Patent ID: 8136125

Claim:
A method comprising: associating a priority value with each of a plurality of online contacts of a set of one or more applications on a device; monitoring events on the device that involve at least one of the plurality of online contacts; dynamically updating the priority value associated with the at least one of the plurality of online contacts based, at least in part, on the one or more monitored events; and dynamically regulating transmission of contact information of the at least one online contact based, at least in part, on the dynamically updated priority value associated with the at least one online contact, wherein the dynamically regulating of the transmission of the contact information of the at least one online contact comprises, transmitting of the contact information of an online contact of the plurality of online contacts that is weighted higher in comparison to others of the plurality of online contacts prior to enabling transmission of the contact information of the others of the plurality of online contacts that are weighted lower, wherein weighting of the online contacts is based on weight of the applications of the set of one or more applications that use the online contacts and based on a pervasiveness of the online contacts in the set of one or more applications, wherein the online contact of the plurality of contacts that is weighted higher in comparison to others of the plurality of online contacts has a higher priority value in comparison to others of the plurality of online contacts.