Method and apparatus for linking multiple contact identifiers of an individual

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9424556-B2
Application number	US-90460510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2010
Priority date	Oct 14, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for linking multiple contact identifiers of an individual include receiving first data that indicates contacts of a first user at first services. Contact identifiers for a different second user at second services are determined based at least in part on the contacts. Second data that indicates an association among the second user and the candidate contact identifiers is sent to the first user. In some embodiments on a client, techniques include determining to send first data that indicates contacts of a first user at first services; and receiving second data. The second data indicates an association among a different second user and candidate contact identifiers for the second user at second services based at least in part on the contacts. A prompt is presented for the first user to approve an association between the second user and a candidate contact identifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving first data that indicates a plurality of contacts of a first user at a first plurality of services;
determining a plurality of candidate contact identifiers for a different second user at a second plurality of services based at least in part on contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services; and
determining to send second data that indicates an association among the second user and the plurality of candidate contact identifiers,
wherein the association provides an indication that one or more of the plurality of candidate contact identifiers may be the same as the second user.

2. A method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first data further comprises:
receiving first data that indicates a plurality of user credentials for the first user to access the first plurality of services; and
determining the plurality of contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services based on the user credentials.

3. A method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving third data that indicates an approved association among the second user and a plurality of approved contact identifiers based, at least in part, on the plurality of candidate contact identifiers and input from the first user,
wherein the approved association indicates a confirmation by the first user that one or more of the plurality of candidate contact identifiers is the same as the second user.

4. A method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of candidate contact identifiers includes the contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services.

5. A method of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of candidate contact identifiers comprises:
determining similarity of data associated with a first contact identifier in the plurality of candidate contact identifiers to data associated with a second contact identifier among the contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services; and
if the similarity is greater than a threshold similarity, then including the second contact identifier in the plurality of candidate contact identifiers.

6. A method of claim 5 , wherein the data associated with the first contact identifier and the data associated with the second contact identifier is data that indicates one or more of the corresponding contact identifier, content posted by the corresponding contact identifier to the corresponding service, or contacts of the corresponding contact identifier in the corresponding service.

7. A method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving third data that indicates an approved association among the second user and a plurality of approved contact identifiers based, at least in part, on the plurality of candidate contact identifiers and input from the first user; and
determining an adjustment to the threshold similarity based, at least in part, on agreement between the plurality of approved contact identifiers and the plurality of candidate contact identifiers.

8. A method of claim 3 , further comprising determining to send, to a different third user, fourth data indicating an association between the second user and a set of one or more approved contact identifiers of the plurality of approved contact identifiers.

9. A method of claim 8 , wherein the fourth data further indicates an identifier of the first user.

10. A method of claim 8 , wherein determining to send the fourth data to the third user further comprises determining that the fourth data satisfies a privacy condition.

11. A method of claim 10 , wherein the privacy condition comprises one or more of:
a contact identifier in the set is already in a contact list of the third user;
the second user has granted approval to send a contact identifier in the set to the third user;
the first user has granted approval to send a contact identifier in the set to the third user; or
the fourth data does not indicate an identifier of the first user unless the first user has approved including the identifier of the first user.

12. A method comprising:
determining to send first data that indicates a plurality of contacts of a first user at a first plurality of services;
receiving second data that indicates an association among a different second user and a plurality of candidate contact identifiers for the second user at a second plurality of services based at least in part on contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services; and
determining to present a prompt for the first user to approve an association between the second user and one or more of the candidate contact identifiers,
wherein the association provides an indication that the one or more of the candidate contact identifiers may be the same as the second user, and
wherein approval by the first user of the association between the second user and the one or more of the candidate contact identifiers indicates that the first user confirms that the one or more of the candidate contact identifiers is the same as the second user.

13. A method of claim 12 , wherein determining to send the first data further comprises:
determining to present, to the first user, a prompt to enter a plurality of user credentials for the first user to access the first plurality of services;
receiving user input that indicates the plurality of user credentials for the first user to access the first plurality of services; and
determining to send first data that indicates the user input to a remote process that uses the plurality of user credentials to determine the plurality of contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services.

14. A method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving user input that indicates an approved association among the second user and a plurality of approved contact identifiers based, at least in part, on the plurality of candidate contact identifiers; and
determining to send third data that indicates the approved association among the second user and the plurality of approved contact identifiers.

15. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
receive first data that indicates a plurality of contacts of a first user at a first plurality of services;
determine a plurality of candidate contact identifiers for a different second user at a second plurality of services based at least in part on contacts of the first user at the first plurality of services; and
determine to send second data that indicates an association among the second user and the plurality of candidate contact identifiers,
wherein the association provides an indication that one or more of the plurality of candidate contact identifiers may be the same as the second user.

16. An apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to receive third data that indicates an approved association among the second user and a plurality of approved contact identifiers based, at least in part, on the plurality of candidate contact identifiers and input from the first user,
wherein the approved association indicates a confirmation by the first user that one or more of the plurality of candidate contact identifiers is the same as the second user.

17. An apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to send, to a different third user, fourth data indicating an association between the second user and a set of one or more a

Assignees

• Ollila Elina Maria Inkeri
• Honkala Mikko Johannes
• Cui yan qing
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Ollila Elina Maria Inkeri
• Honkala Mikko Johannes
• Cui yan qing

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• H04L51/48

  Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases · CPC title