Active user registry
First Claim
1. An active user registry system responsive to a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user, comprising:
- a. a computer;
b. a database, linked to the computer, containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred communications options;
c. a voice interface for enabling interaction with, and control and management of, the system from any available voice-compatible communication interface; and
D. a cache coupled to the database for storing information, for a particular subscriber, corresponding to an entry point to communications information for contacting the user stored in the database, the information stored in the cache for a particular subscriber is updated in accordance with a pattern of communications options utilized over time by the subscriber upon access to the database;
wherein the system determines a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications option.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Active User Registry system includes a database which is integrated with the POTS network and a packet network (such as the Internet, or a corporate intranet). Integrating AUR with the POTS network and a packet network exploits the outstanding strengths of both of its constituents, such as the low-latency, high reliability, moderate fidelity real-time voice telephony provided by the POTS network, and the point-and-click access to distributed databases with excellent search capabilities provided by a packet network, such as the Internet (including those made available using browser technology in conjunction with the World Wide Web). The AUR database contains a dynamic data structure (such as a linked list or a hashed table) of all the ways in which one or more users can be reached via some type of communication network (e.g., through the POTS network or a packet network, or both). A key feature of the AUR is the ability to broker between a subscriber'"'"'s request for communications contact information corresponding to a user and the user'"'"'s preferences of being reached by various communications alternatives. Other features may be included with the AUR, including an AUR cache which provides subscribers with rapid-access entry points into the AUR, or automatic updating of user contact information. Further, the capability of learning the user'"'"'s preferences is included as an additional feature and is also included as a feature in an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
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Citations
89 Claims
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1. An active user registry system responsive to a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user, comprising:
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a. a computer;
b. a database, linked to the computer, containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred communications options;
c. a voice interface for enabling interaction with, and control and management of, the system from any available voice-compatible communication interface; and
D. a cache coupled to the database for storing information, for a particular subscriber, corresponding to an entry point to communications information for contacting the user stored in the database, the information stored in the cache for a particular subscriber is updated in accordance with a pattern of communications options utilized over time by the subscriber upon access to the database;
wherein the system determines a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications option. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An active user registry system responsive to a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user, comprising:
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a. a computer;
b. a database, linked to the computer, containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. a cache coupled to the database for storing information, for a particular subscriber, corresponding to an entry point to communications information for contacting the user stored in the database;
wherein information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred communications options is automatically learned in accordance with how the user interacts with communication attempts from other persons and wherein the information stored in the cache for a particular subscriber is updated in accordance with a pattern of communications options utilized over time by the subscriber upon access to the database. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, including converting text portions of a facsimile message into a voice message. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, including converting an e-mail message into a voice message.
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59. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, including converting a voice message into a facsimile message.
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60. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, converting an e-mail message into a facsimile message.
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61. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, including converting text portions of a facsimile message into an e-mail message.
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62. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options; and
d. converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, including converting a voice message into an e-mail message.
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63. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user by retrieving from a cache maintained for a subscriber information corresponding to an entry point to communications information for contacting the user stored in the database, the information stored in the cache maintained for a subscriber being updated in accordance with a pattern of communications options utilized over time by the subscriber upon access to the database;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options; and
c. determining a communications address for contacting the user by brokering a communication in accordance with a comparison between a communications option accompanying the request and the user'"'"'s preferred communications options. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method of operating an active user registry service accessible over a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user by retrieving contact information from a cache maintained for a subscriber information corresponding to an entry point to communications information for contacting the user stored in the database, wherein the information stored in the cache maintained for a subscriber is updated in accordance with a pattern of communications options utilized over time by the subscriber upon access to the database;
b. searching a database containing communications information for contacting the user including a user identifier, a plurality of communications addresses and information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred one or more communications options;
wherein information corresponding to the user'"'"'s preferred communications options is automatically learned in accordance with how the user interacts with communications attempts from other persons; and
c. determining from the database a communications address for contacting the user. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A method of determining a communications address for contacting a user, comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a request for communications contact information corresponding to a user;
b. comparing a communications option accompanying the request with the user'"'"'s preferred communications options;
c. determining whether there is a communications address for the user corresponding to a communications option having at least one communications property in common with the communications option accompanying the request and with the user'"'"'s preferred communications options;
d. if there is a communications address for the user corresponding to a communications option having at least one communications property in common with the communications option accompanying the request and with the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, selecting the communications address; and
e. if there is no communications address for the user corresponding to a communications option having at least one communications property in common with the communications option accompanying the request and with the user'"'"'s preferred communications options, converting a communication for the user into a form receivable by the user over at least one of the user'"'"'s preferred communications options. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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Specification