Integrating multiple communication modes

• US 20050125498A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: Prusinoski, Scott J., Frank, Randall, Vujjini, Vijay
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system that includes a computer device and a user interface. The user interface is configured to enable a user to interact with a person using one of at least two of voice conversation, voice-video conversation, graphic text-based conversation, fax, and electronic mail. The interactions can include the following. Creating a rule to cause the computer device to automatically perform an action based on a request to converse with the user. Viewing an automatically generated listing of a set of persons, the listing comprising a name, presence information, and communication modes available for the user to communicate with the person from the set of persons. Selecting the person from the set of persons. Selecting a communication mode from the communication modes available to communicate with the person, and retrieving information about a person using an identifying characteristic of the person, where the identifying characteristic is selected by the user from a display. Communicating with the person.

Claims

1-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A method comprising:

enabling a first person to select an identifying characteristic of a second person in a display provided by a first computer program;

automatically retrieving, using a second computer program, information about the second person using the identifying characteristic of the second person and a type of the characteristic; and

enabling the first person to select from the communication modes available to contact the second person.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein retrieving further comprises determining the type of characteristic.

59. The method of claim 57 further comprising determining the communication modes available to communicate with the second person based on the identifying characteristic of the second person.

60. The method of claim 57 further comprising determining the communication modes available to communicate with the second person based on the type of characteristic.

61. The method of claim 57 further comprising enabling the first person to communicate with the second person using the selected communication mode.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein enabling the first person to communicate with the second person further comprises interfacing with a third computer program.

63. The method of claim 57 further comprising determining a communication mode identifier associated with the second person for at least one of the communication modes available to contact the second person.

64. The method of claim 57 wherein the communication modes comprise at least two of a voice conversation mode, an e-mail mode, a graphic text-based conversation mode, and an voice/video conversation mode.

65. The method of claim 57 further comprising displaying at least one of a name associated with the second person, presence information associated with the second person, and status information associated with the second person.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the presence information comprises an indicator indicating that the second person is (i) logged into a computer, (ii) at work but not logged into a computer, (iii) out of the office.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein the status information comprises an indicator indicating that the second person is currently engaged in conversation with another person.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein the indicator indicates that the second person is currently engaged in conversation using one of voice conversation mode, voice/video conversation mode, and graphic text-based conversation mode.

69. The method of claim 57 further comprising enabling the first person to communicate with the second person by voice.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein communication by voice uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

71. The method of claim 57 further comprising enabling the first person to communicate with the second person by voice and video.

72. The method of claim 57 further comprising enabling the first person to communicate with the second person by text-based conversation.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein the text-based conversation uses Instant Messaging.

74. The method of claim 57 further comprising enabling the first person to communicate with the second person via an e-mail message.

75. The method of claim 57 wherein enabling the first person to select an identifying characteristic of the second person further comprises highlighting the identifying characteristic.

76. The method of claim 57 wherein the identifying characteristic comprises a name of the second person.

77. The method of claim 57 wherein the identifying characteristic comprises a telephone number of the second person.

78. The method of claim 57 further comprising performing optical character recognition on an image of the identifying characteristic.

79. The method of claim 57 wherein the identifying characteristic comprises an image of the second person.

80. A system comprising:

a retrieval module configured to automatically retrieve information about a first person using an identifying characteristic of the first person, and the identifying characteristic being selected by a second person from a display; and

a selection module configured to enable the second person to select from communication modes available to communicate with the first person.

81. The system of claim 80 further comprising a network.

82. The system of claim 80 wherein the selection module is further configured to interface with a computer program to provide the second person with one of the communication modes available to communicate with the first person.

83. The system of claim 80 further comprising a display module to display at least one of a name associated with the first person, presence information associated with the first person, and status information associated with the first person.

84. The system of claim 83 wherein the presence information comprises an indicator indicating that the first person is (i) logged into a computer, (ii) at work but not logged into a computer, (iii) out of the office.

85. The system of claim 83 wherein the status information comprises an indicator indicating that the first person is currently engaged in conversation with another person.

86. The system of claim 85 wherein the indicator indicates that the first person is currently engaged in conversation using one of voice conversation mode, voice/video conversation mode, and graphic text-based conversation mode.

87. The system of claim 80 wherein the selection module comprises a user interface hook to detect when the user is interacting with the computing device.

88. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instruction signals that cause a machine to:

enable, using a first computer program, a first person to select an identifying characteristic of a second person in a display provided by a second computer program;

automatically retrieve information about the second person using the identifying characteristic of the second person and a type of the characteristic; and

display the name of the second person, presence information, status information, and communication modes available to communicate with the second person.

89. (canceled)