Adding a contact to a contact list on a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9614791-B2
Application number	US-201213614489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2012
Priority date	Mar 6, 2000
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server device, a user request to add a messaging contact to a list of messaging contacts associated with a user, the user request being received from a client device;
receiving, at the server device, user input that includes data representative of the messaging contact, the user input being received from the client device;
generating, using at least one processor and using the data representative of the messaging contact, a set of executable instructions, that when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to add the messaging contact in a messaging contact list stored on the mobile device; and
sending, from the server device to the mobile device via a network, the set of executable instructions that cause the mobile device to add the messaging contact in the messaging contact list stored on the mobile device upon executing the sent set of executable instructions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising verifying a user account prior to receiving the user request.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising receiving the user request via a website hosted by the server device.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising maintaining, by the server device, the list of messaging contacts.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the user request comprises receiving a selection indicating the user request from the user.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the user request comprises a request to create the messaging contact list on the mobile device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
generating one or more executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to create the messaging contact still list on the mobile device; and
sending, from the server device via the network, the one or more executable instructions to the mobile device with the set of executable instructions.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the messaging contact list comprises an address book.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the messaging contact list comprises an instant message contacts list.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising sending information associated with the messaging contact to the mobile device with the set of executable instructions.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the information comprises a name and a phone number.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises a phone.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the network is a wireless network.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising sending the set of executable instructions to the mobile device via a short message service center.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising formatting the set of executable instructions based on a type of the mobile device.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining a status of the messaging contact on a communications system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising sending the status of the messaging contact on the communications system to the mobile device.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the status comprises an indication of whether the messaging contact is logged into the communications system.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving, at a server device, a user request to add a messaging contact to a list of messaging contacts associated with a user, the user request being received from a client device;
receiving, at the server device, user input that includes data representative of the messaging contact, the user input being received from the client device;
generating, using the data representative of the messaging contact, a set of executable instructions, that when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to add the messaging contact in a messaging contact list stored on the mobile device; and
sending, from the server device to the mobile device via a network, the set of executable instructions that cause the mobile device to add the messaging contact in the messaging contact list stored on the mobile device upon executing the sent set of executable instructions.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to verify a user account prior to receiving the user request.

21. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to receive the user request via a website hosted by the server device.

22. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 21 , wherein the list of messaging contacts is maintained by the server device.

23. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to receive a selection indicating the user request from the user.

24. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , wherein the user request comprises a request to create the messaging contact list on the mobile device.

25. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
generate one or more executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to create the messaging contact list on the mobile device; and
send, from the server device via the network, the one or more executable instructions to the mobile device with the set of executable instructions.

26. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , wherein the messaging contact list comprises an address book.

27. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , wherein the messaging contact list comprises an instant message contacts list.

28. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to send information associated with the messaging contact to the mobile device with the set of executable instructions.

29. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 28 , wherein the information comprises a name and a phone number.

30. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , wherein the mobile device comprises a phone.

31. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , wherein the network is a wireless network.

32. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 31 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to send the set of executable instructions to the mobile device via a short message service center.

33. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to format the set of executable instructions based on a type of the mobile device.

Assignees

• Carey Charles A
• Robinson Bruce A
• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Carey Charles A
• Robinson Bruce A

Classifications

• H04W88/184

  Messaging devices, e.g. message centre · CPC title

• H04L51/58

  Message adaptation for wireless communication · CPC title

• H04L51/48

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

• H04L51/04 Primary

  Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] · CPC title

• H04L51/066 Primary

  Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression · CPC title