System and method for personal multimedia communication over a packet switched network

• US 6,243,398 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Mobility Solutions LLC (Robert A. Westerlund)
• Original Assignee: VocalTec Communications Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrack, Scott, Kahane, Opher Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/780,739
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/401, 370/410, 370/522, 370/356, 379/201, 379/220, 707/2, 709/200, 709/206, 709/201, 709/228, 455/415, 710/131
• US Class Current: 370/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/57 for integrated multimedia messaging subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/208 IMS, i.e. Integrated Multimedia messaging Subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method for communicating between users which employ a plurality of communication devices over a packet switched network. The method includes the steps of receiving a precommunication request for a communication device or devices of said recipient to which said communication should be sent, determining in accordance with a communication receipt preferences of the recipient which communication device or devices should receive said communication and transmitting an indication to the requester to which communication device or devices said communication should be transmitted. The communication itself may be a single media or a multimedia communication.

Claims

1. In a packet switched network having a plurality of users including at least one sending user and at least one receiving user, each of which employing a plurality of communication devices, a method for communicating between at least two users in accordance with communication preferences of each of said users, the method comprising:

providing a communication management agent (CMA) associated with said at least one receiving user, for managing at least one communication device in accordance with the communication device preferences of said at least one receiving user;

receiving at least one precommunication request from at least one communication device of said at least one sending user, for directing a communication from said at least one sending user to at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user at the CMA associated with said at least one receiving user;

transmitting an indication to said at least one communication device of said at least one sending user to direct said communication from said at least one communication device of said at least one sending user to said at least one communication device of said at least one said receiving user; and

establishing a communication from said at least one communication device of said at least one sending user to at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user in accordance with said indication, said indication is according to said communication device preferences of said at least one receiving user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a CMA additionally comprises providing:

a network address for receiving said precommunication request;

a communication policy file; and

a list of communication devices that are arranged in accordance with said communication policy file.

14. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising the step of:

editing said communication policy file by at least one user in accordance with the preferences for at least one communication device of said at least one user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting comprises:

providing an intermediate device operably coupled to said packet switched network; and

initiating a communication between said at least one sending user and said at least one receiving user by sending a precommunication request to the CMA associated with said at least one user by said intermediate device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing further comprises the steps of:

providing a pop up message to said at least one communication device; and

determining in substantially real time to which of said at least one communication device said communication should be directed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication is a unique identifier for enabling communication with said at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said packet switched network is selected from the group comprising:

a wide area network (WAN), the INTERNET, a local area network (LAN) and an INTRANET.

2. A communication management agents server (CMAS) connected to a packet switched network, having a plurality of users including at least one sending user and at least one receiving user, each of said users employing at least one communication device, for communicating between said at least two of said users, said CMAS comprising:

a plurality of communication management agents (CMAs), each of said communication management agents (CMAs) associated with at least one of said plurality of users comprising;

at least one communication receipt preferences file of at least one receiving user

means operative to receive a precommunication request of an indication to direct a communication to at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user

a communication policy file for determining, in accordance with a communication receipt preferences file of said at least one receiving user which of at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user should receive said communication; and

means for transmitting an indication to said at least one communication device of said at least one sending user to direct said communication from said at least one communication device of said at least one serving user to at least one communication device of said at least one said receiving user.

3. A communication management agents server of claim 2, wherein said packet switched network is selected from the group comprising:

a wide area network (WAN), the INTERNET, a local area network (LAN), or an INTRANET.

4. A communication management agents server of claim 2, wherein said communication receipt preferences file includes a list of communication devices that are available for receiving said communication at predetermined time intervals.

5. A communication management agents server of claim 4, additionally comprising means for redirection of said precommunication request to another communication management agent remote from said CMAS.

6. A communication management agents server of claim 2, wherein said CMA is also operative to identify at any time an available one of said plurality of communication devices operative to communicate the same type of media or a different type of media capable of receiving said communication, whereby said receiving user is generally available any time.

7. A communication management agents server of claim 2, further comprising means for receiving said precommunication request from said communication initiator device or from an intermediate device to which any of said call initiator communication devices are connected.

8. A plurality of communication management agents (CMAs) operative in a packet switched network, each communication management agent of said plurality of CMAs comprising:

at least one communication receipt preferences file of at least one receiving user;

means operative to receive a precommunication request for an indication to direct a communication to at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user from a sending user to which a communication should be transmitted;

a communication policy file for determining which of said at least one communication device should receive said communication in accordance with at least one recipient communication preference of said preference file; and

means for transmitting an indication to the communication device of said sending user to direct said communication from at least one communication device of said sending user to said at least one communication device of said at least one receiving user for establishing a communication, between said sending user and said at least one receiving user in accordance with said indication.

9. The plurality of CMAs of claim 8, wherein at least one of said CMAs resides in a device currently used by said at least one user to determine said receiving user preferences substantially in real time.

10. The plurality of CMAs of claim 8, wherein said packet switched network is selected from the group comprising:

a wide area network (WAN), the INTERNET, a local area network (LAN), or an INTRANET.

11. The plurality of CMAs of claim 8, wherein at least one of said CMAs is configured to be operative to identify at any time an available one of said at least one communication device operative to communicate the same type of media or a different type of media capable of receiving said communication.

12. The plurality of CMAs of claim 8, wherein each of said CMAs forms a directory service of a packet switched network, wherein said directory service comprises a searching application for locating a CMA address.