CALL SHUFFLING

• US 20090041221A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Modu Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherman, Itay, Ron, Uri, Bychkov, Eyal, Perry, Hagit
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/210.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for automatically scheduling phone calls, including dynamically assigning priorities to each of a plurality of a user'"'"'s contacts, selecting one of the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts based on highest priority, wherein random selection is used in case more than one contact has the highest priority, placing a phone call to the selected contact, and updating the priority of the selected contact, if the placing a phone call successfully reaches the selected contact. A telephone and a computer-readable storage medium are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for automatically scheduling phone calls, comprising:

dynamically assigning priorities to each of a plurality of a user'"'"'s contacts;

selecting one of the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts based on highest priority, wherein random selection is used in case more than one contact has the highest priority;

placing a phone call to the selected contact; and

updating the priority of the selected contact, if said placing a phone call successfully reaches the selected contact.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning is performed periodically at regular intervals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting is pre-scheduled by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting is automatically performed when at least one designated condition occurs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one designated condition comprises the user having free time, as indicated by a user schedule.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting, placing a phone call and updating are performed repeatedly.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on a designated special date relating to the contact.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the special date is the contact'"'"'s birth date.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the special date is the contact'"'"'s wedding anniversary.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on the length of time since a phone call was last made to the contact.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on the length of time remaining prior to a designated deadline.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on a metric of importance of the contact.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on the contact'"'"'s availability status within an Internet communication service.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting the user whether or not to place a phone call to the selected contact, prior to said placing a phone call.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said prompting the user comprises presenting text to the user reminding the user of the reason he wanted to call the selected contact.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said prompting the user comprises presenting information to the user regarding special dates related to the selected contact.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said prompting the user comprises presenting to the user the last date and time when the user spoke with the selected contact.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contacts includes contacts who are awaiting replies from the user.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contacts includes friends and family of the user.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising importing at least one of the plurality of contacts from an external database of user contacts.

21. A telephone with an automatic call scheduler, comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of a user'"'"'s contacts and priorities assigned thereto;

a prioritizer coupled with said memory for dynamically assigning the priorities to the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts, and for updating the priority of a contact when a phone call is successfully made to the contact;

a scheduler coupled with said prioritizer and with said memory for selecting one of the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts based on highest priority, wherein said scheduler uses random selection in case more than one contact has the highest priority; and

a dialer coupled with said scheduler for automatically placing a phone call to the selected contact.

22. The telephone of claim 21 further comprising an activation button for activating said scheduler and said dialer.

23. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said scheduler is configured to automatically select one of the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts, when at least one designated condition occurs.

24. The telephone of claim 23 wherein the at least one designated condition comprises the telephone traveling in a moving vehicle.

25. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said prioritizer assigns the priority of a contact based on a designated special date relating to the contact.

26. The telephone of claim 25 wherein the special date is the contact'"'"'s birth date.

27. The telephone of claim 25 wherein the special date is the contact'"'"'s wedding anniversary.

28. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said prioritizer assigns the priority of a contact based on the length of time since a phone call was last made to the contact.

29. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said prioritizer assigns the priority of a contact based on the length of time remaining prior to a designated deadline.

30. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said prioritizer assigns the priority of a contact based on a metric of importance of the contact.

31. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said prioritizer assigns the priority of a contact based on the contact'"'"'s availability status within an Internet communication service.

32. The telephone of claim 21 wherein said dynamically assigning assigns the priority of a contact based on a style of the telephone.

33. The telephone of claim 21 further comprising a prompter for prompting the user whether or not to place a phone call to the selected contact, prior to said dialer placing a phone call.

34. The telephone of claim 33 wherein said prompter presents text to the user reminding the user of the reason he wanted to call the selected contact.

35. The telephone of claim 33 wherein said prompter presents information to the user regarding special dates related to the selected contact.

36. The telephone of claim 33 wherein said prompter presents to the user the last date and time when the user spoke with the selected contact.

37. The telephone of claim 21 wherein the plurality of contacts includes contacts who are awaiting replies from the user.

38. The telephone of claim 21 wherein the plurality of contacts includes friends and family of the user.

39. The telephone of claim 21 wherein the telephone is a land-line telephone.

40. The telephone of claim 21 wherein the telephone is a cellular telephone.

41. A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a telephone:

to dynamically assign priorities to each of a plurality of a user'"'"'s contacts;

to select one of the plurality of the user'"'"'s contacts based on highest priority, wherein random selection is used in case more than one contact has the highest priority;

to place a phone call to the selected contact; and

to update the priority of the selected contact, if the placed phone call successfully reaches the selected contact.