MEDIATING A COMMUNICATION IN AN OBSERVATION PLATFORM

• US 20130204998A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theatro Labs Inc.
• Original Assignee: Theatro Labs Inc.
• Inventors: Russell, Steven Paul, VanBuskirk, Guy R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Using an observation platform for mediating a communication. A first communication is parsed with a computer system according to a policy to determine metadata associated with the first communication, wherein the metadata comprises a first set of attributes and wherein the first communication is received at the computer system from a first communication device. The first set of attributes is compared to attributes of a plurality of communication devices associated with the observation platform, the comparing performed by the computing system. At least one recipient communication device is identified from the plurality of communication devices for the first communication based on the comparing, the identifying performed by the computing system. The first communication is relayed to the at least one identified recipient communication device via the computer system.

Claims

1. A method of mediating a communication in an observation platform, said method comprising:

parsing a first communication with a computer system according to a policy to determine metadata associated with said first communication, wherein said metadata comprises a first set of attributes and wherein said first communication is received at said computer system from a first communication device;

comparing said first set of attributes to attributes of a plurality of communication devices associated with said observation platform, said comparing performed by said computing system;

identifying at least one recipient communication device from said plurality of communication devices for said first communication based on said comparing, said identifying performed by said computing system; and

relaying said first communication to said at least one identified recipient communication device via said computer system.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second communication from said at least one identified recipient communication device at said computer system;

parsing said second communication with said computer system according to said policy to determine metadata associated with said second communication;

identifying said second communication as a response to said first communication based on said metadata; and

relaying or directly connecting via the network said second communication to said first communication device in response to said identifying said second communication as said response.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein subsequent communications between said first communication device and said at least one identified recipient device are sent directly without being relayed by said computer system.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said identifying identifies a plurality of identified devices based on said comparing.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein subsequent communications from said first communication device are relayed by said computer system only to communication devices from said plurality of identified devices that have responded to said first communication.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein a characteristic of said first communication corresponds to an audible source.

7. The method recited in claim 6 wherein said characteristic of said first communication is converted from speech to text and said text is parsed for said metadata.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein a characteristic of said first communication corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device.

9. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said metadata and said observation platform does not identify a user associated with said first communication device or said at least one identified recipient communication device.

10. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said policy is programmable.

11. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first communication is received by said at least one recipient communication device in substantially real time.

12. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first attributes of said metadata are selected from the group of attributes consisting of:

a unique message identification number, a group identification number, a geographic location of said first communication device at time of said first communication, a geographic zone, a timestamp of when said first communication was generated, an identity of said first communication device, an identity of a user associated with said first communication device, data from a text portion of said first communication, and data related to a history of communications sent and received by said first communication device.

13. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device is accomplished based on a match of an attribute associated with both said metadata of said first communication and said at least one recipient communication device.

14. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device does not match an inhibited attribute.

15. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device overrides an inhibited attribute based on an override attribute.

16. The method recited in claim 1 said identifying said at least one recipient communication device comprises a voting system where a plurality of matches of attributes are identified between said first communication device and said at least one recipient communication device.

17. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said first communication is automatically generated in response to an action.

18. A computer-usable storage medium having instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for mediating a communication in an observation platform, said method comprising:

parsing a first communication with a computer system according to a policy to determine metadata associated with said first communication, wherein said metadata comprises a first set of attributes and wherein said first communication is received at said computer system from a first communication device;

comparing said first set of attributes to attributes of a plurality of communication devices associated with said observation platform, said comparing performed by said computing system;

identifying at least one recipient communication device from said plurality of communication devices for said first communication based on said comparing, said identifying performed by said computing system; and

relaying said first communication to said at least one identified recipient communication device via said computer system.

19. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a second communication from said at least one identified recipient communication device at said computer system;

parsing said second communication with said computer system according to said policy to determine metadata associated with said second communication;

identifying said second communication as a response to said first communication based on said metadata; and

relaying said second communication to said first communication device in response to said identifying said second communication as said response.

20. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein subsequent communications between said first communication device and said at least one identified recipient device are sent directly without being relayed by said computer system.

21. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said identifying identifies a plurality of identified devices based on said comparing.

22. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 21 wherein subsequent communications from said first communication device are relayed by said computer system only to communication devices from said plurality of identified devices that have responded to said first communication.

23. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein a characteristic of said first communication corresponds to an audible source.

24. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 23 wherein said characteristic of said first communication is converted from speech to text and said text is parsed for said metadata.

25. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein a characteristic of said first communication corresponds to information indicative of a geographic position of said first communication device.

26. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said metadata and said observation platform does not identify a user associated with said first communication device or said at least one identified recipient communication device.

27. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said policy is programmable.

28. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said first communication is received by said at least one recipient communication device in substantially real time.

29. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said first attributes of said metadata are selected from the group of attributes consisting of:

a unique message identification number, a group identification number, a geographic location of said first communication device at time of said first communication, a geographic zone, a timestamp of when said first communication was generated, an identity of said first communication device, an identity of a user associated with said first communication device, data from a text portion of said first communication, and a data related to a history of communications sent and received by said first communication device.

30. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device is accomplished based on a match of an attribute associated with both said metadata of said first communication and said at least one recipient communication device.

31. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device does not match an inhibited attribute.

32. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said identifying said at least one recipient communication device overrides an inhibited attribute based on an override attribute.

33. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 said identifying said at least one recipient communication device comprises a voting system where a plurality of matches of attributes are identified between said first communication device and said at least one recipient communication device.

34. The computer-usable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein said first communication is automatically generated in response to an action.

35. An observation platform for mediating a communication, said system comprising:

a first communication device for sending a first communication; and

a computer system for;

parsing said first communication according to a policy to determine metadata associated with said first communication, wherein said metadata comprises a first set of attributes;

comparing said first set of attributes to attributes of a plurality of communication devices associated with said observation platform;

identifying at least one recipient communication device from said plurality of communication devices for said first communication based on said comparing; and

relaying said first communication to said at least one identified recipient communication device.

36. The observation platform as recited in claim 35 further comprising:

said at least one identified recipient communication device for receiving said first communication relayed via said computer system.