VoIP two-way broadcasting

• US 20080003941A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Criddle, Linda, Milstein, David, Wang, Kuansan, Chu, Lon-Chan, Forbes, Scott C.
• Application Number:
  US11/480,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20080003941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

A method and system for providing an ability to have two-way broadcasting in a VoIP system is provided. A call center may originate or relay a broadcast message to several clients. When a third party requests to broadcast a message, or specified triggering events are detected, content of the message may be collected and composed, and a group of recipient clients identified based on the content of the message. An individual broadcast message may be formatted, scheduled and transmitted based on the profile information of the recipient client(s). Moreover, a set of rules to specify the process of broadcasting may be provided from the third party and the service provider. For example, based on a set of rules, a next group of recipient clients may be determined after the initial broadcast and different broadcast messages may be formatted for each recipient client and transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for two-way message broadcasting over a digital voice communication channel, comprising:

composing content of a broadcast message;

identifying a first group of recipient clients based on the content;

formatting at least one broadcast message in accordance with profile information of a recipient client from the first group;

transmitting the formatted broadcast message to at least one corresponding recipient client; and

receiving a response to the transmitted broadcast message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein formatting at least one broadcast message includes scheduling several broadcast messages with different formats, such that each recipient client is ensured to receive at least one of the several broadcast messages via a device of the recipient client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein several broadcast messages are scheduled based on priority information of the recipient clients.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying a next group of recipient clients based on the response;

formatting at least one broadcast message in accordance with profile information of a recipient client from the identified next group;

transmitting the formatted broadcast message to at least one corresponding recipient client; and

receiving a response to the transmitted broadcast message from each recipient client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the response from the recipient client is a request to communicate with a third party, routing a digital voice channel connection to the third party with contextual information relating to the recipient client and the broadcast message; and

wherein the digital voice channel connection is established between the third party and the recipient client.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the response from the recipient client requires further exchanging of a conversation, routing a digital voice channel to an appropriate contact with contextual information relating to the recipient client.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the response from the recipient client indicates that the broadcast message failed to reach the recipient client, determining an alternative path to transmit the broadcast message to the recipient client and transmitting the broadcast message via the alternative path.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein composing content of a broadcast message includes receiving a request from an authorized party to broadcast a message and broadcast information relating to the message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast information includes information necessary to identify a group of recipient clients.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast information includes information necessary to format, schedule, and/or transmit the message.

5. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

upon receipt of the response, determining an appropriate action and performing the appropriate action.

12. A method for communicating a two-way broadcast message via at least one VoIP device over a communication channel connection, comprising:

receiving a broadcast message from an authorized party;

upon receipt of the broadcast message, transmitting a response indicating a successful receipt of the broadcast message;

processing the received broadcast message;

determining an appropriate action based on the processed broadcast message and user inputs which are received as a digital voice conversation and contextual information; and

performing the determined appropriate action.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein performing the determined appropriate action includes:

composing content of a device broadcast message based on the processed broadcast message;

determining a group of VoIP devices to transmit the device broadcast message to;

formatting a device broadcast message based on receiving and processing capabilities of a device from the group of VoIP devices;

transmitting the device broadcast message to its corresponding device; and

receiving a confirmation of receipt about the transmitted device broadcast message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

forwarding the received confirmation to the authorized party.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein performing an appropriate action including transmitting a request to establish a channel connection with a third party.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein performing an appropriate action including transmitting the user input to at least one of the authorized party or a destination specified by the authorized party and receiving a response to the transmitted user input.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for broadcasting a message, and subsequently allowing a two-way communication relating to the message, comprising:

a message component for receiving a request to broadcast a message and for generating content of the message;

a recipient device component for determining available devices of a recipient client based on the request;

a broadcasting component for formatting and transmitting a first broadcast message to the available device, the first broadcast message being tailored for an available device of the recipient client and including part of the content of the message; and

a communicating component for receiving a response to the first broadcast message and for communicating with the available device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein if the recipient device component has not received a response from the available device of the recipient client for a predetermined time, the recipient device component retransmits the first broadcast message to another available device of the recipient client.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein if the recipient device component has received a response from the available device about the first broadcast message, the broadcast component formats a second message suitable for at least one available device of the recipient client based on the response and transmits the second message to the at least one available device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the request to broadcast is triggered by an authorized party.