Hook-up assistant
First Claim
1. A method of hooking up at least two people using a computer-implemented hook-up assistant (HUA), wherein said people are connected in a network environment having a plurality of users, and wherein each of said users has a network-enabled calendar, said method comprising:
- automatically activating said HUA in response to an incomplete telephone call made by a first of said at least two people to a second of said at least two people, wherein said incomplete telephone call that triggers the automatic activation of said HUA is indicated by a busy signal, an answering machine, a voicemail, a facsimile machine, or a computerized agent, and wherein said activated HUA hooks up said at least two people by;
(a) determining an appropriate time when said at least two people to be hooked up will be available to participate in an event or activity;
(b) scheduling said event or activity at said appropriate time on respective calendars of said at least two people; and
(c) initiating said event or activity substantially at said appropriate time, wherein said initiating said event or activity comprises establishing a real-time communication between said at least two people, wherein said real-time communication is selected from the group consisting of a phone call, an instant messaging session, an online chat, a video phone session, and a teleconference.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hook-up assistant (HUA) capable of assisting people in hooking up with other people, in various business and social settings, and of achieving decision-making, planning, and commitment activities asynchronously, thereby advantageously off-loading an event requester'"'"'s tedious tasks of communicating with multiple potential participants and resource/service providers for an intended event/activity. The HUA effectively eliminates “phone tag” problems and beyond, by enabling a user to simply “make a wish,” e.g., “make an event happen.” The HUA takes appropriate actions to “make the wish a reality,” i.e., contacting all parties involved, determining mutually agreeable dates, times, arranging necessary devices, resources, and services, securing reservations, purchasing admission tickets, etc., to ensure all parties involved can actually participate in the event at the planned time and place. The HUA can communicate with animate/inanimate entities as well as other HUAs regardless of virtual/physical boundaries such as platforms, protocols, systems, networks, and the like.
63 Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A method of hooking up at least two people using a computer-implemented hook-up assistant (HUA), wherein said people are connected in a network environment having a plurality of users, and wherein each of said users has a network-enabled calendar, said method comprising:
-
automatically activating said HUA in response to an incomplete telephone call made by a first of said at least two people to a second of said at least two people, wherein said incomplete telephone call that triggers the automatic activation of said HUA is indicated by a busy signal, an answering machine, a voicemail, a facsimile machine, or a computerized agent, and wherein said activated HUA hooks up said at least two people by; (a) determining an appropriate time when said at least two people to be hooked up will be available to participate in an event or activity; (b) scheduling said event or activity at said appropriate time on respective calendars of said at least two people; and (c) initiating said event or activity substantially at said appropriate time, wherein said initiating said event or activity comprises establishing a real-time communication between said at least two people, wherein said real-time communication is selected from the group consisting of a phone call, an instant messaging session, an online chat, a video phone session, and a teleconference. - 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, 28, 29, 30, 39)
-
-
31. A method of heuristically hooking up at least two people using a computer-implemented hook-up assistant (HUA), wherein said at least two people are connected in a network environment having a plurality of users, and wherein at least one of said users has a network-enabled calendar, said method comprising:
-
automatically activating said HUA in response to an incomplete telephone call made by a first of said at least two people to a second of said at least two people, wherein said incomplete telephone call that triggers the automatic activation of said HUA is indicated by a busy signal, an answering machine, a voicemail, a facsimile machine, or a computerized agent, and wherein said activated HUA hooks up said at least two people by; tentatively scheduling an appropriate time for an event or activity to be attended by said first and said second people, wherein said tentatively scheduled event or activity is on said calendar of said first person, and wherein said scheduling is based on one or more heuristics; and initiating said event or activity substantially at said appropriate time, wherein said initiating said event or activity comprises establishing a real-time communication between said at least two people, and wherein said real-time communication is selected from the group consisting of a phone call, an instant messaging session, an online chat, a video phone session, and a teleconference. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
Specification