Method and system for selecting a communication channel with a recipient device over a communication network

• US 20050018820A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aawaaz Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kirusa Inc.
• Inventors: Kuwadekar, Sanjeev, Desai, Adesh, Chaddha, Navin, Sodhi, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method, device and machine readable medium for a selecting a recipient device or address with which a sender communicates. A sender using a sender device communicates with a recipient device selection server to indicate he wishes to communicate with a recipient. The sender indicates in what communication mode he wishes to communicate. The recipient device selection server determines all of the recipient devices and which communication modes they can receive. The recipient device selection server then selects a recipient device for the sender.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a recipient address with which a sender communicates over a network comprising:

communicating a recipient selection to a call manager;

communicating a sender-selected communication mode to said call manager;

determining a plurality of recipient communication addresses by said call manager;

determining a communication mode for each of said recipient communication addresses; and

selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager.

2. The method of claim 1 where said recipient communication address comprises any of a cellular phone address, voice over Internet protocol call address and a landline phone address:

3. The method of claim 1 where said recipient communication address comprises any of an electronic mail, text message address and Internet instant message address.

4. The method of claim 1 where said communication mode comprises any of a text message, a voice message, a MMS message, a voice channel, an electronic mail and a messaging server.

5. The method of claim 1 where said step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

evaluating the communication mode capabilities of a recipient device; and

excluding a recipient device that is incapable of said sender-selected communication mode.

6. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining past selections of recipient communication addresses by said sender;

ranking said recipient communication addresses based upon the amount of said past selections; and

selecting recipient communication addresses in order of said past selections.

7. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining prior selections of recipient communication addresses by a recipient;

ranking said recipient communication addresses based upon the amount of said prior selections; and

selecting recipient communication addresses in an order of said past selections.

8. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining whether a recipient is present with a recipient device; and

excluding said recipient device if said recipient is not present.

9. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining whether a recipient is present with a recipient device;

determining a nature of said presence; and

selecting said recipient device based on said nature of said presence.

10. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining a recipient'"'"'s preference for selecting said recipient communication address;

ranking said recipient communication address based upon said recipient'"'"'s preference; and

selecting said recipient communication address based upon said ranking.

11. The method of claim 1 where said step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining a sender'"'"'s preference for selecting said recipient communication address;

ranking said recipient communication address based upon said preferences; and

selecting said recipient communication address based upon said ranking.

12. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

determining a time when said sender communicates; and

excluding or including a recipient communication address if said time is during a predetermined period.

13. The method of claim 1 where step of selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager comprises:

implementing a plurality of criteria including any of;

a sender'"'"'s preferences, a recipient'"'"'s preferences, amount of prior sender'"'"'s selection of recipient communication addresses, amount of prior recipient'"'"'s selection of recipient communication addresses, presence of said recipient with a recipient device, and the time of a communication.

14. The method of claim 1 where said step of communicating a recipient selection to a call manager:

selecting said recipient using voice commands.

15. The method of claim 1 where said sender-selected communication mode includes a messaging method comprising:

transmitting a data file from said sender to a messaging server;

associating said data file with a unique access address by said messaging server;

transmitting said unique access address with a notification message;

transmitting said notification message to said recipient;

accessing said unique access address to retrieve said data file; and

transmitting said data file from said messaging server to said recipient.

16. A machine-readable medium for programming a computer to select a recipient address with which a sender communicates over a network, said medium including processor executable instructions comprising:

communicating a recipient selection to a call manager;

communicating a sender-selected communication mode to said call manager;

determining a plurality of recipient communication addresses by said call manager;

determining a communication mode for each of said recipient communication addresses; and

selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager.

17. A call manager server for selecting a recipient address with which a sender communicates over a telephony network comprising:

means for communicating a recipient selection to a call manager;

means for communicating a sender-selected communication mode to said call manager;

means for determining a plurality of recipient communication addresses by said call manager;

means for determining a communication mode for each of said recipient communication addresses; and

means for selecting a recipient communication address by said call manager.

18. The server of claim 17 where said network comprises any of a cellular network, public-switch telephone network and voice over Internet protocol network.

19. A network system for selecting a recipient address with which a sender device communicates over a telephony network comprising:

one or more nodes for said sender device to access the network;

one or more nodes for a recipient device to access the network; and

one or more nodes for a call manager server as in claim 17.