Advanced contact management in communications networks

摘要

A system provided herein permits a communications network subscriber to establish a local contact database on at least one communications device. The local contact database can communicate with a global contact database to receive contact information updates for a group of subscribers stored within the local contact database. The contact information can include basic contact information, such as name, address, email address, and telephone number. The contact information can also include advanced contact information, such as registration and activity information for each communications device associated with the group of subscribers, location information, hotspot information, points of interest information, and social networking information. Methods are provided herein that permit subscribers to introduce each other and obtain contact information securely. Methods are also provided herein that permit subscribers to request further contact information after a communication session is terminated.

主权项

1. A system for providing contact information to a plurality of subscribers in a communications network via communications devices, the system comprising:
a global contact database that stores first basic contact information for a first subscriber and second basic contact information for a second subscriber, the first basic contact information and the second basic contact information comprising name information for the first subscriber and the second subscriber, respectively, address information for the first subscriber and the second subscriber, respectively, email address information for the first subscriber and the second subscriber, respectively and telephone number information for the first subscriber and the second subscriber, respectively; an auxiliary contact database in communication with the global contact database, wherein the auxiliary contact database stores first advanced contact information for the first subscriber and second advanced contact information for the second subscriber received from a data source and provides the first advanced contact information and the second advanced contact information to the global contact database in response to a request from the global contact database; a plurality of first communications devices associated with the first subscriber, the plurality of first communications devices in communication with the global contact database via the communications network, wherein each of the plurality of first communications devices comprises a first local contact database that stores the second basic contact information for the second subscriber and the second advanced contact information for the second subscriber received from the global contact database; and a second communications device associated with the second subscriber, the second communications device in communication with the global contact database via the communications network, wherein the second communications device comprises a second local contact database that stores the first basic contact information for the first subscriber and the first advanced contact information for the first subscriber received from the global contact database, wherein the first advanced contact information for the first subscriber stored by the second local contact database comprises an identification indicating a first communications device of the plurality of first communications devices associated with the first subscriber that is being used by the first subscriber, wherein the first communications device of the plurality of first communications devices associated with the first subscriber that is being used by the first subscriber is associated with a registered attribute and an active attribute, while each the plurality of the first communications devices associated with the first subscriber other than the first communications device is only associated with the registered attribute, wherein the first advanced contact information comprises hot spot identification information comprising a hot spot associated with the first subscriber, and wherein the hot spot identification information is provided to the second communications device via a map identifying the hot spot.