System configured for complex determination of a user's busy state and for assigning an organic “do not disturb” filter

• US 7,769,039 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schaeck, Thomas, Oral, Tolga
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US11/538,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/450, 370/429, 370/401, 455/216, 4554141-4143, 455/567, 709/203, 709/230, 709/227, 379/157, 379/201.1, 379/201.2, 379/201.3, 379/207.2
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A system and method for complex determination of a user'"'"'s busy state and for assigning a do not disturb (DND) filter. A first electronic device is configured to house a DND recognizer module. The first electronic device is further configured to store and execute a plurality of applications. A second electronic device operably associated with the first electronic device. The second electronic device having another DND recognizer module, a DND filter module, and a DND propagator module. The DND filter module is configured to determine whether a particular DND filter is associated with the current busy state of the user and to adjust the DND status provided a DND filter does exist. The DND propagator configured to propagate the DND status to all at least one device operably associated with the system provided a DND status exists for the current busy state of the user.

Claims

1. A system configured for complex determination of a user'"'"'s busy state and for assigning a do not disturb (DND) filter, comprising:

a first electronic device configured to house a DND recognizer module and further configured to store and execute a plurality of applications operable on the first electronic device;

a second electronic device operably associated via a network with the first electronic device, the second electronic device implementing another DND recognizer module, a DND filter module, and a DND propagator module;

wherein the DND recognizer module housed within the first electronic device is configured to analyze and determine the user'"'"'s actions in an application executed on the first electronic device, the DND recognizer module is further configured to transmit the determined user'"'"'s action data in real time, the user'"'"'s action data representing the user'"'"'s activity within the application, and the user'"'"'s action data transmitted to the DND filter module also housed within the second electronic device;

wherein the DND filter module is configured to determine whether a particular DND filter is associated with the current busy state of the user and to adjust the DND status provided a DND filter does exist, such busy state selected from a plurality of busy states each of which is configured to represent which communications are to be filtered, the busy state being based automatically upon the user'"'"'s current action data, the DND filter module transmits the DND filter data to the DND propagator housed within the second electronic device;

wherein the DND propagator module is configured to propagate the DND status to at least one device operably associated with the system provided a DND status exists for the current busy state of the user; and

wherein the DND filter module is configurable by a user to automatically allow incoming communications for one or more users based on the DND filter and to automatically block all other incoming communications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications and the user'"'"'s actions in such applications have assigned particular levels of DND.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the busy state associated with a particular application and the user'"'"'s actions in such applications are set by the user via the user'"'"'s calendar event scheduler.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the busy state is based on an appointment in a calendar application, the busy state set by the user at the time that the appointment is created, and the busy state activated when the appointment comes due.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the DND filters form a hierarchy of filters, and higher level filters inherit the attributes of lower level filters.

4. A method for complex determination of a user'"'"'s busy state and for assigning a do not disturb (DND) filter, comprising:

executing an application;

transmitting a user'"'"'s action data in real time, the user'"'"'s action data representing the user'"'"'s activity within the application;

determining, based on the transmitting, whether a particular DND filter is associated with the current busy state of the user and adjusting the DND status provided a DND filter does exist, such busy state selected from a plurality of busy states each of which is configured to represent which communications are to be filtered, the busy state being automatically based upon the user'"'"'s current action data, the DND filter module transmits the DND filter data to the DND propagator;

propagating the DND status to at least one tool operably associated with the system provided a DND status exists for the current busy state of the user; and

wherein the DND filter module is configurable by a user to automatically allow incoming communications for one or more users based on the DND filter and to automatically block all other incoming communications.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of applications and the user'"'"'s actions in such applications have assigned particular levels of DND.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the busy state associated with a particular application and the user'"'"'s actions in such applications are set by the user via the user'"'"'s calendar event scheduler.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the busy state is based on an appointment in a calendar application, the busy state set by the user at the time that the appointment is created, and the busy state activated when the appointment comes due.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the DND filters form a hierarchy of filters, and higher level filters inherit the attributes of lower level filters.