Communication suite engine

• US 20050080862A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, W. Todd, Daigle, Brian K., Kent, Larry G. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/686,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Embodiments, among others, of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for integrating communications services. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. A first persona is provided. The first persona includes a first communications account for a first communications service and a first identifier. The first identifier also is associated with a first service interface. The first service interface is coupled to a first communications user agent. The first communications user agent provides the first communications service to a user. Accordingly, the first service interface activates the first communications user agent if the user is attempting to access the first communications service via the first communications account. Other systems and methods are provided.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a first persona profile comprising;

a first communications account for a first communications service; and

a first identifier;

a first service interface, the first service interface exclusively associated with the first identifier; and

a first communications user agent coupled to the first service interface, wherein the first service interface activates the first communications user agent if a user is attempting to access the first communications service via the first communications account, the first communications user agent providing the first communications service to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communications service is an email service.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first communications account is an email account.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first identifier is a globally unique identifier (GUID).

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first user interface for the first communications service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first service interface deactivates the first communications user agent if the user is attempting to access the first communications service via a particular communications account that is not contained in the first persona profile.

7. The system of claim 1, the first persona profile further comprising:

a second communications account, wherein the first service interface activates the first communications user agent if a user is attempting to log into the second communications account.

8. The system of claim 7, the first persona further comprising:

a second communications service, wherein the second communications account is for the second communications service.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second persona profile comprising;

a third communications account for the second communications service; and

a second identifier;

a second service interface that is exclusively associated with the second identifier;

a second communications user agent coupled to the second service interface, wherein the second service interface is configured to;

activate the second communications user agent if the user attempts to access the second communications service via the third communications account;

deactivate the second communications user agent if the user attempts to access the second communications service via the second communications account; and

deactivate the second communications user agent if the user attempts to access the first communications service via the first communications account,

wherein the second communications user agent is configured to provide the second communications service to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, the second service interface further configured to:

after activation of the second communications user agent, facilitate communication between a second user interface for the second communications service and the second communications user agent.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein to facilitate communication, the second service interface passes a pointer to a computer address of the second communications user agent to the second user interface.

12. The system of claim 9, the second service interface further configured to:

after deactivation of the second communications agent, suppress communication between the second user interface and the second communications user agent.

13. The system of claim 1, the first user interface configured to:

detect if a user is attempting to access the first communications service; and

determine a specific communications account that the user is trying to log into;

the system further comprising;

a tray manager configured to;

determine which specific identifier is associated with the specific communications account, and

direct the first service interface that is associated with the first identifier to activate the first communications user agent.

14. A system for integrating communications services, comprising:

a first communication suite profile having a first plurality of communications services, wherein a first user has a respective communications account for each of the first plurality of communications services;

first logic configured to;

determine if the first user is actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user;

upon a determination that the first user is actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user, facilitating communication between said each of the first plurality of communications services and a respective user interface for said each of the first plurality of communications services; and

upon a determination that the first user is not actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user, suppressing communication between said each of the first plurality of communications services and the respective user interface for said each of the first plurality of communications services.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of communications services comprises an email service.

16. The system of claim 14, the first plurality of communications services further comprises an instant messaging service.

17. The system of claim 14, the first plurality of communications services further comprises an Internet call waiting service.

18. The system of claim 14, the first plurality of communications services further comprises a videoconferencing service.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a second communication suite profile having a second plurality of communications services, wherein the first user has a respective communications account for each of the second plurality of communications services;

second logic configured to;

determine if the first user is actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user;

upon a determination that the first user is actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user, facilitating communication between said each of the second plurality of communications services and a respective user interface for said each of the second plurality of communications services; and

upon a determination that the first user is not actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user, suppressing communication between said each of the second plurality of communications services and a respective user interface for said each of the second plurality of communications services.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a third communication suite profile having a third plurality of communications services, wherein a different user has a respective communications account for each of the third plurality of communications services;

third logic configured to;

determine if the user is actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the different user;

upon a determination that the different user is actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the different user, facilitating communication between said each of the third plurality of communications services and a respective user interface for said each of the third plurality of communications services; and

upon a determination that the different user is not actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the different user, suppressing communication between said each of the third plurality of communications services and a respective user interface for said each of the third plurality of communications services.

