Global contact synchronization

Abstract

A situational and global context aware calendar, communications, and/or relationship management method and system is disclosed. The system is configured to receive non-calendaring related context information, and, based on that context information, to automatically determine one or more parameters of a meeting request.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory storing instructions that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, causes the mobile device to:
 generate a list of a plurality of contacts; 
 for each of the plurality of contacts for which geolocation data originating from at least one device associated with said contact is received by the mobile device, generate location information based on the geolocation data; 
 display, on the mobile device, at least one contact from the list of a plurality of contacts; 
 wherein for each contact displayed, the geolocation data is utilized to generate a visual indicator, and said visual indicator is displayed in conjunction with the contact associated with that geolocation data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the list of a plurality of contacts is created from a data structure already present on the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the geolocation data is GPS data. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the geolocation data is received by the at least one device associated with said contact from a cellular network. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the location information is a time zone. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the location information is the name of a geographic place. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the visual indicator identifies contacts within an acceptable call time period. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , where the indicator identifies contacts within an unacceptable call time period. 
     
     
         9 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory storing instructions that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, causes the computing system to:
 receive a request, from a user of the computing system, for location information for each of a plurality of contacts; 
 determine location information for the respective contacts; 
 wherein the determination of location information is based on two or more of the following indicators: 
 a first indicator of geolocation of one or more devices of the respective contact; 
 a second indicator of a registered device location associated with one or more devices of the respective contact; and/or 
 a third indicator of a geolocation of the respective contact based on data obtained from one or more social media data sources; and 
 provide visual indications of the location information for the respective contacts to the user, the computing system configured to display the location information in association with the respective contacts. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , where the location information is a time zone. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , where the location information is the name of a geographical place. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , where the visual indications of the location information includes at least two of the indicators utilizes for the determination of location information. 
     
     
         13 . A computing device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory storing instructions that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, causes the computing device to:
 identify a list of a plurality of contacts; 
 transmit a request for location information for each of the plurality of contacts to a time synchronization server; 
 receive the requested location information for at least some of the plurality of contacts from the time synchronization server; 
 generate a user interface for the display on the computing device, the user interface displaying, for at least one contact, the received location information for that contact. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 13 , where the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to determine, utilizing a database, one or more events associated with the location of the at least one contact, and provide an indication of the one or more events within the user interface. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 13 , where, in response to a user of the computing device requesting to call a particular contact, determining whether it is an unacceptable time to place the call, and if it is an unacceptable time to place the call, providing a visual and/or audible alert. 
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15 , where the acceptable call time period for the contact is determined based on the preferences of the contact. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , where the acceptable call time period for the contact is determined based on the location of the contact. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 13  where, for at least one contact, the computing device determines whether it is an unacceptable time to place a call, and if it is an unacceptable time to place the call, provides a visual alert. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 13 , where the location information for at least one of the plurality of contacts received from the time synchronization server is not generated in real time. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 1 , where the location information for at least one of the plurality of contacts received from the time synchronization server is generated in real time.