Temporary aliasing for resource list

• US 7,447,756 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack; Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/217,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,275 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/223, 709/224, 709/228, 715/705, 717/125
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system for temporary aliasing is provided. A representative system includes a database system operable to store a plurality of network profiles, each network profile being associated with a user. The database system being further operable to provide a first user with a temporary alias to allow addition of the temporary alias to a network profile associated with a second user. The system further includes a service manager coupled to the database system and operable to remove the temporary alias from the network profile of the second user. Methods and other systems for temporary aliasing are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for providing temporary aliasing, comprising:

a database system operable to store a plurality of network profiles, each network profile being associated with a user, the database system being further operable to provide a first user with a temporary alias to allow the first user to add the temporary alias to a resource list in the network profile associated with a second user, the resource list comprising aliases of other users to which the second user can send communication messages wherein aliases from the resource list are provided to the second user, the aliases comprising at least said temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of the second user and an expiration period for the temporary alias and at least a non-temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of a third user and excludes a designated expiration period, whereby the second user can select one of the aliases from the network profile of the second user to request communications with a user associated with the selected alias and wherein the expiration period is for longer than a single chat session; and

a service manager coupled to the database system for managing the temporary alias of the first user within the resource list of the second user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporary alias is removed after a pre-determined period of time by the service manager.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the expiration period associated with the temporary alias for removal of the temporary alias is set by the first user when the first user allows addition of the temporary alias to the network profile of the second user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user is a service technician assigned to help the second user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the expiration period for removal of the temporary alias expires at the end of a service ticket opened upon a service call from the second user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the database system is operable to provide the first user with a plurality of temporary aliases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a service technician is the first user, and uses the plurality of temporary aliases to limit open service tickets.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporary alias is associated with a username of the first user in the database system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the username of the first user is not viewable by the second user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the username is an e-mail address.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the username is an instant messaging identification.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the temporary alias is different than the instant messaging identification.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an application server having an administrative tool allowing the first user to modify the network profile of the second user to add the temporary contact to the network profile of the second user.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for allowing the first user to add the temporary alias to the network profile of the second user.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a service router coupled to the database system and the service manager and operable to provide routing of requests from the second user.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a remote terminal associated with the second user and coupled to a network; and

the network being coupled to the service router.

17. A method for temporary aliasing, comprising:

creating a temporary alias associated with a messaging address of a first user; and

providing a second user with the temporary alias to be stored in a resource list of a network profile associated with the second user, the resource list comprising aliases of other users to which the second user can send communication messages wherein aliases from the resource list are provided to the second user, the aliases comprising at least said temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of the first user and an expiration period for the temporary alias and at least a non-temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of a third user and excludes a designated expiration period, whereby the second user can select one of the aliases from the network profile of the second user to request communications with a user associated with the selected alias and wherein the expiration period is for longer than a single chat session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

deleting the temporary alias after the expiration of a pre-determined period of time.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adding the expiration date to the temporary alias, upon expiration of which, the temporary alias can be deleted.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first user is a service person assigned a service ticket upon receiving a service call from the second user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

deleting the temporary alias from the network profile when the service ticket associated with the second user is closed.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a plurality of temporary aliases associated with the messaging address of the first user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first user is a service person assigned a service ticket upon receiving a service call from the second user, the method further comprising:

limiting the number of service tickets that can be opened by the service person according to the number of temporary aliases allowed.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

hiding the messaging address from the second user.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the messaging address is an e-mail address associated with the first user.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the messaging address is an instant messaging identification.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the temporary alias is different than the messaging address.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adding the temporary alias to the network profile of the second user automatically.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user to add a temporary alias to the network profile of the second user; and

adding the temporary alias to the network profile of the second user.

30. A method for interacting with clients, comprising:

creating a temporary alias of a first user with an expiration date for a client, the temporary alias to be used by the client in communicating with the first user; and

sending the temporary alias to the client along with other aliases available to the client, whereby a user of the client can select an alias in order to request communications with another user associated with the selected alias, the aliases available to the client comprising at least one temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of the first user and an expiration period for the temporary alias and at least one non-temporary alias which is linked to a messaging address of a third user and excludes a designated expiration period, wherein the expiration period is for longer than a single chat session.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

extending the expiration date of the temporary alias.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

adding the temporary alias to a network profile associated with the client.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

interacting with the client while the temporary alias has not expired.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving a service call from a client; and

deleting the temporary alias after completing the service call.