UNIFIED GREETINGS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

• US 20110047479A1
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Ghosh, Arpan
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A unified greeting system scans social media for content. The content can be any type of post to a social media site. If content is directed to a user of the unified greeting system and if the user is currently unavailable, the unified greeting system determines if the content requires a reply. If a reply is warranted, the unified greeting system determines the characteristics of the content to determine the type of reply. Then, the unified greeting system provides the reply, which can be an “out-of-office message.” The out-of-office message is the posted to the social media site to alert the poster that the person is currently unavailable.

Claims

1. A method for providing greetings to social media content, the method comprising:

a processor receiving content from a social media network, the content directed to a user, wherein the content includes a first timestamp, a first venue, and a contactor of a first type;

the processor determining, from an electronic calendar, that the user has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the user is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp, wherein a customized greeting, created by the user, is associated with the first electronic calendar entry;

the processor determining the first venue and the first type;

based on the first venue and the first type, the processor retrieving a first customized greeting; and

the processor automatically providing the first customized greeting to the contactor.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first venue includes one of private, public, or semi-private.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first type includes one of friend, family, external to an organization, internal to an organization, a degree of separation, a trust level, a customer, or a business associate.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein providing the first customized greeting to the contactor includes one of a group consisting of:

posting the first customized greeting to the social media network; and

sending a message to a communication device associated with the contactor.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein sending a message to a communication device associated with the contactor includes one of a group consisting of:

sending a text message to an instant message alias associated with the contactor; and

sending an email to the contactor.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the social media network includes one of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, Craig'"'"'s List, Spoke, a blog, a micro blog, or a video blog.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

the processor receiving, from a second contactor and at a second social media network, a second contact for a user, the second contact having a second timestamp and a second venue, wherein the second contactor is of a second type;

the processor determining, from the electronic calendar, that the user has the first electronic calendar entry indicating that the user is unavailable at the time of the second timestamp;

the processor determining the second venue and the second type for the second contact;

based on the second venue and the second type of the second contact, the processor retrieving a second customized greeting associated with the first electronic calendar entry;

the processor providing the second customized greeting to the second contactor; and

wherein the first customized greeting and the second customized greeting are different and wherein the first type and second type are based on information obtained from the first social media network and the second social media network.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method for creating customized greetings for social media content, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a calendar entry;

instructions to associate a first customized greeting with the calendar entry;

instructions to receive a first parameter associated with the first customized greeting, wherein the first parameter identifies the first customized greeting as a reply to the social media content;

instructions to associate the first parameter with the first customized greeting; and

instructions to store the first customized greeting.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the first parameter is a selection of one of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, Craig'"'"'s List, Spoke, a blog, a micro blog, or a video blog as a source of the social media content.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

instructions to receive a second parameter associated with the first customized greeting, wherein the second parameter identifies a type of contactor;

instructions to associate the second parameter with the first customized greeting.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the type of contactor includes one of friend, family, external to an organization, internal to an organization, a degree of separation, a trust level, a customer, or a business associate.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

instructions to receive a third parameter associated with the first customized greeting, wherein the third parameter identifies a venue;

instructions to associate the third parameter with the first customized greeting.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein venue includes one of private, public, or semi-private.

14. A communication system comprising:

a social media gateway in communication with a social media network, the social media gateway operable to;

receive content from the social media network, wherein the content includes a contactor posting a contact to the social media network for a user;

post a greeting onto the social media network in reply to the contact;

a messaging system in communication with the social media gateway, the messaging system operable to;

access an electronic calendar;

determine, from the electronic calendar, that the user has an electronic calendar entry indicating that the user is unavailable;

determine the greeting associated with the electronic calendar entry;

retrieve the greeting; and

provide the greeting to the social media gateway.

15. The communication system as defined in claim 14, wherein the social media gateway communicates with two or more social media networks and is operable to receive content from each of the two or more social media networks.

16. The communication system as defined in claim 14, wherein the social media gateway is further operable to:

filter content received from the social media gateway based on at least one of a keyword or a contactor;

translate content from the social media gateway; and

aggregate one or more contacts from the social media gateway.

17. The communication system as defined in claim 16, wherein the social media gateway is further operable to:

obtain a parameter about the content from the social media network;

provide the parameter to the messaging system;

wherein the greeting is a customized greeting, and the messaging system further operable to determine the customized greeting based on the parameter.

18. The communication system as defined in claim 17, wherein the parameter includes one of a keyword, a venue, a contactor type, trust level, or a degree of separation.

19. The communication system as defined in claim 18, the messaging system further operable to:

determine, from the parameter, that the content requires escalation; and

in response to the escalation, directly contacting the user about the content.

20. The communication system as defined in claim 14, wherein the social media is further operable to:

receive second content from a second social media network, wherein the content includes the contactor posting a second contact to the second social media network, wherein the contact and the second contact are related;

post the greeting onto one of the social media network or the second social media network in reply to the contact and the second contact;

a messaging system in communication with the social media gateway, the messaging system operable to;

access the electronic calendar;

determine, from the electronic calendar, that the user has an electronic calendar entry indicating that the user is unavailable;

determine the greeting associated with the electronic calendar entry;

retrieve the greeting;

determine that the contact and the second contact are related; and

provide the greeting to the social media gateway to reply to both the contact and the second contact.