Automated caller identifier from contact lists of a user's contacts
When a call or message is received from an unidentified sender on the user's communication device, the caller identifier application launches a text-based messaging application and causes it to send an “invisible” text-based message to the user's contacts. The message includes the metadata (e.g., telephone number) associated with the call or message that the user received. The invisible message is a short message whose headers are programmed in a particular manner so that the receiving mobile phone acknowledges the receipt of the message and the receiving mobile phone displays no behavior perceptible by the user. When the invisible message is received by the corresponding caller identifier application on one of the user's contact's mobile phone, the application searches the contact's contact list maintained in his or hers contact application. If the metadata provided to the contact's mobile phone is located in the contact list, the contact details (e.g. Name) or the contact card, if available, is sent back to the user's mobile phone in a second invisible message. Upon receiving the second invisible message, the caller identifier application causes some or all of the contact details to be displayed on the user's mobile phone or otherwise presented to the user in any appropriate manner.
1. A method performed on at least one computing device of a user that includes a processor, memory, and an identifier application, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, a message from a sender;
searching, by the computing device in response to the received message, a contact list of the user for information that identifies the sender;
sending, by the computing device in response to not finding in the user's contact list the information, a plurality of messages to devices of various contacts listed in the user's contact list, where each of the plurality of sent messages requests the information from a contact list of a corresponding one of the various contacts;
receiving, in response to at least one of the sent plurality of messages, the requested information; and
effectively expanding, based on the plurality of sent messages and the received requested information, the user's contact list to include at least a portion of the various contacts' contact lists.
2. The method of claim 1 where the received message includes a telephone number.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting, in response to finding the information in a contact list of a user of at least one of the devices of the various contacts listed in the user's contact list to which the plurality of messages were sent, at least a portion of the found information.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising further presenting a name of the sender.
5. The method of claim 1 where the computing device comprises at least one server of a service provider.
6. The method of claim 1 where the information that identifies the sender of the received message comprises a name of the sender.
7. At least one memory device that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by a processor of a computing device of a user that includes memory and an identifier application, configure the at least one computing device to:
receive a message from a sender;
search, in response to the received message, a contact list of the user for information that identifies the sender;
send, in response to not finding in the user's contact list the information, a plurality of messages to devices of various contacts listed in the user's contact list, where each of the plurality of sent messages requests the information from a contact list of a corresponding one of the various contacts;
receive, in response to at least one of the sent plurality of messages, the requested information; and
effectively expand, based on the plurality of sent messages and the received requested information, the user's contact list to include at least a portion of the various contacts' contact lists.
8. The at least one memory device of claim 7 where the received message includes a telephone number.
9. The at least one memory device of claim 7 where the computing device comprises at least one server of a service provider.
10. The at least one memory device of claim 7 where the information comprises a name of the sender.
11. The at least one memory device of claim 7 where the computer-executable instructions further configure the computing device to present, in response to finding the information in a contact list of a user of at least one of the devices of the various contacts listed in the user's contact list to which the plurality of messages were sent, at least a portion of the found information.
12. The at least one memory device of claim 11 where the computer-executable instructions further configure the computing device to present a name of the sender.
13. A computing device comprising:
a processor;
memory coupled to the processor; and
an identifier application via which the computing device is configured to:
receive a message from a sender;
search, in response to the received message, a contact list of the user for information that identifies the sender;
send, in response to not finding the information that identifies the sender of the received message, a plurality of messages to devices of various contacts listed in the user's contact list, where each of the plurality of sent messages requests the information that identifies the sender of the received message from a corresponding one of the various contacts;
receive, in response to at least one of the sent plurality of messages, the requested information; and
effectively expand, based on the plurality of sent messages and the received requested information, the user's contact list to include at least a portion of the various contacts' contact lists.
14. The computing device of claim 13 where the received message includes a telephone number.
15. The computing device of claim 13 further configured to present, in response to finding the information in a contact list of a user of at least one of the devices of the various contacts listed in the user's contact list to which the plurality of messages were sent, at least a portion of the found information.
16. The computing device of claim 13 where the information comprises a name of the sender.
17. The computing device of claim 15 further configured to present a name of the sender.
18. The computing device of claim 13 where the computing device comprises at least one server of a service provider.