21. A system for integrating communications services, comprising:

means for creating a plurality of communications personas, each persona having a plurality of communications services, said each persona including at least one communications account for said each communications service, wherein a respective user of said each persona is registered with said each communications account in the respective persona;

means for detecting that the respective user is actively utilizing a particular communications account of the respective communications persona;

means for associating the particular communications account with the respective persona that includes the particular communications account if the respective user is actively utilizing the particular communications account of the respective communications persona; and

means for facilitating communication between the plurality of communications services in the respective persona and the respective user via respective communications accounts in the respective persona if the respective user is actively utilizing the particular communications account of the respective communications persona.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for suppressing communication between the plurality of communications services in the respective persona and the respective user via the respective communications accounts in the respective persona if the respective user is not actively utilizing the particular communications account of the respective communications persona.

23. A method for integrating communications services, comprising:

creating a first communication suite of a plurality of communications services, the suite comprising;

a first communications account of a first communications service; and

a second communications account of a second communications service, wherein a user is registered with each communications account in the first communication suite;

detecting that the user is actively utilizing a particular communications account of a particular communication suite;

associating the particular communications account with a particular communication suite; and

after the associating step, facilitating communication from the plurality of communication suites that is intended for the user.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

creating a second communication suite comprising;

a third communications account of the first communications service, wherein a different user is registered with each communications account in the second communication suite; and

after the associating step, suppressing communication from the first communications services of the second communication suite that is intended for the different user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

after the associating step, preventing the first communications service from receiving information associated with the third communications account.

26. A communications method, comprising the steps of:

providing a first communications service for a first user, wherein the first communications service is accessed via a computing device;

providing a second communications service for a first user, wherein the second communications service is accessed via the computing device;

detecting that the first user is actively utilizing the computing device;

activating the first communications service for the first user; and

activating the second communications services service for the first user.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

deactivating each communications service of another user, wherein the each communications service is accessed via the computing device by the another user.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first communications service is an email service and the second communications service is an instant messaging service.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the each communications service of another user is the first communications service.

30. The method of claim 26, the first communications service for a first user being accessed via a first communications account of the first communications service, the second communications service for the first user being accessed via a second communications account of the second communications service, wherein:

a first communication suite of communications services for the first user includes the first communications account and the second communications account; and

the user is detected to being actively utilizing the computing device by recognizing that a particular communications account in the first communication suite is being accessed by the user.

31. A communications method, comprising the steps of:

providing a first persona profile, the first persona profile having at least one communications account for a first communications service; and

activating the first communications service for a user if the user actively requests the first communications service via one of the communications accounts contained in the first persona profile.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first communications service is an email service.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first communications account is an email account.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

deactivating the first communications service for the user if the user actively requests the first communications service via a particular communications account that is not contained in the first persona profile.

35. The method of claim 31, the first persona profile further comprising at least one communications account for a second communications service.

36. The method of claim 35, the method further comprising the steps of:

providing a second persona profile having at least one communications account for the second communications service;

activating the second communications service for the user if the user logs into one of the communications accounts contained in the second persona; and

deactivating the second communications service for the user if the user logs into one of the communications accounts contained in the first persona.

37. A method for integrating communications services, comprising the steps of:

providing a first communication suite profile having a first plurality of communications services, wherein a first user has a respective communications account for each of the first plurality of communications services;

determining if the first user is actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via said respective communications account of the first user;

upon a determination that the first user is actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the first user, facilitating communication between said each of the first plurality communications services and the first user via the respective communications account; and

upon a determination that the first user is not actively requesting one of the first plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the first user, suppressing communication between said each of the first plurality communications services and the first user via the respective communications account.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first plurality of communications services comprises an email service.

39. The method of claim 37, the first plurality of communications services further comprises

an instant messaging service.

40. The method of claim 37, the first plurality of communications services further comprises an Internet call waiting service.

41. The method of claim 37, the first plurality of communications services further comprises a videoconferencing service.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

providing a second communication suite profile having a second plurality of communications services, wherein the first user has a respective communications account for each of the second plurality of communications services;

determining if the first user is actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via said respective communications account contained in the second communication suite;

upon a determination that the first user is actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the first user in the second communication suite, facilitating communication between said each of the second plurality communications services and the first user via the respective communications account in the second communication suite; and

upon a determination that the first user is not actively requesting one of the second plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the first user in the second communication suite, suppressing communication between said each of the second plurality communications services and the first user via the respective communications account in the second communication suite.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

providing a third communication suite profile having a third plurality of communications services, wherein a second user has a respective communications account for each of the third plurality of communications services;

determining if the second user is actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the second user in the third communication suite;

upon a determination that the second user is actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the second user in the third communication suite, facilitating communication between said each of the third plurality communications services and the second user via the respective communications account in the third communication suite; and

upon a determination that the second user is not actively requesting one of the third plurality of communications services via the respective communications account of the second user in the third communication suite, suppressing communication between said each of the third plurality communications services and the second user via the respective communications account in the third communication suite.