Communication management system having communication thread structure including a plurality of interconnected threads

• US 5,875,302 A
• Filed: 05/06/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Obhan, Prem A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/851,672
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.36, 395/200.55, 395/200.58, 395/200.59, 395/200.33, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 395/200.53, 395/200.57, 395/684, 395/685, 395/280 , 395/610, 395/611, 395/613
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

A communication management system and method of operation includes a structure registration interface, a user registration, a submission interface, a communication server and an access interface. The structure registration interface receives structure data and establishes a communication thread structure having a plurality of interconnected threads based upon the structure data. The user registration interface receives user data and establishes user information based upon the user data, the user information linking a user with at least one thread of the plurality of interconnected threads. The submission interface receives communications and at least one desired thread of the plurality of interconnected threads and links the communications with at least some of the plurality of interconnected threads. The communication server establishes links between communications and user information based upon threads of the plurality of interconnected threads. Finally, the access interface receives a communication access request from a user, receives communications from the communication server based upon the communication access request, the user information and thread linkages between the communications and the user information and provides the received communications to the user. The communication management system may also include a notification interface that notifies a user when a communication is received that is linked to the user by at least one thread. The notification interface may notify a user when a communication has been received that is linked to the user by at least one thread and has a notification priority greater than or equal to a notification priority respective to the user.

Claims

1. A communication management system comprising:

a structure registration interface that receives structure data and establishes a communication thread structure having a plurality of interconnected threads based upon the structure data;

a user registration interface that receives user data and establishes user information based upon the user data, the user information linking a user with at least one thread of the plurality of interconnected threads;

a submission interface that receives communications and at least one desired thread of the plurality of interconnected threads and links the communications with at least some of the plurality of interconnected threads;

a communication server that establishes links between communications and user information based upon threads of the plurality of interconnected threads; and

an access interface that receives a communication access request from a user, receives communications from the communication server based upon the communication access request, the user information and thread linkages between the communications and the user information and provides the received communications to the user.

2. The communication management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a notification interface that notifies a user when a communication is received that is linked to the user by at least one thread.

3. The communication management system of claim 2, the notification interface notifying a user when a communication has been received that is linked to the user by at least one thread and has a notification priority greater than or equal to a notification priority respective to the user.

4. The communication management system of claim 2, the notification interface notifying a user when a communication has been received that is linked to the user by at least one thread, the notification interface notifying the user according to respective user notification information.

5. The communication management system of claim 1, the notification interface and the access interface allowing a user to direct receipt of a communication upon notification of the communication.

6. The communication management system of claim 1, the communications comprising voice mail communications, electronic mail communications, facsimile communications and electronic files.

7. The communication management system of claim 1, the communication thread structure organized according to a business structure.

8. The communication management system of claim 1, the user information including user identity, user password, user notification information, user security level, user notification priority, user delivery information and thread participation information.

9. The communication management system of claim 1, the submission interface appending communication information to communications, the communication information including communication content, communication time, communication source, communication priority, communication security level and related threads.

10. The communication management system of claim 1, the access interface communicating with a user via one communication medium and delivering a communication to the user via another communication medium.

11. The communication management system of claim 1, the access interface communicating with the user via a voice connection and delivering a communication to the user via a non-voice connection.

12. The communication management system of claim 1, the access interface and submission interface operable as on-line interfaces.

13. The communication management system of claim 1, the user registration interface providing submission protocol information to added users.

14. The communication management system of claim 1, the communication server generating submission protocol information based upon available resources.

15. The communication management system of claim 1, the submission interface precluding unauthorized submissions of communications.

16. The communication management system of claim 1, the communication server closing threads based upon closure criteria and preventing precluding submissions of communications to closed threads.

17. The communication management system of claim 1, the notification interface providing suggested threads to users for submission of communications.

18. A method of operating a communication management system comprising the steps of:

receiving communication thread structure data;

establishing a communication thread structure having a plurality of interconnected threads based upon the structure data;

receiving user data;

establishing user information based upon the user data, the user information linking a user with at least one thread of the plurality of interconnected threads;

receiving communications and at least one desired thread of the plurality of interconnected threads;

linking the communications with at least some of the plurality of interconnected threads;

establishing links between communications and user information based upon threads of the plurality of interconnected threads;

receiving a communication access request from a user;

receiving communications from the communication server based upon the communication access request, the user information and thread linkages between the communications and the user information; and

providing the received communications to the user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

notifying a user when a communication is received that is linked to the user by at least one thread.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

notifying a user when a communication has been received that is linked to the user by at least one thread and has a notification priority greater than or equal to a notification priority respective to the user.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

notifying a user when a communication has been received that is linked to the user by at least one thread, the notification interface notifying the user according to respective user notification information.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of allowing a user to direct receipt of a communication upon notification of the communication.

23. The method of claim 18, the communications comprising voice mail communications, electronic mail communications, facsimile communications and electronic files.

24. The method of claim 18, the communication thread structure organized according to a business structure.

25. The method of claim 18, the user information including user identity, user password, user notification information, user security level, user notification priority, user delivery information and thread participation information.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

appending communication information to communications, the communication information including communication content, communication time, communication source, communication priority, communication security level and related threads.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

communicating with a user via one communication medium and delivering a communication to the user via another communication medium.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

generating submission protocol information based upon available resources.