Communications availability

• US 20020024947A1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Mobility Solutions LLC (Robert A. Westerlund)
• Original Assignee: VocalTec Communications Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kimchi, Gur, Luzzatti, Omer, Shtiegman, Eran, Shem Tov, Ofer, Tirosh, Dror
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Subscribers are able to selectively reveal their availability for communicating to various entities, based on the interaction of one or more customizable policies, preferences and active status of communicating devices. Availability status software comprising one or more agents determines and indicates the availability mode of specifically identified entities. Subscribers are able to establish a personal agent and control policies and preferences remotely using, for example, an internet connected computer-based device. Alternatively, service providers are able to modify the content of the agent of behalf of their subscribers in accordance with predetermined communication preferences (automatic or defined by subscribers).

Claims

1. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to one or more entities, said indicator divulging the availability for communication of one or more subscribers for each of said entities, said status being modified based on one or more subscriber defined parameters, subscriber'"'"'s active devices and an identity of an entity receiving the status indicator, said method comprising the steps of:

a. retrieving a subscriber'"'"'s policy regarding communication with each identified entity;

b. retrieving presence information regarding the activation status one or more communication devices utilized by said subscriber;

c. calculating, based on said subscriber'"'"'s policy and retrieved presence information, said subscriber'"'"'s availability, and

d. revealing said calculated subscriber'"'"'s availability to said identified entities.

2. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 1, wherein said subscriber'"'"'s policy comprises a current routing policy and privacy preferences of said subscriber defining parameters of access with respect to said one or more entities.

3. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 2, wherein each routing policy, from a plurality of stored routing policies, defines which of said one or more communication devices are in use in the current routing policy and a unique order of preference of use associated with said one or more communication devices in use by said subscriber.

4. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 1, wherein said method is performed in one or more servers located on one or more networks.

5. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 4, wherein said one or more networks comprise any of the following:

local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), Internet, cellular or wireless network.

6. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 3, wherein said plurality of stored routing policies are unique to said one or more entities or a specified group of entities.

7. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 2, wherein said current routing policy further defines media types supported by said subscriber.

8. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 2, wherein said current routing policy further comprises an ignore list for user defined entities or grouped entities.

9. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 1, wherein said method further comprises revealing said calculated availability via an interface.

10. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 9, wherein said interface is a graphical user interface (GUI), an aural interface or a combination of graphical and aural interfaces.

11. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 10, wherein said aural interface comprises an IVR.

12. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 10, wherein said method further comprises visually modifying an image in said GUI to indicate various availability modes associated with one or more subscribers.

13. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 1, wherein said communication status indicator is available via an electronic message.

14. A method of revealing a communication status indicator to an entity, as per claim 2, wherein said current routing policy is controlled by an external service provider.

16. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 15, wherein said subscriber'"'"'s policy comprises a current routing policy and privacy preferences of said subscriber defining parameters of access with respect to said one or more entities.

17. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 16, wherein each routing policy, of one or more stored routing policies, defines which of said one or more communication devices are in use for that policy and a unique order of preference associated with said one or more communication devices in use by said subscriber.

18. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 15, wherein said one or more servers are located on any of:

a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet and a cellular or wireless network.

19. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 15, wherein said calculated availability is indicated via an interface, wherein said interface is any of the following:

a graphical user interface (GUI), an aural interface, or a combination of aural and graphical interfaces.

20. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 19, wherein said aural interface comprises an IVR.

21. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, as per claim 19, wherein said graphical user interface displays a visually modified image to indicate various availability modes associated with one or more subscribers.

15. A network based system for dynamically revealing communication availability status of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, said network including one or more connected servers retaining and processing one or more elements of said system, said availability based on one or more subscriber defined parameters, subscriber'"'"'s active devices and an identity of an entity receiving said availability status, said system comprising:

at least one server operatively connected to said one or more subscribers and entities;

one or more software agents, each operative with said server and comprising;

a policy retriever retrieving a policy of said one or more subscribers related to said one or more entities;

a presence retriever obtaining presence information regarding one or more communication devices utilized by said subscriber;

an availability calculator calculating, based on said policy and obtained presence information, said subscriber'"'"'s availability for one or more entities, and said server transmitting said calculated subscriber'"'"'s availability to at least one correlating entity of said one or more entities.

22. A user interface indicating one or more modes of availability of communication associated with one or more subscribers in a contact list maintained by an entity, said interface comprising a panel:

indicating, via one or more status indicators, modes of availability for communicating with said one or more subscribers in said contact list, and said status indicators dynamically modified according to an altered availability of said one or more subscribers in said contact list, and

wherein said availability is altered by a modification in any of, or a combination of;

a subscriber'"'"'s current routing policy, preferences or communication device'"'"'s active status.

23. A user interface indicating one or more modes of availability of communication associated with one or more subscribers in a contact list maintained by an entity, as per claim 22, wherein said interface is any of the following:

graphical user interface, aural interface, or a combination of aural and graphical interfaces.

24. A user interface indicating one or more modes of availability of communication associated with one or more subscribers in a contact list maintained by an entity, as per claim 22, wherein said status indicators are any of, or a combination of, the following:

an image, an icon, an auditory icon, a network-based voice signal or an audio signal.

25. A user interface indicating one or more modes of availability of communication associated with one or more subscribers in a contact list maintained by an entity, as per claim 22, wherein said interface is browser based and said availability calculated remotely by an internet connected server.

26. An article of manufacture comprising computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein that dynamically reveals availability modes of communication of one or more subscribers to one or more entities, said medium comprising:

a. computer readable program retrieving a subscriber'"'"'s policy regarding communication with each identified entity;

b. computer readable program retrieving presence information regarding the activation status one or more communication devices utilized by said subscriber;

c. computer readable program calculating, based on said subscriber'"'"'s policy and retrieved presence information, said subscriber'"'"'s availability, and

d. computer readable program revealing said calculated subscriber'"'"'s availability to said identified entities.