Management of contact information on a communication device

A communication device, comprising:

• a processor in communication with a transceiver and for receiving and transmitting messages;
• and
• a memory in communication with the processor for storing a contact data store, the contact data store comprising contacts obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• retrieve, from the memory, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field displayed on the communication device, wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from the contact data store;
• and
• insert an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.

A system comprising:

• a communication device, comprising:
• a processor in communication with a transceiver and for receiving and transmitting messages;
• and
• a memory in communication with the processor for storing a contact data store, the contact data store comprising contacts obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• retrieve, from the memory, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field displayed on the communication device, wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from the contact data store;
• insert an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device;
• extract contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message;
• and
• store the extracted contacts in the contact data store;
• and
• a host system in communication with the communication device, wherein the host system is configured to extract contacts from both messages received at the host system for transmission to the communication device and messages received from the communication device for transmission from the host system, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message, and to store said extracted contacts in a second contact data store at the host system.

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing program code which, when executed, causes a communication device to carry out the method of:

• retrieving, from memory at the communication device, a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field at the communication device,
• wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from a contact data store, said contacts being obtained from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, the contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit;
• and
• inserting an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.

A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing program code which, when executed, causes a communication device to carry out the method of:

• extracting contacts from both messages received at and messages transmitted from the communication device, said contacts comprising at least an address for at least one of a recipient and a sender of each message;
• storing the extracted contacts in a contact data store in a memory of the communication device;
• retrieving a set of contacts matching a character string input in an address entry field at the communication device,
• wherein the set of contacts comprises contacts retrieved from a contact data store, said contacts having at least a minimum predetermined frequency of use or having been stored in the contact data store for a period of time within a predetermined limit;
• and
• inserting an address for a contact selected from the set of contacts into a message to be transmitted from the communication device.