Messaging advise in presence-aware networks

• US 20080089488A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• 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 8,218,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• 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, that includes a messaging system configured to perform one or more of 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, transform an audio messaging session between the messaging system and the communication device of a contacting party into a graphical user interface-based audio sessions, and transform the audio messaging session into a session having a video channel or both audio and video channels.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. An architecture, comprising:

a presence aware communications system configured to perform at least one of the following operations;

(a) provide a subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information regarding an incoming active contact directed to the subscriber and received during a messaging session between the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and a 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 from a presence server in response to a subscription by the messaging system that the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is currently available;

(c) in response to a notification from the presence server that the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is currently available, provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a text message relating to a voice message from a another party received by the messaging system;

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

(e) while a contact between the subscriber and a different third party is in progress, provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with information respecting at least one eligible message to the subscriber from the third party.

46. The architecture of claim 45, further comprising:

the presence server configured 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 configured to store the addresses, wherein the presence information in the database comprises a plurality of registration information, information regarding the accessibility of a selected communication device, the selected communication device'"'"'s telephone number and/or address, the recency of use of the selected communication device by a person associated therewith, recency of authentication by the person associated with the selected communication device to a network component, a geographic location of the selected communication device, a type of media of the selected communication device, format language, session and communications capabilities of the selected communications device, an availability of the selected communication device, and the preferences of the person associated with the selected communication device.

47. The architecture of claim 46, further comprising at least one of:

a presence aware telephony agent configured (a) to receive an incoming contact, receive, from the presence server, a first subscriber address corresponding to a destination telephone number or address indicated by the incoming contact, and direct the incoming contact to the first subscriber address and (b) to receive an outgoing contact from the subscriber, receive, from a presence server associated with the inputted telephone number or address indicated by the outgoing contact, a second subscriber address corresponding to the inputted telephone number or address, and direct the outgoing contact to the second subscriber address.

48. The architecture of claim 45, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (a)

49. The architecture of claim 48, wherein the messaging system is configured to provide the information regarding the incoming contact to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device requests the information.

50. The architecture of claim 48, wherein the messaging system is configured, in response to the subscriber initiating a messaging session, to assign to the messaging session a temporary barge-in address for receiving incoming contacts and register the barge-in address with a presence server.

51. The architecture of claim 49, wherein, when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device does not request the information, the messaging system is configured to initiate a new and different session with a contacting party'"'"'s communication device originating the incoming contact to receive a message from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device.

52. The architecture of claim 48, wherein the messaging system is operable, in response to acceptance of the incoming contact by the subscriber, to suspend the messaging session and connect the incoming contact with the subscriber'"'"'s communication device.

53. The architecture of claim 52, wherein, after the effected connection is terminated, the messaging system is configured to continue the messaging session with the subscriber'"'"'s communication device.

54. The architecture of claim 45, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (b).

55. The architecture of claim 54, wherein the text message is in a notification and the messaging system is configured to determine a type of notification based on one or more capabilities of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is configured to receive a text message, transmitting the notification as a text message.

56. The architecture of claim 55, wherein, when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is not configured to receive a text message, the messaging system is configured to contact the subscriber'"'"'s communication device to initiate an audio session for providing the message-related information.

57. The architecture of claim 45, 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.

58. The architecture of claim 45, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (c).

59. The architecture of claim 58, wherein the notification is received in response to a subscription by the messaging system.

60. The architecture of claim 58, wherein the text message comprises one or more of a number of waiting messages, an identity of an originator of a waiting message, a time of receipt of a waiting message, and the content of a waiting message.

61. The architecture of claim 58, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (c) when permitted by subscriber-configurable, predetermined rules.

62. The architecture of claim 58, wherein, when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is deemed to be unavailable, the messaging system is configured to not provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with the text message.

63. The architecture of claim 58, wherein the messaging system is configured to determine a type of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device such that, when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is configured to receive a text message, the text message is sent and, when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is not configured to receive a text message, the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is contacted by the messaging system to initiate an audio session for providing message information to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device.

64. The architecture of claim 45, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (d).

65. The architecture of claim 64, wherein the messaging system is configured to query a presence server associated with the second party regarding an address of the communication device of the second party.

