Linking unable to respond messages to entries in electronic calendar
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- (a) receiving, from a first contactor and at an input, a first contact for a first subscriber, the first contact having a first timestamp and a first communication modality, wherein the first contactor is of a first type, and wherein the first type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor;
(b) determining, by a server, from an electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp, wherein two or more customized greetings created by the first subscriber are associated with the first electronic calendar entry and stored in a storage location with the first calendar entry;
(c) determining, by the server, the first communication modality used by the first contact;
(d) based on the first communication modality and the first type of the first contact, retrieving, by the server, from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry a first customized greeting;
(e) providing, by the server, the first customized greeting to the contactor;
(f) receiving, from a second contactor and at the input, a second contact for a first subscriber, the second contact having a second timestamp and a second communication modality, wherein the second contactor is of a second type, and wherein the second type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor;
(g) determining, by the server, from the electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has the first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the second timestamp;
(h) determining, by the server, the second communication modality used by the second contact;
(i) based on the second communication modality and the second type of the second contact, retrieving, by the server, from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry the second customized greeting;
(j) providing, by the server, the second customized greeting to the second contactor; and
wherein the first customized greeting and the second customized greeting are different and wherein the first type and second type are based on contact information for the first contactor and a second contactor.
23 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to the storage of a customized greeting in an on-line calendar entry of a subscriber and providing the customized greeting to a contactor contacting the subscriber when the calendar entry is current.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
-
(a) receiving, from a first contactor and at an input, a first contact for a first subscriber, the first contact having a first timestamp and a first communication modality, wherein the first contactor is of a first type, and wherein the first type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor; (b) determining, by a server, from an electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp, wherein two or more customized greetings created by the first subscriber are associated with the first electronic calendar entry and stored in a storage location with the first calendar entry; (c) determining, by the server, the first communication modality used by the first contact; (d) based on the first communication modality and the first type of the first contact, retrieving, by the server, from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry a first customized greeting; (e) providing, by the server, the first customized greeting to the contactor; (f) receiving, from a second contactor and at the input, a second contact for a first subscriber, the second contact having a second timestamp and a second communication modality, wherein the second contactor is of a second type, and wherein the second type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor; (g) determining, by the server, from the electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has the first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the second timestamp; (h) determining, by the server, the second communication modality used by the second contact; (i) based on the second communication modality and the second type of the second contact, retrieving, by the server, from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry the second customized greeting; (j) providing, by the server, the second customized greeting to the second contactor; and wherein the first customized greeting and the second customized greeting are different and wherein the first type and second type are based on contact information for the first contactor and a second contactor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A computer readable medium, stored on a tangible medium and encoded with machine instructions that, when executed by a server, perform a method, the computer readable medium being in communication with and accessible by a server, the instructions comprising:
-
instructions to receive, from a first contactor and at an input, a first contact for a first subscriber, the first contact having a first timestamp and a first communication modality, wherein the first contactor is of a first type, and wherein the first type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor; instructions to determine, from an electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp, wherein different first customized greeting and second customized greeting created by the first subscriber are associated with the first electronic calendar entry and stored in a storage location with the first calendar entry; instructions to determine a first communication modality used by the first contact; based on the first communication modality of the first contact, instructions to retrieve from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry the first customized greeting; instructions to provide the first customized greeting to the contactor; instructions to receive, from a second contactor and at the input, a second contact for a first subscriber, the second contact having a second timestamp and a second communication modality, wherein the second contactor is of a second type, and wherein the second type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor; instructions to determine, from the electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has the first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the second timestamp; instructions to determine a second communication modality used by the second contact; based on the second communication modality of the second contact, instructions to retrieve from the storage location of the first electronic calendar entry the second customized greeting; and instructions to provide the second customized greeting to the contactor.
-
-
11. A system, comprising:
a server, the server comprising; a memory; a processor in communication with the memory, the processor operable to receive, from a contactor, a contact for a first subscriber, the contact having a first timestamp and the contactor having a first type, and operable to execute; a calendar module; a greeting manager in communication with the calendar module; an unable-to-contact API in communication with the greeting manager, the unable-to-contact API operable to; in response to the processor receiving the contact, determine, from an electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp; determine a communication modality used by the contact and a type for the contactor, wherein the type is based on one of an identity of the contactor or a type of incoming contact; a greeting selection agent in communication with the calendar module and the unable-to-contact API, the greeting selection agent operable to; based on the communication modality of the contact and the type of contactor, retrieve, from a storage location linked to the first electronic calendar entry a customized greeting previously received from the first subscriber, wherein the first electronic calendar entry is associated with two or more customized greetings for two or more communication modalities used by incoming contacts; and provide the customized greeting to the contactor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
20. A method, comprising:
-
(a) receiving, from a first contactor and at an input, a first contact for a first subscriber, the first contact having a first timestamp and a first communication modality, the first contactor having a first type, wherein the first type is at least one of an internal contactor or an external contactor; (b) determining, by a server, from an electronic calendar, that the first subscriber has a first electronic calendar entry indicating that the first subscriber is unavailable at the time of the first timestamp; (c) determining, by the server, that the first contactor is of the first type; (d) determining, by the server, that the first electronic calendar entry is associated with at least a first customized greetings previously received from the first subscriber; (e) determining, by the server, that the first contact is a text message, the text message being one of an instant message and electronic mail message; (E1) determining, by the server, a communication modality used by the contact;
wherein the first electronic calendar entry is associated with differing customized greetings for differing communication modalities used by incoming contacts;(f) waiting, by the server, a predetermined period of time to determine if the first subscriber responds to the text message; and (g) applying, by the server, the following rules; (G1) when the first subscriber responds during the predetermined period of time, not providing, by the server, the first customized greeting to the first contactor; and (G2) when the first subscriber fails to respond during the predetermined period of time and in response to determining that the first contact is a text message and determining that the first contactor is of the first type, wherein the first type is based on an identity of the first contactor, the-server retrieving, by the server, from a storage location of the first electronic calendar entry the first customized greeting and providing, by the server, the first customized greeting to the first contactor. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
Specification