Method and system for collecting, searching and determining the strength of contacts from a mobile contact list

摘要

The method allows users of mobile devices or desktop/laptops in an organization to perform a search on a collated list of contacts for a particular contact and determine who, within the system/organization, may have that contact in their list. Contact lists from individual mobile devices are collated and stored and are searchable. A rating for the strength of each contact in a user's mobile contact list is made by determining the type of contact that the user uses to communicate with the contact and by the frequency with which the user communicates with the contact. This can be done across the contacts for the entire organization. The organization can also determine the strength of the contact list of someone in the organization or the relative strength of each contact.

主权项

1. A method of collecting and searching, over a computer network, contact information from one or more of a plurality of mobile devices associated with an organization in order to provide overall values for the networks of contacts of one or more of a plurality of individuals within said organization, comprising:
i) providing a contact information database and a server accessible to said computer network; ii) said server receiving from said one or more of a plurality of mobile devices first contact information comprising a first contact's name, email address, telephone number, the identity of the individual whose mobile device contained said first contact information, information relevant to the rating of the strength of the first contact's relationship with said individual, and an identification of the entity with which said first contact is associated, if any, and said first contact's title or position within said entity with which said contact is associated, if any; iii) said server adding said first contact information to said contact information database; iv) said server calculating and storing a value representing the strength of said first contact's relationship with said individual; v) said server calculating and storing a first contact value for the individual's relationship to said first contact determined by the first contact's position, said entity's size, and the strength of the contact's relationship with said individual controlling said mobile device; vi) said server repeating steps ii) through iv) for all said individual's contacts; and vii) said server calculating and summing said contact values for all said individual's contacts in said database and storing said sum as the overall value for said individual's network of contacts and storing said overall value in said contact information database.