Automatic Contact Information Detection

• US 20140071858A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The present invention provides an originating user with a prioritized list of communication contacts associated with the various communication devices of a destination user, wherein the originating user will initiate communications with the destination user using one of the communication contacts provided in the prioritized list. Upon selecting a destination user, a request is sent to a service node, which includes rules for establishing the prioritized list based on various prioritization criteria. The prioritization criteria may include static information and dynamic information, such as time, day of the week, and date, as well as presence information bearing on the availability or location of the destination user. Information may be provided in the request corresponding to the originating user, the type of communication desired by the originating user, the relative priority of the communication, among other information, which may be used to create the prioritized list.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method comprising:

a multimedia client transmitting a request to initiate communications with a destination user from an originating user;

the multimedia client receiving a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination use;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, the multimedia client receiving user input selecting one of the communication methods in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

the multimedia client transmitting a request to communicate with the destination user using the selected communication method.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user in a user interface of the multimedia client.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on at least one of time, date, or day of week.

37. A system, comprising:

communication circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate with at least a communication network; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and the communication circuitry are configured to operate together to;

transmit a request to initiate communications with a destination user from an originating user;

receive a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination use;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, receiving user input selecting one of the communication methods in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

transmit a request to communicate with the destination user using the selected communication method.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user in a user interface of the system.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on at least one of time, date, or day of week.

44. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor of a multimedia client to:

transmit a request to initiate communications with a destination user from an originating user;

receive a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination use;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, receive user input selecting one of the communication methods in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

transmit a request to communicate with the destination user using the selected communication method.

45. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 44, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

46. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 44, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user in a user interface of the multimedia client.

47. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 44, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

48. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 44, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

49. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 44, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.