Management of Contact Information
A method of ordering contact information for a communications device comprises the following steps. Contact information is associated with a plurality of events associated with the communications device. A contact interaction history is determined from the plurality of events and associated contact information. Contact information is ordered on the basis of the contact interaction history. A suitable system, in which some or all of these steps may be carried out remotely from the communications device, is also described. An alternative method is described which involves determining a current communications device state and ordering the contact information for presentation in dependence on one or more variables of the current communications device state.
1 . A method of presenting contact information to a user of a communications device, comprising:
determining a current communications device state; and
ordering the contact information for presentation in dependence on one or more variables of the current communications device state.
2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communications device is a mobile telecommunications device.
3 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the current communications device state comprises one or more of the following parameters: current device location; current time of day; contact interaction history; and application invoking the contact information.
4 . A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the current communications device state comprises the contact interaction history and at least one other parameter.
5 . A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the contact interaction history comprises a history of interaction events with a contact and a communications device state associated with each interaction event.
6 . A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the communications device state associated with an interaction event comprises one or more of whether the interaction event was initiated at the communications device or by the contact; device location at the interaction event; time of day of the interaction event; and application associated with the interaction event.
7 . A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each interaction event in the history of interaction events is stored as a vector with an associated relevancy factor.
8 . A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein ordering the contact information for presentation comprises calculating contact relevancy from the one or more variables of the current communications device state and the history of interaction events.
9 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least ordering the contact information for presentation is performed remotely from the communications device.
10 . A method of ordering contact information for a communications device comprising:
associating contact information with a plurality of events associated with the communications device;
determining a contact interaction history from the plurality of events and associated contact information; and
ordering contact information on the basis of the contact interaction history.
11 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the communications device is a mobile telecommunications device.
12 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein ordering contact information is made in dependence on one or more variables of the current communications device state.
13 . A method as claimed in claims 10 to 12 , wherein the contact interaction history comprises a history of interaction events with a contact and a communications device state associated with each interaction event.
14 . A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the communications device state associated with an interaction event comprises one or more of whether the interaction event was initiated at the communications device or by the contact; device location at the interaction event;
time of day of the interaction event; and application associated with the interaction event.
15 . A method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein each interaction event in the history of interaction events is stored as a vector with an associated relevancy factor.
16 . A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein ordering the contact information for presentation comprises calculating contact relevancy from the one or more variables of the current communications device state and the history of interaction events.
17 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein at least ordering the contact information for presentation is performed remotely from the communications device.
18 . A system for presenting contact information to a user of a communications device, comprising:
an event analyzer for analyzing events associated with the communications device and associating contact information with the events;
an event store for a contact interaction history comprising analyzed events and associated contact information; and
an ordering engine for ordering contact information on the basis of the contact interaction history.
19 . A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein at least the event analyzer and the event store are located remotely from the communications device.
20 . A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the system comprises a server with a processor suitably programmed to provide the event analyzer and the ordering engine and a memory adapted to provide the event store, and further comprising a communication interface for receiving requests for ordered contact information from communications devices and for providing ordered contact information for communication devices.
21 . A system as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the system further comprises a client on a communication device adapted to communicate with the server to request and receive ordered contact information.
22 . A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the communications devices are mobile telecommunications devices.
23 . A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ordering engine orders in dependence on one or more variables of the current communications device state.
24 . A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the contact interaction history comprises a history of interaction events with a contact and a communications device state associated with each interaction event.
25 . A system as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the communications device state associated with an interaction event comprises one or more of whether the interaction event was initiated at the communications device or by the contact; device location at the interaction event; time of day of the interaction event; and application associated with the interaction event.
26 . A system as claimed in claim 24 , wherein each interaction event in the history of interaction events is held in the event store as a vector with an associated relevancy factor.
27 . A system as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the ordering engine calculates contact relevancy from the one or more variables of the current communications device state and the history of interaction events.