COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY COUPONS

• US 20080320101A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malkin, Peter K., Christensen, James E., Richards, John T., Bennett, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A system and method for establishing communications between first and second parties. In one embodiment, a request initiated by a first party is generated for establishing a communications channel over a first communications network between the first and second parties. An intermediary server device interrupts receipt of the request and attempts to generate the channel If unsuccessful in the attempt, the server device translates the request into a data network object, which is passed to the second party via a second communications network. The network object enables a second party to communicate acceptance for establishing communication with the first party over the first communications network. The second party invokes the network object upon receipt thereof or at a future time for initiating creation of a communications channel between the first and second parties. Alternately, the first party may establish the network object in the form of a coupon for communication directly to a second party without a first prior attempt to create the channel.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communications between first and second parties through the intermediary of a server device, said method comprising the steps of:

a) generating a request initiated by a first party for establishing a communications channel over a first communications network between said first party and a second party;

b) interrupting receipt of said request and translating the request into a data network object; and

,

c) sending the network object to the second party via a second communications network, said network object enabling a second party to communicate acceptance of communicating with said first party upon receipt thereof or at a future time back to said server device; and

,

d) upon receipt of said acceptance, initiating via said server device, creation of a communications channel between the first and second parties.

2. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, whereby the establishment of said communications channel is synchronous.

3. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said server device is connected to both said first and second networks, said second party accepting a network object'"'"'s request and communicating this acceptance to the server device via the second network.

4. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first communications network is a telephone communications network and said second network is a data communications network, said network object including said request appearing on a second party'"'"'s attached network device.

5. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first communications and second communications networks are data networks, said first party initiating establishment of a communications connection with the second party using a computer application, said network object including said request appearing on a second party'"'"'s attached network device.

6. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network object enables a second party to reject the request, said method further including generating a rejection message for display on a first party'"'"'s attached network device.

7. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of translating the rejection message from text into voice message and playing the translated voice message to the first party over an attached communications device via said first communications network.

8. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling a second party to generate a return message for receipt by said first party via said network object.

9. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

providing a listening application for determining availability of a second party via said second communications network, wherein said sending step d) further comprises establishing a socket connection to said listening application for delivering said request to the second party.

10. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending step d) further comprises establishing delivery of said request to the second party by embedding said request in an Instant Message.

11. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending step d) further comprises establishing delivery of said request to the second party by embedding said request in an e-mail message.

12. The method for establishing communications as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interrupting step b) is invoked automatically upon failure to establish a communication channel to said second party.

13. A system for establishing communications between first and second parties comprising:

a means for generating a request initiated by a first party for establishing a communications channel over a first communications network between said first party and a second party;

an intermediary server means interrupting receipt of said request; and

,

a means at said intermediary server for translating the request into a network object and communicating the network object to the second party via a second communications network, said network object enabling a second party to communicate acceptance of communicating with said first party upon receipt thereof or at a future time back to said server device, said intermediary server means further includes means for initiating creation of a communications channel between the first and second user.

14. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 13, wherein said intermediary server is connected to both first and second communications networks, said second party accepting a network object'"'"'s request and communicating this acceptance to the intermediary server via the second communications network.

15. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first communications network is a telephone communications network and said second communications network is a data communications network, said network object including said request appearing on a second party'"'"'s attached network device.

16. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first and second communications networks are data communications networks, said first party initiating establishment of a communications connection with the second party using a computer application, said network object including said request appearing on a second party'"'"'s attached network device.

17. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 13, wherein said network object includes means for enabling a second party to generate a message concerning said request back to said first party via said network object, said system further including means for generating a corresponding message for display on a first party'"'"'s attached network device.

18. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 13, wherein a rejection message includes a text message for rejecting said request, said system further including means for translating the rejection message from text into a voice message and for playing the translated voice message to the first party over an attached synchronous communications device via said first communications network.

19. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 13, wherein said intermediary server includes means for determining availability of a second party via said second communications network.

20. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 19, wherein said intermediary server includes means for establishing a socket connection from said availability determining means for delivering said request to the second party.

21. The system for establishing communications as claimed in claim 13, wherein said means for communicating the network object includes embedding said request in one or more of:

an Instant Message, or e-mail message.

22. A method for establishing a communications channel between a first and second user comprising the steps of:

a) generating a communications coupon at the initiation of a first user via a server device;

b) providing said communications coupon to a second user, via a first communications network, said second user having the ability to either accept or reject said communications coupon upon receipt thereof or at a future time via said first communications network; and

,

c) upon acceptance of said communications coupon by said second user, said server device establishing a communications channel between said first user and a second user via a second communications network.

23. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said providing step b) comprises establishing a socket connection between an attached second user'"'"'s device and a listening application executing at said server device.

24. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said providing step b) comprises embedding said communications coupon in an Instant Message communicated to the second user.

25. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said providing step b) comprises embedding said communications coupon in an e-mail message communicated to the second user.

26. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step c) of establishing a communications channel between said first user and a second user includes the step of determining the identities of the first and second user and the communications channels supported by both the first and second user.

27. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step c) of establishing a communications channel between said first user and a second user includes determining the communications channels currently available to both the first and second user.

28. The method for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step c) of establishing a communications channel between said first user and a second user includes determining said communications channel based on prioritized lists of communications channels for both the first and second user.

29. A system for establishing a communications channel between a first and second user comprising a server means for generating a communications coupon at the initiation of a first user via a server device, said server means communicating said communications coupon to a second user, via a first communications network, said second user having the ability to either accept or reject said communications coupon upon receipt thereof or at a future time via said first communications network;

and, upon acceptance of said communications coupon by said second user, said server device establishing a communications channel between said first user and a second user via a second communications network.

30. The system for establishing a communications channel as claimed in claim 29, wherein said server means executes listening application for determining availability of second user'"'"'s devices attached to said first communications network, said server device including means for establishing a socket connection between an attached second user'"'"'s device and said listening application executing at said server device.