66. The architecture of claim 64, wherein the eligible message is at least one of a waiting message, an unplayed message, an unviewed message, and a stored message.

67. The architecture of claim 64, wherein the messaging system is configured to initiate a messaging session with the subscriber'"'"'s communication device when, in response to the notification, the subscriber'"'"'s communication device requests the at least one eligible message.

68. The architecture of claim 67, wherein the messaging system is configured to effect connection of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and the second party.

69. The architecture of claim 45, wherein the messaging system is configured to perform operation (e).

70. The architecture of claim 69, wherein the messaging system is configured to search for any messages having both an address associated with the subscriber and an address associated with the third party.

71. The architecture of claim 70, wherein the messaging system is configured to, based on subscriber configurable, predetermined rules, filter the messages identified in the search to form a subset of eligible messages.

72. The architecture of claim 69, wherein the messaging system is configured to display the at least one eligible message to at least the subscriber.

81. The architecture of claim 48, wherein the system is operable to:

(a1) in response to the subscriber initiating the messaging session, assign and register with a presence server a temporary barge-in address;

(a2) route the incoming contact to the temporary barge-in address;

(a3) during the messaging session, announce the incoming contact to the subscriber by providing the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with the information regarding the incoming contact;

(a4) in response to the subscriber accepting the incoming contact, suspend the messaging session and connect the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with the incoming contact; and

(a5) in response to the subscriber not accepting the incoming contact, initiating a separate messaging session with the incoming contact to receive a message for the subscriber.

82. The architecture of claim 54, wherein the system is operable to:

(b1) subscribe to the presence server to receive a notification when the subscriber becomes available at the subscriber'"'"'s communication device;

(b2) in response to receipt of a notification, determine the communication capabilities of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device; and

(b3) based on the communication capabilities, determine a type of advice to be forwarded to the subscriber, the advice including the information.

83. The architecture of claim 82, wherein the system is further operable to:

(b4) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is text instant message-capable, provide the text message in the form of an instant message.

84. The architecture of claim 82, wherein the system is further operable to:

(b4) when the subscriber'"'"'s communication device is audio capable, place a call from the messaging system to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device to provide announcements including the advice.

85. The architecture of claim 82, wherein the advice comprises at least one of information contained in a voice mail message, information contained in an e-mail message, information contained in a multimedia message, information regarding a call received for the subscriber for which no message was left, information regarding a state of dynamic greeting, information regarding an alert, information regarding a notice, and information regarding a broadcast.

86. The architecture of claim 54, wherein the system is operable to:

(b1) in response to receipt of a message for the subscriber, determine, by a query to the present server, whether the subscriber is currently present and/or available;

(b2) in response to the subscriber being present and/or available at the subscriber'"'"'s communication device, determine what type of and frequency of updates the subscriber is to receive; and

(b3) based on a communication capability of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device, determine a type of advice to be forwarded to the subscriber, the advice including the information.

87. The architecture of claim 64, wherein the system is operable to:

(d1) receive from the subscriber'"'"'s communication device an inputted electronic address;

(d2) query the presence server for a contact address corresponding to the inputted electronic address;

(d3) based, at least in part, on an address pair of the address of the subscriber'"'"'s communication device and the inputted electronic address, the at least one eligible message;

(d4) receive an advice session address to the subscriber'"'"'s communication device, the advice session address being associated with the messaging server; and

(d5) connecting the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with the advice session address to provide the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with the notification.

88. The architecture of claim 87, wherein the system searches all possible pairs of addresses associated with the subscriber and second party.

89. The architecture of claim 87, wherein the system is further operable to:

(d6) after termination of the advice session, automatically connecting the subscriber'"'"'s communication device with a contact address associated with the inputted electronic address to initiate a session between the subscriber and the second party.

90. The architecture of claim 69, wherein the system is further operable to:

(e1) subscribe to the presence server for contact events associated with the subscriber;

(e2) in response to receipt of an electronic address associated with the third party, query the presence server for a contact address corresponding to the received electronic address;

(e3) receive, by the messaging system, a notification in response to the query;

(e4) identify the at least one eligible message from the third party and make the at least one eligible message from the third party available in a set of data structures;

(e5) receive a request from the subscriber'"'"'s communication device for the at least one eligible message from the third party; and

(e6) respond with a data address of the set of data structures.

