Communication system

Abstract

A method of updating a data record stored in a data store with information supplied by at least one of a plurality of users of a communication network includes storing a communication identifier in association with the data record; providing information to update the data record from a user together with a communication identifier associated with the user providing the information; and comparing the identifier stored in association with the data record to the communication identifier associated with the user providing the information. If the information is the first type of information, the data record is updated with the information only if the identifier associated with the user providing the information is the same as the identifier stored in association with the data record and if the information is the second type of information the data record is updated with the information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of searching a data store for information relating to a recipient device capable of receiving a communication event in a communication network, the method comprising:
 processing information at a user terminal in the communication network to carry out a first action that is unrelated to searching the data store, the information comprising an identifier for the recipient device;   detecting the identifier for the recipient device in response to processing the information;   searching the data store with the identifier of the recipient device for information relating to the recipient device;   transmitting the information relating to the recipient device to the user terminal; and   displaying, on the user terminal, the information relating to the recipient device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing comprises establishing a communication event from the user terminal to the recipient device via the communication network. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing comprises searching a document to identify a sequence that satisfies a predetermined set of rules. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the document is a webpage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising using the information provided on the webpage to perform a secondary search to identity other recipient devices associated with the recipient device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifier of the recipient device identifies an endpoint in the communication network for receiving the communication event. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifier of the recipient device is useable for authentication by the communication network when a user of the recipient device logs into the communication network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prompting the user of the user terminal to input information relating to the recipient device that will be stored on the data store if no information relating to the recipient device is stored on the data store. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising using the information relating to the recipient device, which is stored on the data store, to perform a secondary search to identify other recipient devices associated with the recipient device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising performing the secondary search in response to establishing a communication event using the identifier of the recipient device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the secondary search is performed on the data store. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the secondary search is performed on a second data store. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the data store and the second data store are independently updatable. 
     
     
         14 . A communication network configured to search a data store for information relating to a recipient device capable of receiving a communication event in the communication network, the communication network comprising:
 a user terminal configured to:
 process information to carry out a first action that is unrelated to searching the data store, the information comprising an identifier for the recipient device; 
 detect the identifier for the recipient device in response to processing the information; 
 transmit to the data store a message to search the data store with the identifier of the recipient device for information relating to the recipient device; 
 receive information transmitted from the data store relating to the recipient device; and 
 display the information relating to the recipient device. 
   
     
     
         15 . The communication network of  claim 14 , the user terminal further configured to initiate a communication event from the user terminal to the recipient device. 
     
     
         16 . The communication network of  claim 15 , wherein the user terminal is configured to receive an indication of establishment of the communication event from the recipient device in response to the initiation of the communication event by the user terminal. 
     
     
         17 . The communication network of  claim 14 , wherein to process information further comprises searching a document to identify a sequence that satisfies a predetermined set of rules. 
     
     
         18 . The communication network of  claim 17 , wherein the document is a webpage. 
     
     
         19 . The communication network of  claim 18 , wherein the user terminal is configured to use information provided on the webpage to perform a secondary search to identify other recipient devices associated with the recipient device. 
     
     
         20 . A device to communicate with a data store in a communication network, the device comprising:
 call processing protocol to establish a communication event with a recipient device identified on a document;   a search engine to search the document for character strings that satisfy a predetermined criteria in response to establishing the communication event;   a transmitter to transmit a message to the data store to search the data store with at least one of said character strings that satisfy the criteria;   a receiver to receive information transmitted from the data store associated with at least one of said plurality of recipient devices, identified using the at least one character string; and   a display to display the information relating to the recipient device to a user of the device.