Method for providing sequenced communications within a group

• US 20020172339A1
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Creswell, Carroll W., Sherman, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/861,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20020172339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A system and method for providing sequenced communications to members of a defined telecommunication group is provided. The system is accessible to a communicating user connected to a telecommunication network and includes an interface for providing the communicating user with the ability to initiate a sequence of separate communications to each of a plurality of members in the defined group, without the communicating user having to initiate separate communication sessions for each member. The system may permit communications to be made using one or more telecommunication modes such as telephone calls, instant messages, e-mail messages, or voice-mail messages.

Claims

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing telecommunication address information relating to at least one telecommunication mode for each group member.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing telecommunication address information relating to a plurality of telecommunication modes for each group member.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing the communicating user with an ability to select the telecommunication mode for the sequential communication session.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the interface on a screen of a device of the communicating user.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising displaying an icon on the screen of the device to permit the communicating user to initiate the sequential communication session.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an audio-based interface and permitting the communicating user to initiate the sequential communication session using an audio command.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the communicating user with an ability to enter an instruction to proceed to a next communication in the sequential communication session.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically proceeding to a next communication in the sequential communication session once a prior communication in the session has terminated.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the communicating user with ability to enter an instruction to skip a next communication in the sequential communication session.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the separate communications are made in real-time.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the telecommunication mode is a telephone call or an instant message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the telecommunication mode is an e-mail message or voice-mail message.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing the communicating user with an ability to create common content for inclusion in each of the separate communications.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the separate communications are not made in real-time.

16. A method for facilitating sequenced communications to members of a defined group, the method comprising

providing a communicating user with a communication interface adapted to receive an instruction from the communicating user to initiate a single sequential communication session;

in response to the instruction, sequentially stepping the communicating user through separate communications to each of a plurality of members in the defined group, without the communicating user having to initiate separate communication sessions.