Messaging advise in presence- aware networks

• US 20070121808A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Brunson, Gordon, Zmolek, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A presence aware communications system, comprising a messaging system configured to perform at least one of the following operations: (a) provide a subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information regarding an incoming contact during a messaging session between the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and the messaging system; (b) provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a text message containing information regarding one or more messages when a notification is received that the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is available; (c) provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a text message relating to a voice message from a different first party received by the messaging system; (d) in response to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address; (e) while a contact between the subscriber and a different third party is in progress, provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information respecting the at least one eligible message from the third party; (o) transform an audio messaging session between the messaging system and the communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio session; and (g) transform the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels.

Claims

1-80. -80. (canceled)

81. In a presence aware communications system including:

a messaging system operable to receive, store, and provide messages to subscribers;

a presence server operable to receive messages regarding addresses of available communication devices of subscribers and provide one or more of the addresses to the messaging system; and

a presence information database, accessible by the presence server, operable to store the addresses, a method comprising at least one of the following steps;

(a) providing a subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information regarding an incoming contact during a message retrieval session between the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and the messaging system;

(b) when a notification is received that the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is available, providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a text message containing information regarding one or more messages for the subscriber received by the messaging system; and

(c) providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a text message describing a voice message for the subscriber received by the messaging system from a third party.

(d) in response to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address; and

(e) while a contact between the subscriber and the second party is in progress, providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information respecting the at least one eligible message from the second party in response to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device requesting a connection with at least one of an inputted telephone number and address, providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a notification respecting at least one eligible message from a second party associated with the at least one of an inputted telephone number and address;

(f) transforming an audio messaging session between the messaging system and a communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio session; and

(g) transforming the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein step (a) is performed.

83. The method of claim 82, where step (a) comprises the substeps:

(a1) assigning, by the messaging system, to the subscriber a temporary address for receiving incoming contacts;

(a2) providing a contacted subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information regarding an incoming contact received from a contactor during a message retrieval session between the contacted subscriber'"'"'s communication device and the messaging system; and

(a3) routing the incoming contact to the temporary address.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the providing step comprises the further substeps:

(a4) when the contacted subscriber successfully logs into the messaging system and initiates the message retrieval session, registering the temporary address as an address for the contacted subscriber;

(a5) when the incoming contact arrives, querying the presence server for a current address of the contacted subscriber;

(a6) in response to the query, returning, by the presence server, the information, the information including the temporary address;

(a7) when the contacted subscriber accepts the incoming contact, performing substep

(a3) and suspending the message retrieval session so that the contacted subscriber can receive the incoming contact; and

(a8) when the contacted subscriber does not accept the incoming contact, not performing substep (a3) and initiating, by the messaging system, a messaging session with the contactor.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein, while the messaging system is waiting for a request from the contacted subscriber, the contactor receives a ringback indicator and wherein the providing step comprises the following additional substep:

(a9) prior to performing substep (a2), causing the contact to be announced to the contacted subscriber using a barge-in signal, the barge-in signal comprising the information.

86. The method of claim 84, wherein, when substep (a3) is performed and the incoming contact is thereafter ended, resuming the message retrieval session with the subscriber from the point at which the session was suspended.

87. The method of claim 81, wherein at least one of steps (b) and (c) is performed.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is deemed to be available when at least one of the following statements is true:

the communication device has an unexpired registered address and the subscriber used the communication device within a predetermined time period and wherein the text message comprises a plurality of a message summary, message content, a number of messages received for the subscriber, a type of messages received for the subscriber, and a list of missed contactors.

89. The method of claim 87, wherein the text message is an instant message, wherein the subscriber has registered with the presence server as being contactable through text-only messaging, and wherein the subscriber has configured the messaging system to send current mailbox status to the subscriber when the subscriber becomes available for instant messaging communication.

90. The method of claim 87, wherein step (b) is performed and the following substeps are performed:

(b1) subscribing to the presence server to receive events when the subscriber becomes available to the network;

(b2) receiving from the presence server notification that the subscriber has become available;

(b3) determining a type of advice to be forwarded to the subscriber by analyzing the capabilities of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device;

(b4) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is text instant messaging-capable, performing step (a), wherein the advice is in the form of the text message; and

(b5) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is audio capable, initiating an audio session with the subscriber'"'"'s communication device, wherein the advice is in the form of an announcement containing the information.