91. The architecture of claim 90, wherein the system is further operable to provide the at least one eligible message from the third party to the third party while the contact between the subscriber and third party is in progress.

73. (canceled)

74. The architecture of claim 73, wherein the messaging system is configured to provide a Universal Resource Locator or URL to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device.

75. The architecture of claim 73, wherein the audio session is configured as a Telephone User Interface or TUI session and wherein the TUI session is configured to be the audio channel for the Graphical User Interface or GUI-based session.

92. The architecture of claim 73, wherein the transformation is performed by returning session transformation information to the subscriber through signaling protocols.

93. The architecture of claim 73, wherein the system is operable to:

(f1) receive an invitation from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device;

(f2) respond to the invitation with session parameters for both an audio session and graphical user interface-based audio session and a Universal Resource Locator (URL);

(f3) establish an audio session between the messaging system and contacting party'"'"'s communication device; and

(f4) if a request directed to the URL is received, modify the audio session to become an audio channel for the graphical user interface-based audio session.

94. The architecture of claim 93, wherein the system is further operable to:

(f5) if a request directed to the URL is not received, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device an invitation containing an audio application and video data;

(f6) when a response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for an audio session only, remain by the messaging system in an audio-only session while attempting to launch a browser graphical user interface session through instant messaging;

(f7) when the response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for an audio session and data for application capable, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device a URL for the graphical user interface-based session via an application data stream;

(f8) when the response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for both audio and video sessions, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device payload for audio and video sessions.

95. The architecture of claim 73, wherein the related audio information and video information are provided to the communication device of the contacting party.

76. (canceled)

77. The architecture of claim 76, wherein the messaging system provides a Universal Resource Locator to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device, wherein, when no request containing the URL is received within a predetermined period of time, the messaging system is configured to provide an invite message to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device, wherein the invite comprises audio information and information regarding a video interaction between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device.

78. The architecture of claim 77, wherein the video interaction information comprises information regarding a video channel between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and application information regarding a graphical user interface-based session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and wherein the messaging is configured, when the contacting party'"'"'s communication device is determined to have an audio-only capability, to conduct the session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device as a Telephone User Interface or TUI session.

79. The architecture of claim 77, wherein the video interaction information comprises information regarding a video channel between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and application information regarding a graphical user interface-based session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and wherein, when the contacting party'"'"'s communication device is determined to have an application-based capability for conducting a graphical user interface-based session, the messaging system is configured to provide a URL to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device to launch a graphical user interface-based session.

80. The architecture of claim 77, wherein the video interaction information comprises information regarding a video channel between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and application information regarding a graphical user interface-based session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device and, when the contacting party'"'"'s communication device is determined to have an audio and video capability, the messaging system is configured to transform the session between the messaging system and the contacting party'"'"'s communication device into a session having both audio and video channels.

96. The architecture of claim 76, wherein the transformation is performed by returning session transformation information to the subscriber through signaling protocols.

97. The architecture of claim 76, wherein the system is operable to:

(f1) receive an invitation from the contacting party'"'"'s communication device;

(f2) respond to the invitation with session parameters for both an audio session and graphical user interface-based audio session and a Universal Resource Locator (URL);

(f3) establish an audio session between the messaging system and contacting party'"'"'s communication device; and

(f4) if a request directed to the URL is received, modify the audio session to become an audio channel for the graphical user interface-based audio session.

98. The architecture of claim 97, wherein the system is further operable to:

(f5) if a request directed to the URL is not received, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device an invitation containing an audio application and video data;

(f6) when a response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for an audio session only, remain by the messaging system in an audio-only session while attempting to launch a browser graphical user interface session through instant messaging;

(f7) when the response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for an audio session and data for application capable, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device a URL for the graphical user interface-based session via an application data stream;

(f8) when the response to the invitation of (f5) comprises payload for both audio and video sessions, send to the contacting party'"'"'s communication device payload for audio and video sessions.

99. The architecture of claim 76, wherein the related audio information and video information are provided to the communication device of the contacting party.

100-115. -115. (canceled)