System and method for routing communication sessions based on priority, presence and preference information

• US 20060235994A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wu, Fuming
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server

Abstract

A communications system includes a presence server for collecting presence information and preference information for a presentity. The presence information includes availability of devices of the presentity, and the preference information includes a priority level for one or more initiators and preference indications for each media type supported by each device associated with the presentity. Upon receiving a request for a communication session of a particular media type with the presentity from an initiator, a communications manager identifies a list of devices of the presentity that support the media type and are accessible to the initiator based on the priority level granted to the initiator. The communications manager then identifies available devices on the list using the presence information, determines a preference value for each of the available devices based on the preference indications and selects one of the available devices having the highest preference value for the communication session.

Claims

1. A communications system for routing communication sessions based on presence and preference information, comprising:

a presence server capable of collecting presence information and preference information on a plurality of presentities, wherein said presence information for each of said plurality of presentities includes availability of devices of said respective presentity and said preference information for each of said plurality of presentities includes a priority level for one or more initiators and preference indications for each media type supported by each of said devices associated with said respective presentity; and

a communications manager connected to receive a request for a communication session with a select one of said plurality of presentities from a select one of said one or more initiators, said request including an initiator identification and a select media type for said communication session;

wherein said communications manager is operable to extract said presence information and said preference information of said select presentity from said presence server, identify a list of said devices of said select presentity that support said select media type and are accessible to said initiator based on said priority level granted to said select initiator in said preference information, filter said list using said presence information of said select presentity to identify available ones of said devices, determine a preference value for each of said available devices based on said respective preference indications and select a select one of said available devices having the highest preference value for said communication session.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said preference information for said select presentity includes a q-value for each of said media types supported on each of said devices associated with said select presentity.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein said preference information for said select presentity further includes a q-value for each of said media types supported by each application running on each of said devices associated with said select presentity.

4. The communications system of claim 3, wherein said presence server is further operable to compute an overall q-value for each of said media types supported on each of said devices of said select presentity from said preference information of said select presentity.

5. The communications system of claim 4, wherein said presence server is further operable to store said overall q-values, and wherein said communications manager is further operable to select said select available device for said communication session based on said overall q-values.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said communications manager is a software component on said presence server.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said request further includes other criteria for said communication session, and wherein said list of said devices of said select presentity support said other criteria.

8. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said communications manager is further operable to provide an error code when there are no available devices.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said select initiator is a watcher or a watcher group of said select presentity.

10. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a media server connected to receive said request for said communication session from said select initiator and provide said request to said communications manager, wherein said media server is operable to establish a connection for said communication session using said select available device of said select presentity.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein said communications manager is further operable to provide to said media server a device identity, an application identity and a media channel identity for said select available device.

12. A method for routing communication sessions based on presence information and preference information, comprising the steps of:

providing presence information and preference information for a presentity, said presence information including availability of devices of said presentity and said preference information including a priority level for one or more callers and preference indications for each media type supported by each of said devices associated with said presentity;

receiving a request for a communication session with said presentity from a select one of said one or more initiators, said request including an initiator identification and a select media type for said communication session;

identifying a list of said devices of said presentity that support said select media type and are accessible to said select initiator based on said priority level granted to said select initiator in said preference information;

filtering said list using said presence information of said presentity to identify available ones of said devices;

determining a preference value for each of said available devices based on said respective preference indications; and

selecting a select one of said available devices having the highest preference value for said communication session.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said preference information for said select presentity includes a q-value for each of said media types supported on each of said devices associated with said presentity and a q-value for each of said media types supported by each application running on each of said devices associated with said presentity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

computing an overall q-value for each of said media types supported on each of said devices of said presentity from said preference information of said presentity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said selecting further comprises:

selecting said select available device for said communication session based on said overall q-values.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said request further includes other criteria for said communication session, and wherein said identifying further comprises:

identifying said list of said devices of said presentity that support said select media type and are accessible to said select initiator based on said priority level granted to said select initiator in said preference information and that support said other criteria.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing an error code when there are no available devices.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said select initiator is a watcher or a watcher group of said presentity.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

establishing a connection for said communication session using said select available device of said presentity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said establishing further comprises:

establishing said connection using a device identity, an application identity and a media channel identity for said select available device.