Service for providing periodic contact to a predetermined list of contacts using multi-party rules

• US 20050132002A1
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Jaiswal, Peeyush, Patel, Anilkumar B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, a system, and an apparatus for permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other person. The present invention provides a method, a system, and an apparatus that is capable of enabling a user to remain in contact with others through a service that checks contacts set up in a predetermined contact list. The contact list is then contacted and the user is contacted with the results. As such, the present invention permits the user to remain in contact with a significant number of entities while saving time and effort by ensuring the user is only contacted with certain information. The system and method also permits the user to remain in contact even when the user is unavailable.

Claims

1. A method of permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other entity comprising:

establishing a contact list comprising the at least one other entity;

establishing at least one service rule used for contacting the at least one other entity; and

establishing at least one contact rule used for contacting the user after the at least one other entity has been contacted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list is a database and the contact list includes information selected from names, phone numbers, email addresses, pager numbers, and a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one service rule is selected from how to contact the at least one entity, what to ask the at least one entity, a time period to contact the at least one entity, and a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

contacting the at least one other entity using the at least one service rule;

obtaining information from the at least one entity;

determining whether the information satisfies the at least one contact rule; and

contacting the user if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after each of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after all of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

7. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

establishing a contact list comprising the at least one other entity;

establishing at least one service rule used for contacting the at least one other entity; and

establishing at least one contact rule used for contacting the user after the at least one other entity has been contacted.

8. The machine-readable storage of claim 7, wherein the contact list is a database and the contact list includes information selected from names, phone numbers, email addresses, pager numbers, and a combination thereof.

9. The machine-readable storage of claim 7, wherein the at least one service rule is selected from how to contact the at least one entity, what to ask the at least one entity, a time period to contact the at least one entity, and a combination thereof.

10. The machine-readable storage of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

contacting the at least one other entity using the at least one service rule;

obtaining information from the at least one entity;

determining whether the information satisfies the at least one contact rule; and

contacting the user if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

11. The machine-readable storage of claim 10, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after each of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

12. The machine-readable storage of claim 10, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after all of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

13. A system of permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other entity comprising:

means for establishing a contact list comprising the at least one other entity;

means for establishing at least one service rule used for contacting the at least one other entity; and

means for establishing at least one contact rule used for contacting the user after the at least one other entity has been contacted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the contact list is a database and the contact list includes information selected from names, phone numbers, email addresses, pager numbers, and a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one service rule is selected from how to contact the at least one entity, what to ask the at least one entity, a time period to contact the at least one entity, and a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for contacting the at least one other entity using the at least one service rule;

means for obtaining information from the at least one entity;

means for determining whether the information satisfies the at least one contact rule; and

means for contacting the user if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the system includes means for contacting the user after each of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the system includes means for contacting the user after all of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.