REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION WITH A CALLER WITHOUT ACCEPTING A CALL

• US 20190045056A1
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Published: 02/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duan, Xue Fei, Dunne, Jonathan, Xiao, Xiao Ting, Wu, Chao Feng, Zong, Dong Jun
• Granted Patent: US 11,039,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating real-time communication with a caller without a user accepting a call, wherein the system or method: receives a notification of the call; obtains information about the user and the caller from one or more data sources; determines the user'"'"'s temporal status at a given point in time and the caller'"'"'s identity based on the information; generates a context-specific message based on the user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity, wherein the message summarizes the user'"'"'s temporal status; and provides the message to the caller. Alternatively, the message is a generic message, when the caller'"'"'s identity cannot be determined.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

implementing, on one or more computers, a system for facilitating real-time communication with a caller without a called user accepting a call, wherein the system;

receives a notification of the call;

obtains information about the called user and the caller from one or more data sources;

determines the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity as internal or external based on the information;

generates a context-specific message based on both the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity, wherein the context-specific message is different depending on whether the caller'"'"'s identity is determined as external or internal, and summarizes the called user'"'"'s temporal status; and

provides the context-specific message to the caller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s calendar to determine whether there is a scheduled meeting, appointment or event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s instant messaging to determine whether the called user is available, busy, away, in a meeting, do not disturb, or offline.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s social network applications to determine whether there is status related information for the called user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s smartphone camera to obtain images that can assist determining the called user'"'"'s temporal status.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the called user'"'"'s temporal status is determined at a given point in time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the caller is obtained from a calling number and the called user'"'"'s contact list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller'"'"'s identity is determined from the calling number and the called user'"'"'s contact list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a generic message when the caller'"'"'s identity cannot be determined.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the system performs a rule that automatically accepts or rejects the call, wherein the message is provided to the caller when the call is not accepted or rejected.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the called user pre-defines the rules identifying when calls should be rejected or accepted.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

14. A computer-implemented apparatus, comprising:

one or more computers implementing a system for facilitating real-time communication with a caller without a called user accepting a call, wherein the system;

receives a notification of the call;

obtains information about the called user and the caller from one or more data sources;

determines the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity as internal or external based on the information;

generates a context-specific message based on both the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity, wherein the context-specific message is different depending on whether the caller'"'"'s identity is determined as external or internal, and summarizes the called user'"'"'s temporal status; and

provides the context-specific message to the caller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s calendar to determine whether there is a scheduled meeting, appointment or event.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information about the caller is obtained from a calling number and the called user'"'"'s contact list.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the system performs a rule that automatically accepts or rejects the call, wherein the message is provided to the caller when the call is not accepted or rejected.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more computers to cause the computers to:

implement a system for facilitating real-time communication with a caller without a called user accepting a call, wherein the system;

receives a notification of the call;

obtains information about the called user and the caller from one or more data sources;

determines the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity as internal or external based on the information;

generates a context-specific message based on both the called user'"'"'s temporal status and the caller'"'"'s identity, wherein the context-specific message is different depending on whether the caller'"'"'s identity is determined as external or internal, and summarizes the called user'"'"'s temporal status; and

provides the context-specific message to the caller.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the information about the called user is obtained from the called user'"'"'s calendar and the information about the caller is obtained from a calling number and the called user'"'"'s contact list.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the system performs a rule that automatically accepts or rejects the call, wherein the message is provided to the caller when the call is not accepted or rejected.