91. The method of claim 87, wherein step (c) is performed and the following substeps are performed:

(c1) determining that the subscriber'"'"'s mailbox status has changed;

(c2) determining, from the presence server, whether the subscriber is currently available to the network;

(c3) when the subscriber is currently available to the network, determining a type of and frequency of updates to be provided to the subscriber;

(c4) when an update is to be provided to the subscriber, analyzing the capabilities of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device;

(c5) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is text instant messaging-capable, performing step (b), wherein the update is in the form of the text message; and

(c6) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is audio capable, initiating an audio session with the subscriber'"'"'s communication device, wherein the advice is in the form of an announcement containing the information and wherein the information comprises a summary of at least one new message received by the messaging system.

92. The method of claim 81, wherein at least one of steps (d) and (e) is performed.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein step (d) and the following substeps are performed:

(d1) determining a currently valid contact device associated with the contact address;

(d2) forwarding to the messaging system an address of the subscriber and the at least one of (i) an inputted number, (ii) an inputted address, (iii) a member, other than the inputted number, associated with the second party, and (iv) an address, other than the inputted address, associated with the second party;

(d3) based on the at least one of (i) an inputted number, (ii) an inputted address, (iii) a number, other than the inputted number, associated with the second party, and (iv) an address, other than the inputted address, associated with the second party, locating the at least one eligible message;

(d4) allocating communication resources to complete an advice session;

(d5) returning an address associated with the advice session;

(d6) completing a contact to the advice session address; and

(d7) providing the advice to the subscriber, the advice comprising the notification.

94. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

(d8) upon one of time-out, session completion, and early session termination, initiating a transfer to a destination number or address associated with the second party;

(d9) establishing a media connection between the messaging system and the destination number or address associated with the second party; and

(d10) completing the transfer of the established media connection to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the messaging system, during step

(d9), alters an identity as presented to the contacted communication device of the second party.

96. The method of claim 92, wherein the step (e) and the following substeps are performed:

(e1) notifying the messaging system of the establishment of the contact between the subscriber and second party;

(e2) based on the at least one of (i) an inputted number, (ii) an inputted address, (iii) a number, other than the inputted number, associated with the second party, and (iv) an address, other than the inputted address, associated with the second party, locating the at least one eligible message;

(e3) providing to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device an address of a data structure associated with the information; and

(e4) providing the information to the subscriber while the contact is in progress.

97. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

providing the information to the communication device of the second party while the contact is in progress.

98. The method of claim 81, wherein at least one of steps (f) and (g) is performed.

99. The method of claim 98, wherein step (f) is performed.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the following substeps are performed:

(f1) establishing an audio session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device; and

(f2) offering, by the messaging system, to establish with the contacting party'"'"'s communication device a video session.

101. The method of claim 100, further comprising the substeps:

(f3) when the messaging system receives from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device information to establish an audio-only session, the messaging system determining whether the contacting party'"'"'s communication device supports instant messaging;

(f4) when the contacting party'"'"'s communication device does not support instant messaging, the messaging system maintaining the audio-only session until the session is ended;

(f5) when the contacting party'"'"'s communication device supports instant messaging, the messaging system providing to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device an instant messaging including a Universal Resource Locator or URL associated with the messaging system so that a browser Graphical User Interface or GUI session can be launched with the contacting party'"'"'s communication device; and

(f6) when the browser-based GUI session is established between the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and the messaging system, the messaging system modifying the audio session to become the audio channel for the GUI session, whereby the audio information provided to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device is related to visual information provided to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device in the GUI session.

102. The method of claim 100, further comprising the substeps:

(f3) when the messaging system receives from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device information to establish an audio session and the application capabilities of the contacting party'"'"'s communication device, the messaging system providing to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device a message containing a Universal Resource Locator or URL, associated with the messaging system so that a browser Graphical User Interface or GUI session can be launched with the contacting party'"'"'s communication device; and

(f) when the browser-based GUI session is established between the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and the messaging system, the messaging system modifying the audio session to become the audio channel for the GUI session, whereby the audio information provided to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device is related to visual information provided to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device in the GUI session.

103. The method of claim 100, further comprising:

(f3) when the messaging system receives from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device information to establish both audio and video sessions, the messaging system preparing and sending to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device video content mapping keys of the contacting party'"'"'s communication device with audio options provided in the audio session.

104. The method of claim 98, wherein step (g) is performed.

105. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 81.