conditions including the incoming calls occurring while the line is busy;
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming call placed to a user, where the redirection occurs while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, performing operations comprising:
the online services provider transmitting a substantially real-time interactive indication of the incoming call to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
the online services provider utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction submitted via the interactive indication of the incoming call.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
synchronizing contents of the following: (1) the user's personal online contacts directory, and (2) a local contacts directory stored in one of the following: the user's computer, a different local device in communication with the user's computer.
3. The method of claim 1 , where the operation of the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information comprises:
updating a local contacts directory stored in one of the following: the user's computer, a different local device in communication with the user's computer;
synchronizing contents of the user's personal online contacts directory and the local contacts directory.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the operation of the online services provider transmitting a substantially real-time interactive indication of the incoming call comprises:
causing a pop-up window containing the indication to display upon the user's computer.
5. The method of claim 1 , where:
the operation of the online services provider transmitting a substantially real-time interactive indication of the incoming call comprises: causing a window containing the indication to display upon the users computer;
the operation of the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information occurs responsive to the user selecting a prescribed graphical feature presented by the window.
6. The method of claim 1 , where:
the operation of establishing service comprises: arranging a call-forward-busy feature.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the extracted information comprises at least one of the following:
name of the party;
telephone number of the party;
city of the party;
state of the party;
time at which the incoming call was placed.
8. The method of claim 1 , the prescribed conditions further including: the incoming call occurring without being unanswered.
9. A method for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a user's online services account, where an online services provider provides multiple Internet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a user's online services account, and where service has been established for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions, the prescribed conditions including the incoming calls occurring while the line is busy, the method comprising operations of:
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming call placed to a user, where the redirection occurs while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, performing operations comprising:
the online services provider transmitting a substantially real-time interactive indication of the incoming call to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
the online services provider utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
the online services provider updating the users personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction submitted via the interactive indication of the incoming call.
10. A method for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a user's online services account, comprising operations of:
an online services provider providing multiple Internet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a user's online services account;
establishing service for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions;
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming call placed to a user, the online services provider utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
responsive to the party leaving a voicemail message at the online services provider, the online services provider performing operations comprising:
while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, transmitting an interactive indication of the voicemail message to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
the online services provider updating the users personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction via the interactive indication of the voicemail message.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
synchronizing contents of the following: (1) the user's personal online contacts directory, and (2) a local contacts directory stored in one of the following: the user's computer, a different local device in communication with the user's computer.
12. The method of claim 10 , where the operation of the online services provider updating the personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information comprises:
updating a local contacts directory stored in one of the following: the user's computer, a different local device in communication with the user's computer;
synchronizing contents of the user's personal online contacts directory and the local contacts directory.
13. The method of claim 10 , where the operation of the online services provider transmitting an interactive indication of the voicemail message to the user comprises:
causing a window containing the indication to display upon the user's computer.
14. The method of claim 10 , where:
the operation of the online services provider transmitting an interactive indication of the voicemail message to the user comprising: causing a window containing the indication to display upon the user's computer;
the operation of the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information occurs responsive to the user selecting a prescribed graphical feature in the window.
15. The method of claim 10 , where:
the operation of establishing service comprises: arranging a call-forward-busy feature.
16. The method of claim 10 , where the extracted information comprises at least one of the following:
name of the party;
telephone number of the party;
city of the party;
state of the party;
time at which the incoming call was placed.
17. The method of claim 10 , the prescribed conditions including:
the incoming call occurring without being unanswered.
the incoming call occurring while the line is busy.
18. A method for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a user's online services account, where an online services provider provides multiple lnternet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a user's online services account, and where service has been established for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions, the method comprising operations of:
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming call placed to a user, the online services provider utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
responsive to the party leaving a voicemail message at the online services provider, the online services provider performing operations comprising:
while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, transmitting an interactive indication of the voicemail message to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction via the interactive indication of the voicemail message.
19. An apparatus for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a users online services account, where service has been established for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls placed to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions, the prescribed conditions including the incoming calls occurring while the line is busy, the apparatus comprising:
at least one server configured to operate as an online services provider by performing services comprising:
providing multiple Internet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a users online services account;
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming call to a user occurring because the user's line is busy, performing operations comprising:
while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, transmitting a substantially real-time interactive indication of the incoming call to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction submitted via the interactive indication of the incoming call.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , where the interactive indication of the incoming call comprises:
a virtual button included in a popup window;
a mechanism to associate a single-click on said virtual button with a command to order said sewer to perform said operation of updating the user's personal online contacts directory.
21. An apparatus for populating a personal online contacts directory associated with a user's online services account, where service has been established for users' telephone lines such that incoming calls to each said line are redirected to the online services provider under prescribed conditions, the apparatus comprising:
at least one server configured to operate as an online services provider by performing services comprising:
providing multiple Internet accessible, user configurable, personal online contacts directories each associated with a users online services account;
responsive to the online services provider receiving redirection of an incoming calls placed to a user, the online services provider utilizing caller-ID data received in conjunction with the incoming call to extract information identifying a party who placed the incoming call;
responsive to the party leaving a voicemail message at the online services provider, the online services provider performing operations comprising:
while the user is logged-in to the online services provider, transmitting an interactive indication of the voicemail message to the user via computer by which the user is logged-in to the online services provider;
the online services provider updating the user's personal online contacts directory to include at least part of the extracted information, where updating occurs responsive to one of the following: (1) automatically, (2) responsive to user direction via the interactive indication of the voicemail message.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , where the interactive indication of the incoming call comprises:
a virtual button included in a popup window;
a mechanism to associate a single-click on said virtual button with a command to order said server to perform said operation of updating the user's personal online contacts directory.