Single point of contact personal communication system

• US 20060159067A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Keith Raymond, Handy-Bosma, John Hans, Chen, Yen-Fu, Sun, Nancy
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A computer/telephony integrated single-point-of-contact system (CISS) enabling a user to contact another using multiple devices with a single contact attempt is disclosed. A plurality of computer programs residing in a computer use a subscriber database, authorization database, priority list database, and device attributes database to determine how to respond to a request to contact a subscriber. If the request is an emergency, the computer repeatedly contacts all of the subscriber'"'"'s devices until a response is received. Otherwise, the computer contacts the subscriber'"'"'s devices in a sequential order determined by the subscriber. The computer can also delete redundant un-received messages from a subscriber'"'"'s devices and create a real-time connection between the requester and the subscriber, if it is technically possible, at the subscriber'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A single point of contact personal communication system comprising:

a device attributes database;

a subscriber database;

a computer linked to the device attributes database and the subscriber database;

a telephone interface attached to the computer;

an Internet interface attached to the computer; and

a computer program residing within the computer, wherein responsive to a request to contact an individual from a user received via at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface, the computer program searches the subscriber database and, responsive to finding a record matching the individual, finds a corresponding record in the device attributes database and uses at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface to send a message to at least one device in a list of devices found in the record in the device attributes database.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an authorization database, wherein the computer, prior to locating a corresponding record in the device attributes database, verifies that the user is authorized to contact the individual using the system by first locating a record matching the user in the authorization database.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a priority list database, wherein the computer program locates a corresponding record in the priority list database to determine the order and locates a corresponding record in the device attributes database to determine the timing in which the message is sent to at least one device in the list of devices.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a telephone system connected to the telephone interface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the telephone system is at least one of the group consisting of a Private Branch Exchange, a Private Automatic Branch Exchange, and a Computerized Branch Exchange.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the telephone system is connected to at least one of the group consisting of office phones, facsimile machines, voicemail systems, and a telephone central office.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the telephone central office is connected to at least one of the group consisting of telephones, facsimile machines, paging service providers, wireless Personal Digital Assistant service providers, cellular-phone service providers, and other telephone-based services.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a corporate intranet connected to the Internet interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the corporate intranet is connected to at least one of the group consisting of personal computers, e-mail servers, instant messaging servers, and the Internet.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the Internet is connected to at least one of the group consisting of cellular-phone service providers, wireless Personal Digital Assistant service providers, paging service providers, personal computers, instant messaging service providers, and other computer-based services.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to input received via at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface from the individual, the computer program adds, deletes, and/or edits at least one of the records in the subscriber database and/or the records in the device attributes database.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein responsive to input received via at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface from the individual, the computer program adds, deletes, and/or edits at least one of the records in the authorization database.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein responsive to input received via at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface from the individual, the computer program adds, deletes, and/or edits at least one of the records in the priority list database.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to instructions contained in the record in the device attributes database, the computer program converts the message into a format that is receivable by the device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer program converts the format of the message using at least one of the group consisting of speech-recognition software and speech synthesis software.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to a status of delivered and answered in a message status database, the computer cancels all remaining attempts to contact a subscriber.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein responsive to a status entered by a subscriber in a device status database, the computer receives alternate instructions on the priority of attempts to contact the subscriber.

18. A single point of contact personal communication system comprising:

a device attributes database;

a subscriber database;

a computer linked to the device attributes database and the subscriber database;

a telephone interface attached to the computer and connected to a telephone switch;

an Internet interface attached to the computer and an Internet service provider;

a cable-television interface connected to a cable-television service provider; and

a computer program residing within the computer, wherein the computer program, responsive to a request to contact an individual from a user received via at least one of the telephone interface and the Internet interface, searches the subscriber database and, responsive to finding a record matching the individual, finds a corresponding record in the device attributes database and uses at least one of the telephone interface, the Internet interface, and the cable-television interface to send a first message to at least one device in a list of devices found in the record in the device attributes database.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising an authorization database, wherein the computer, prior to locating a corresponding record in the device attributes database, verifies that the user is authorized to contact the individual using the system by first locating a record matching the user in the authorization database.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a priority list database, wherein the computer program locates a corresponding record in the priority list database to determine the order and locates a corresponding record in the device attributes database to determine the timing in which the first message is sent to at least one device in the list of devices.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the telephone switch is connected to at least one of the group consisting of paging service providers, wireless Personal Digital Assistant service providers, cellular-phone service providers, telephones, facsimile machines, personal computers, telephone central offices, voicemail, and other telephone-based services.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the Internet service provider is connected to at least one of the group consisting of e-mail servers, instant messaging servers, personal computers, and the Internet.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein responsive to receiving a second message from the individual that the first message has been received, the computer program sends a third message to the user advising the user that the first message has been received by the individual.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein responsive to a second message received from the individual that the first message has been received, the computer program sends a fourth message to all devices that did not send the second message commanding the devices to delete the first message.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein responsive to finding the user and the individual are using devices capable of real-time communication with one another and responsive to receiving a message from the individual, the computer program directly connects the user to the individual.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein responsive to a status of delivered and answered in a message status database, the computer cancels all remaining attempts to contact a subscriber.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein responsive to a status entered by a subscriber in a device status database, the computer receives alternate instructions on the priority of attempts to contact the subscriber.

