# US 2014/0157148 A1 · Apparatus and method of linking social network service application > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157148 A1 - Document ID: US20140157148A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/026,496 - Filed: 2013-09-13 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Inventors: Jong-Sung JOO; Min-Chul KIM; Kumar Chitra SAMPATH; Hui-Chul YANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157148A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services - H04L 51/58: Message adaptation for wireless communication - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for enabling easy access to an application linked to contact information is provided. The method includes retrieving a substitute contact means or available applications for contact information of a message while a text messaging screen is being displayed, displaying respective indicators of at least one application with the message, and turning to a running screen of an application that corresponds to a selected indicator. By doing this, a user may easily run the substitute contact means or associated application without leaving the text messaging screen while using the text messaging. It thus gives an advantage of effectively guaranteeing continuity of conversation from the perspective of the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of linking a Social Network Service (SNS) application in a mobile device, the method comprising: retrieving at least one application from among a plurality of applications, which is linkable based on contact information of a message requested to be output; displaying the message with respective indicators to represent the at least one application; and displaying, upon selection of any of the respective indicators to represent the at least one application, a running screen of an application represented by the selected indicator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one application comprises an SNS application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the respective indicators to represent the at least one application are displayed in an icon form in an area where the contact information of the message is displayed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing the contact information of the message with a stored contact list before the retrieving of the at least one application; and determining if the contact information has a match in the contact list. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the retrieving of the at least one application comprises retrieving at least one stored SNS application corresponding to the match if the contact information has the match. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: confirming from respective servers providing the plurality of applications about the at least one application that is linkable to the contact information of the message if the contact information has no match in the contact list. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the running screen of the application represented by the selected indicator has public profile information provided by the corresponding server if the contact information has no match in the contact list. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving substitute contact information of the other party who sent the message based on the contact information of the message; and displaying an indicator to represent the substitute contact information with the respective indicators to represent the at least one application while displaying the message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the substitute contact information comprises an email address of the other party who sent the message which is displayed as an icon that represents email in an area in which the contact information of the message is displayed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the running screen of the application represented by the selected indicator comprises a screen of a mobile website hosted by an organization or a group if the contact information of the message corresponds to representative contact information of the organization or the group. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for linking a Social Network Service (SNS) application in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising: a storage configured to store a contact list; a display unit configured to display a message list screen; and a controller configured to retrieve at least one application from among a plurality of applications, which is linkable based on contact information of a message requested to be output in the message list screen, control to display the message with respective indicators to represent the at least one application, and control to display, upon selection of any of the respective indicators to represent the at least one application, a running screen of an application represented by the selected indicator in the display unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one application comprises an SNS application. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller compares the contact information with the contact list, and determines if the contact information has a match in the contact list. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller retrieves, if the contact information has the match, at least one SNS stored application corresponding to the match, and displays respective indicators to represent the at least one SNS application in icon form. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the respective indicators to represent the at least one application are displayed in an area where the contact information of the message is displayed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller confirms from respective servers providing the plurality of applications about the at least one application that is linkable to the contact information of the message, if the contact information has no match in the contact list. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the running screen of the application represented by the selected indicator has public profile information provided by the corresponding server if the contact information has no match in the contact list. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the running screen of the application represented by the selected indicator comprises a screen of a mobile website hosted by an organization or a group if the contact information of the message corresponds to representative contact information of the organization or the group. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller retrieves substitute contact information of the other party who sent the message based on the contact information of the message, and displays an indicator to represent the substitute contact information with the respective indicators to represent the at least one application while displaying the message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the substitute contact information comprises an email address of the other party who sent the message which is displayed as an icon that represents email in an area in which the contact information of the message is displayed. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1.