Address Book Contact Updating via Instant Messaging Number Change Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face inconvenience when updating phone numbers in address books due to the complexity of manual operations such as copying and pasting, especially for new phone numbers notified via SMS or WeChat, which affects the efficiency of contact updates.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for updating contacts in an address book using an instant messaging client, which includes a change message acquisition module, a phone number change page acquisition module, and a phone number update module, enabling automatic or manual updating of phone numbers through a browser interaction, and a changed phone number sharing module to notify contacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual updating operations (copying and pasting) are used to update phone numbers in address books, then users can update their contacts, but the operation becomes complicated and inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of contact updateVSAvoidoperation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an instant messaging client as an intermediary between the SMS message and the address book. The client automatically extracts phone number information from the SMS, identifies the corresponding contact, and updates the address book without requiring manual copying and pasting operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically updating the address book when an SMS with phone number information is received. The instant messaging client detects the SMS, extracts the necessary information, and completes the update process autonomously without user intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If phone number updates are delayed, then users avoid the complexity of manual updates, but contacts become outdated causing inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact information accuracyVSAvoidupdate time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the update action immediately when the SMS is received, rather than waiting for user initiation. The instant messaging client proactively detects the phone number change information and updates the address book in real-time, ensuring contact information accuracy without delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where the instant messaging client continuously monitors for SMS messages containing phone number information and automatically triggers updates. This creates a responsive system that maintains up-to-date contact information through automatic detection and correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3739857B1Address book contact updating method, device, apparatus, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2026.03.25 ZTE CORP

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AI summary

The present disclosure provides a method, a device, and an apparatus for updating a contact in an address book, and a storage medium. The method includes: receiving a message for changing a phone number from a contact terminal via an instant messaging server; acquiring information in a phone number change page of the contact terminal from a contact change server according to the message for changing a phone number; and updating a phone number of a contact in an address book according to the information in the phone number change page.