Techniques for applying policies for real time collaboration

• US 20080059579A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• 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

Abstract

When a communication is received for a user, an appropriate policy can be determined and applied to the communication. For example, a policy can be applied if the user is not present at the appropriate client. A policy can be applied based upon information for the communication, and can include one or more conditions and one or more actions. Depending on the conditions that are satisfied, at least one action is determined and executed for the communication.

Claims

1. A method for applying a policy to a communication, comprising:

receiving a communication for an intended recipient;

analyzing information for the communication to determine whether to apply a policy to the communication; and

if a policy is to be applied, performing the steps of;

selecting a policy to apply to the communication, the policy including at least one condition and at least one action;

applying the policy to the communication whereby at least one condition is satisfied; and

executing the action corresponding to the satisfied condition.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if a policy is not to be applied, forwarding the communication to the intended recipient.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication is selected from the group consisting of an instant message, e-mail, short messaging service (SMS) communication, multimedia messaging service (MMS) communication, voicemail, Push to Talk (PTT) communication, Push to Talk Over Cellular (PoC) communication, chat communication, voice chat communication, video chat communication, Web conferencing communication, push e-mail, phone call, voice call, multimedia call, fax, and multimedia conferencing communication.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

applying the policy includes evaluating one of the at least one conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

analyzing information for the communication includes determining a status of the intended recipient.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the policy is to be applied when the status of the user recipient is one of unavailable, offline, disconnected, or away.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action includes sending a subsequent communication using a channel other than a channel on which the communication was received.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the action includes sending a subsequent communication to a sender of the received communication with information determined based on the at least one satisfied condition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information for the communication includes at least one of a time, sender identity, recipient identity, target, and content of the communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information for the communication includes preference information for the intended recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information for the communication includes privacy information for the intended recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the intended recipient to specify the at least one condition and at least one action.

13. A system for applying a policy to a communication, comprising:

a communication component for receiving a communication;

a policy storage component storing at least one policy capable of being applied to the communication, the policy including at least one condition and at least one action; and

a policy enforcer operable to analyze information for the communication and determine whether to apply a policy to the communication, the policy enforcer being further operable to select a policy from the policy storage, when a policy is to be applied, and apply the selected policy to the communication whereby at least one condition is satisfied, the policy enforcer being further operable to execute the action corresponding to the satisfied condition.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a policy manager allowing an intended recipient of the communication to manage the at least one policy in the policy storage component.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein:

the policy manager allows the intended recipient to specify the at least one condition and at least one action for each policy in the policy storage component.

16. A system according to claim 13, wherein:

the policy enforcer is further operable to forward the communication to an intended recipient when the policy is not to be applied.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein:

the communication is selected from the group consisting of an instant message, e-mail, short messaging service (SMS) communication, multimedia messaging service (MMS) communication, voicemail, Push to Talk (PTT) communication, Push to Talk Over Cellular (PoC) communication, chat communication, voice chat communication, video chat communication, Web conferencing communication, push e-mail, phone call, voice call, multimedia call, fax, and multimedia conferencing communication.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

information for the communication includes at least one of a time, sender identity, recipient identity, target, and content of the communication.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein:

information for the communication includes preference information for the intended recipient.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

information for the communication includes privacy information for the intended recipient.

21. A computer program product embedded in a computer-readable medium, comprising:

computer program code for receiving a communication for an intended recipient;

computer program code for analyzing information for the communication to determine whether to apply a policy to the communication; and

computer program code for, when a policy is to be applied, selecting a policy to apply to the communication, the policy including at least one condition and at least one action, applying the policy to the communication whereby at least one condition is satisfied, and executing the action corresponding to the satisfied condition.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising:

computer program code for forwarding the communication to the intended recipient when the policy is not to be applied.