Method and system for communication processing based on physical presence

• US 7,068,769 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Jethwa, Piyush, Haldar, Debashis, McConnell, Von K., Weaver, Farni B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S.
• Application Number:
  US09/946,446
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435, 455/414, 455/412, 455/413, 709203-207, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/200, 709/217, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/335, 370/342, 370/235, 379/265.01, 379/265.09, 379/201.01, 379/201.1, 379/201.11, 379/207.12, 379/201.06, 379/215.01, 379/201.07
• US Class Current: 379/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity

Abstract

A method and system for using physical presence as a basis to handle communications. A network includes a presence registry that indicates whether users are physically present at stations. Further, the network may include a user-station registry that indicates whether users are logically associated with stations. When a communication server receives a signals indicative of a communication, the server may query the presence registry to determine whether a user is physically present at a station. Based at least on the result of that query, the server may then establish a communication-handling decision, such as a decision of whether and where to route the communication or of some other action to take with respect to the communication. The server or another entity may then carry out the communication-handling decision.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting whether a user is physically present at a particular station, wherein detecting whether the user is physically present at the particular station includes (i) detecting user interaction with a user-interface of the particular station and concluding that the user interaction indicates that the user is physically present at the particular station and (ii) determining an identity of the user interacting with the user-interface, wherein determining the identity of the user interacting with the user-interface comprises prompting the user to input a username;

responsively sending an indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station;

receiving the indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station;

storing the indication in a registry;

receiving into a network entity a signaling message associated with an incoming communication for the user;

responsive to the signaling message, the network entity making a determination of whether the user is physically present at the particular station, wherein making the determination of whether the user is physically present at the particular station comprises consulting the registry to determine the indication;

based at least in part on the determination, the network entity making a communication-routing decision using routing logic that indicates choices between the particular station and another station; and

the network entity carrying out the communication-routing decision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving a communication initiation message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving at least a portion of the communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the particular station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the particular station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another station.

10. A method comprising:

running a screen-saver application on a particular station;

detecting whether a user is physically present at the particular station, wherein detecting whether the user is physically present at the particular station comprises detecting user interaction with a user-interface of the particular station, and wherein detecting user interaction with a user-interface of the particular station comprises detecting user interruption of the screen-saver application;

responsively sending an indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station;

receiving the indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station;

storing the indication in a registry;

receiving into a network entity a signaling message associated with an incoming communication for the user;

responsive to the signaling message, the network entity making a determination of whether the user is physically present at the particular station, wherein making the determination of whether the user is physically present at the particular station comprises consulting the registry to determine the indication;

based at least in part on the determination, the network entity making a communication-routing decision using routing logic that indicates choices between the particular station and another station; and

the network entity carrying out the communication-routing decision.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prompting the user to input a username upon interruption of the screen-saver application,

wherein the indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station comprises an indication of the username as well as an indication of whether the user is physically present at the particular station.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving a communication initiation message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving at least a portion of the communication.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining that the user is logically associated with the particular station.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the given user is logically associated with the particular station comprises querying a user-station registry to determine that the given user is logically associated with the particular station.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the user.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the user.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another user.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the particular station.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the particular station.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another station.

22. A method comprising:

receiving into a network entity a signaling message associated with an incoming communication for a user;

responsive to the signaling message, the network entity making a determination of whether the user is physically present at the particular station;

based at least in part on the determination, the network entity making a communication-routing decision using routing logic that indicates choices between the particular station and another station; and

the network entity carrying out the communication-routing decision,

wherein the signaling message comprises a SIP INVITE message that indicates a SIP address of the user, and wherein the method further comprises;

in response to the signaling message, querying a SIP server to determine that the SIP address is currently associated with a given station.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein making a determination that the user is physically present at the particular station comprises querying a network-based presence registry to determine that the user is physically present at the given station.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving a communication initiation message.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving a signaling message associated with the incoming communication comprises receiving at least a portion of the communication.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the user.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the user.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another user.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to the particular station.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to not route the communication to the particular station.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication-routing decision comprises a decision to route the communication to another station.