Unified directory for caller ID and electronic mail addresses

A method for automatically providing a destination address for a reply in a first communications medium to a message received from an originating address and originating name in a second communications medium, comprising the steps of:

• searching a correspondent data base containing a plurality of entries, each entry representing a correspondent and containing an address field and a name field for messages in the first communications medium and an address field and a name field for messages in the second communications medium, for a first entry containing the originating address in the address field for messages in the second communications medium;
• if the first entry contains an address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium, providing that address as the destination address;
• if the first entry does not contain an address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium, searching the correspondent data base for a second entry having a name in the name field for messages in the first communications medium corresponding to the originating name;
• if a second entry is found, providing an address from the address field for messages in the first communications medium in the second entry as the destination address and merging the first and second entries;
• if a second entry is not found, requesting an address from a user, saving the user-supplied address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium in the first entry, saving the originating name in the name field for messages in the first communications medium in the first entry, and providing the user-supplied address as the destination address.

Apparatus for automatically providing a destination address for a reply in a first communications medium to a message received from an originating address and originating name in a second communications medium, comprising:

• a database memory storing a correspondent data base containing a plurality of entries, each entry representing a correspondent and containing an address field and a name field for messages in the first communications medium and an address field and a name field for messages in the second communications medium;
• a user input device;
• a display device;
• and
• a processor, coupled to the database memory, the user input device and the display device, and responsive to instructions stored in a control program memory for:
• conditioning the database memory to retrieve entries searching for a first entry containing the originating address in the address field for messages in the second communications medium;
• if the first entry contains an address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium, then providing that address as the destination address;
• if the first entry does not contain an address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium, then conditioning the database memory to retrieve entries searching for a second entry having a name in the name field for messages in the first communications medium corresponding to the originating name;
• if a second entry is found, providing an address from the address field for messages in the first communications medium in the second entry as the destination address, merging the first and second entries, and conditioning the database memory store the merged entry in the database memory;
• and
• if a second entry is not found, conditioning the display device to display a request for a destination address, conditioning the user input device to receive a destination address from the user, conditioning the database memory to store the user-supplied destination address in the address field for messages in the first communications medium in the first entry and to store the originating name in the name field for messages in the first communications medium in the first entry, and providing the user-supplied address as the destination address.