Method and Apparatus for Routing Communications
First Claim
1. A method of routing a communication, including a telephonic or data communication, between an initiator and a recipient based on preferences of the initiator and the recipient, the method comprising:
- storing a plurality of end-points for a user as a virtual end-point for that user, where the user includes an initiator or a recipient of the communication, each end-point being a representation of the source and/or destination of a communication from or to the respective users;
associating preferences with each virtual end-point, the preferences specifying which end-point from the plurality of end-points of the respective virtual end-point to use for a routing path for a communication when certain criteria are met; and
determining a routing path between an initiator end-point and a recipient end-point in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-points for the recipient and the initiator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication, such as a telephonic or data communication, is routed between an initiator (1) and a recipient (5) based on the preferences of the initiator, or of both the initiator and the recipient. A virtual end-point (61,66) is allocated for each user (1,5). Each virtual end-point (61,66) stores one or more end-points for the respective user, typically as address/protocol pairs representing the addresses of the user'"'"'s communication devices. The virtual end-points (61,66) are stored in a data store (60) accessible by a gateway (100) which communicates with the network(s) (80,85) with which the communication devices (2,6) of the initiator and recipient communicate. Preferences are associated with each virtual end-point, and specify the categories of protocols to which the end-points of that virtual end-point belong. The preferences may specify which of the end-points of the respective virtual end-point to use for a communication routing path when certain criteria are met. A routing engine (30) in the gateway (100) determines a routing path between an initiator end-point (82) and a recipient end-point (86), for example by rules-based processing, in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-points for the initiator and the recipient. The gateway (100) also converts the protocol or format of the communication from that of the initiator'"'"'s end-point to that of the recipient'"'"'s end-point, if required.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of routing a communication, including a telephonic or data communication, between an initiator and a recipient based on preferences of the initiator and the recipient, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of end-points for a user as a virtual end-point for that user, where the user includes an initiator or a recipient of the communication, each end-point being a representation of the source and/or destination of a communication from or to the respective users;
associating preferences with each virtual end-point, the preferences specifying which end-point from the plurality of end-points of the respective virtual end-point to use for a routing path for a communication when certain criteria are met; and
determining a routing path between an initiator end-point and a recipient end-point in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-points for the recipient and the initiator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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4. A method of routing a communication, including a telephonic or data communication, between an initiator and a recipient based on preferences of the initiator, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of end-points for the initiator as a virtual end-point for that initiator, each end-point being a representation of the source and/or destination of a communication from or to the initiator;
associating preferences with the initiator'"'"'s virtual end-point, the preferences specifying which end-point from the plurality of end-points of the initiator'"'"'s virtual end-point to use for a routing path for a communication when certain criteria are met; and
determining a routing path between an initiator end-point and the recipient end-point in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-point for the initiator. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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14. An apparatus for routing a communication, including a telephonic or data communication, between an initiator and a recipient based on preferences of the initiator and the recipient, the apparatus comprising:
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a storage device configured to store a plurality of end-points for a user as a virtual end-point for that user, where the user includes an initiator or a recipient of the communication, each end-point being a representation of the source and/or destination of a communication from or to the respective user, and data relating to preferences associated with each virtual end-point; and
means for determining a routing path between an initiator end-point and a recipient end-point in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-point for the recipient and the initiator. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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15. An apparatus for routing a communication, including a telephonic or data communication, between an initiator and a recipient based on preferences of the initiator, the apparatus comprising:
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a storage device configured to store a plurality of end-points for the initiator as a virtual end-point for that initiator, each end-point being a representation of the source and/or destination of a communication from or to the initiator, and data relating to preferences associated with the virtual end-point; and
means for determining a routing path between an initiator end-point and a recipient end-point in accordance with the preferences associated with the virtual end-point for the initiator.
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Specification