Instant contact searching and presentation by category

US8370349B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Michael Quoc · San Francisco, US
• Daniel James Wascovich · San Francisco, US
• Edward Ho · San Jose, US
• Edward Stanley Ott, IV · Palo Alto, US
• Jonathan Trevor · Santa Clara, US
• Matthew Fukuda · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 28, 2007
• Grant date: Feb 5, 2013
• Expiry date: Dec 8, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/10
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a mobile device user to perform a federated search across a plurality of disparate contact data stores, including a phone directory, IM store, an email address book, a buddy list, a social networking group, a SMS list, or any of a variety of other communication contact data stores. When a user inputs a character, a dynamic search is performed across the various contact data stores. The results of the search may be repeatedly updated based on additional input characters. The results of the search may be displayed on the mobile device organized by categories of the contact data stores and/or a preferred communication mechanism. The results may also indicate a preferred mechanism for communicating with the displayed name.