28. A method for contacting an individual comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from a user to contact an individual;

(b) responsive to finding that the request is a phone call, ringing the individual'"'"'s telephone;

(c) responsive to finding that the individual does not answer the telephone, giving the user a choice of leaving voicemail or tracking down the individual;

(d) responsive to a request to track down the individual or finding that the request is text-based, checking an authorization database to verify the user is authorized to track down the individual;

(e) responsive to finding that the user is authorized, taking a first message from the user for the individual;

(f) sending a request to the user to indicate if the first message regards an emergency;

(g) receiving a response from the user;

(h) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the first message regards an emergency, locating a record for the individual in a device attributes database;

(i) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the first message regards an emergency, sending the message to all devices in a list of devices in the record;

(i) responsive to the response indicating the first message does not regard an emergency, locating a record for the individual in a priority list database and in a device attributes database and sending the first message to a first device in the record in the priority list database;

(j) waiting a period specified in the record in the device attributes database;

(k) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the message regards an emergency, and in the absence of a second message from the individual, repeating steps (i) and (j) until a message is received from the individual;

(l) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the first message does not regard an emergency, and in the absence of receiving a second message from the individual, sending the first message to a subsequent device in the list of devices;

(m) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the first message does not regard an emergency, and in the absence of receiving a second message from the individual, repeating steps (j) and (l) until a second message is received from the individual or the first message has been sent to all devices;

(n) responsive to the response in step (g) indicating the first message does not regard an emergency, in the absence of receiving a second message from the individual, and when the first message has been sent to all devices, repeating steps (i), (j), (l), (m), and (n).

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of sending a third message to the user that the first message has been received by the individual.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the device sending the second message is capable of real-time communication with the user;

responsive to finding that the device sending the second message is capable of real-time communication with the user, sending a request to the individual to indicate if the individual desires to be connected to the user;

receiving a response from the individual;

responsive to the response indicating the individual desires to be connected to the user, connecting the individual to the user.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

sending a request to the individual to indicate if the individual desires to delete the first message from all devices not sending the second message;

receiving a response from the individual;

responsive to the response indicating the individual desires the first message to be deleted from all devices not sending the second message, deleting the first message from all devices not sending the second message.

32. A method for configuring a single point of contact personal communication system comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from a user to configure the system;

(b) checking a subscriber database to verify the user is authorized to configure the system;

(c) responsive to finding that the user is authorized, sending a request to the user to indicate if the user wishes to change their profile;

(d) receiving a response from the user;

(e) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, sending a request to the user to indicate if the user wishes to change their authorization list;

(f) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, receiving a response from the user;

(g) responsive to the response in step (f) indicating the user wishes to change their authorization list, sending a request to the user to indicate the changes to their authorization list;

(h) responsive to the response in step (f) indicating the user wishes to change their authorization list, receiving a response from the user;

(i) responsive to the response in step (f) indicating the user wishes to change their authorization list, changing the authorization list of the user to match the response received in step (h);

(j) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, sending a request to the user to indicate if the user wishes to change their device attributes list;

(k) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, receiving a response from the user;

(l) responsive to the response in step (k) indicating the user wishes to change their device attributes list, sending a request to the user to indicate the changes to their device attributes list;

(m) responsive to the response in step (k) indicating the user wishes to change their device attributes list, receiving a response from the user;

(n) responsive to the response in step (k) indicating the user wishes to change their device attributes list, changing the device attributes list of the user to match the response received in step (m);

(o) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, sending a request to the user to indicate if the user wishes to change their priority lists;

(p) responsive to the response in step (d) indicating the user wishes to change their profile, receiving a response from the user;

(q) responsive to the response in step (p) indicating the user wishes to change their priority lists, sending a request to the user to indicate the changes to their priority lists;

(r) responsive to the response in step (p) indicating the user wishes to change their priority lists, receiving a response from the user;

(s) responsive to the response in step (p) indicating the user wishes to change their priority lists, changing the priority lists of the user to match the response received in step (r);

(t) sending a request to the user to indicate if the user wishes to change their status;

(u) receiving a response from the user;

(v) responsive to the response in step (u) indicating the user wishes to change their status, sending a request to the user to indicate their status;

(w) responsive to the response in step (v) indicating the user wishes to change their status, receiving a response from the user;

(x) responsive to the response in step (u) indicating the user wishes to change their status, changing the status of the user to match the response received in step (w).