MULTIPLE USER IDENTITY AND BRIDGE APPEARANCE

• US 20110044444A1
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: ABRAMSON, Sandra
• Application Number:
  US12/837,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A call control system is provided that can determine the location of a person. From the location of the person, the call control system can temporarily associate a different phone with the person. A bridge appearance may then be changed to include the temporary association such that calls from the different phone show the person as a party to the call. Further, a routing algorithm for routing calls to phones within an enterprise may then be temporarily modified to route calls to the different phone for the person. Thus, a person may travel through the facilities of the enterprise and have important calls routed to the person wherever they may be.

Claims

1. A method for administering telephone calls, comprising:

receiving a call directed to a first communication device, the first communication device associated with a first person;

receiving presence information for the first person;

based on the presence information, temporarily associating the first person with a second communication device; and

based on the temporary association, automatically rerouting the call to the second communication device.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first person is conducting a communication session on the second communication device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

alerting the first person at the second communication device of the call.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the alert provides an indicia of the call at the second communication device.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the indicia includes at least one of a visual change to a display of the second communication device, wherein the change indicates the call is for the first person, an audio signal provided for the first person, a physical signal provided to the first person, a combination of two of a visual change, an audio signal, and a physical signal provided to the first person.

6. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the alert is provided on a third communication device.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the alert to the third communication device is one of an email, an instant message, another phone call, or a voicemail.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second communication device is associated with a second person.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying data associated with the first person, wherein the data indicates which communication device is associated with the first person, and wherein the data temporarily indicates, based on the presence information, that the first person is associated with the second communication device; and

based on the modified data, altering a routing algorithm to reroute the call to the second communication device.

9. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein both the first person and the second person are associated with the second communication device for a period of time.

11. A system for administering calls comprising:

a first communication device associated with a first person;

a second communication device associated with a second person;

a presence system operable to provide presence information about the first and second persons;

a call server in communication with the first and second communication devices and the presence system, the call server operable to;

receive presence information indicating that the first person is located near the second communication device;

temporarily change a bridge appearance of the second communication device to shown that the first and second persons are associated with the second communication device;

receive a call to the first person; and

based on the temporary bridge appearance, reroute the call to the first person at the second communication device.

12. The server as defined in claim 11, further comprising a device information database operable to store the temporary association of the first person with the second communication device.

13. The server as defined in claim 11, further comprising a personnel information database operable to store the temporary association of the first person with the second communication device.

14. The server as defined in claim 11, wherein the call server comprises:

a call router operable to;

receive the call to the first person;

determine that the first person is temporarily associated with the second communication device;

reroute the call to the second communication device;

a control table operable to;

store the temporary bridge appearance; and

provide the temporary bridge appearance to the call router for routing of the call.

15. The server as defined in claim 14, wherein the control table includes a data structure comprising:

a person identifier segment operable to store an identity of the first person;

a device identifier segment operable to store an identity of the first communication device associated with the first person; and

a call forward address segment operable to store temporarily an address for the second communication device.

16. A computer program product including computer executable instructions stored onto a tangible computer readable medium which, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for changing the bridge appearance of a communication device, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive presence information for a first person and a second person;

based on the presence information, instructions to change the bridge appearance of a first communication device to temporarily associated both the first person and second person with the first communication device; and

based on the temporary association, instructions to provide an appearance to a second communication device that shows the first and second person associated with the first communication device.

17. The computer program product as defined in claim 16, wherein the temporary association includes spatial information and wherein the appearance includes a spatial display showing a relative position of the first person and second person in relation to the communication device.

18. The computer program product as defined in claim 17, wherein when the first person is speaking, the appearance including a visual indicia of the first person speaking.

19. The computer program product as defined in claim 18, wherein the appearance including temporal information about a locale for the first communication device.

20. The computer program product as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

instructions to receive a call for the first person on a second communication device while the first person is temporarily associated with the first communication device;

based on the bridge appearance, instructions to reroute the call to the first communication device; and

instructions to provide an indicia of the call at the first communication device for the first person.