Metadata collection

• US 7,983,247 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Criddle, Linda, Forbes, Scott C, Moore, Timothy M, Malueg, Michael D, Chou, Philip A, Milstein, David, Wang, Kuansan, Howell, David A
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Dang T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao; Wei
• Application Number:
  US11/444,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 704/270, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method and system for collecting and communicating contextual information relating to a VoIP conversation is provided. Structured hierarchies are utilized for efficient communications of various amounts and types of contextual information relating to a VoIP conversation. Information identifying at least one structured hierarchy, which will be used to carry the contextual information, is transmitted during establishment of a conversation between two VoIP enhanced devices. The structured hierarchy is selected from a set of predefined and declared structured hierarchies. Subsequently transmitted contextual information exchanged between two VoIP enhanced devices is represented in accordance with the identified structural hierarchy. VoIP clients, network infrastructure, and various service providers can collect the contextual information based on the identified structured hierarchy, update the contextual information by adding, deleting and/or modifying the contextual data. The updated contextual information will be transmitted to other clients, network infrastructure, and service providers.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and transmitting contextual information relating to a conversation over a conversation channel between Voice-over-IP (VoIP) clients, comprising:

initializing the conversation channel between VoIP clients;

during a connection set-up phase exchanging the contextual information between the VoIP clients, wherein the contextual information comprises available media type of each VoIP client and rules of the VoIP clients;

before exchanging conversational data packets over the conversation channel, identifying a structural hierarchy for an arrangement of the contextual information that is transmitted between the voice-over-IP clients over the conversation channel;

wherein the structural hierarchy is a predefined organizational structure for arranging contextual information to be exchanged between the voice-over-IP clients;

from the structural hierarchy, identifying a set of contextual information for enabling enhanced call features between the voice-over-IP clients of a call and for inclusion as part of the conversation of the call between two voice-over-IP clients and defined according to the structural hierarchy;

obtaining the identified set of contextual information; and

transmitting as part of an establishment of the conversation channel of the voice-over IP call the obtained contextual information represented in accordance with the identified structural hierarchy as contextual data packets;

wherein the established conversation channel transmits both conversation data for the voice-over IP call and contextual information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted contextual information is transmitted prior to a beginning of the conversation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein additional contextual information is transmitted during the conversation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the contextual information is transmitted at predetermined time intervals.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the contextual information is transmitted in response to a change in the contextual information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes device related information describing capabilities of a device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes user specific information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes conversation related information describing the basics of the communication channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes information identifying a subject of the conversation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation and the contextual information are transmitted over the Voice-over-Internet Protocol communication channel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical format is structured as an Extensible Markup Language.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes a document file and a media document file generated by application software.

13. A memory that stores computer executable components for collecting and transmitting contextual information relating to a conversation over a communication channel between Voice-over-IP (VoIP) clients, comprising:

a conversation channel component for initializing and establishing a conversation channel for a conversation between voice-over-IP clients;

during a connection set-up phase exchanging the contextual information between the VoIP clients, wherein the contextual information comprises available media type of each VoIP client and rules of the VoIP clients;

an information managing component for identifying a predefined structural hierarchy for an arrangement of the contextual information before establishing the conversation channel and before conversation data packets are exchanged over the conversation channel, for identifying, from the structural hierarchy, a set of contextual information for enabling enhanced call features between the voice-over-IP clients of a call and for inclusion in a conversation channel of the call and collecting the identified set of the contextual information; and

a contextual information component for defining the structured hierarchy for including the collected contextual information in the conversation channel of the call;

wherein the conversation channel transmits both conversation data for the voice-over IP call and the contextual information.

14. The memory of claim 13, wherein the structured hierarchy is a predefined namespace including a call basic class, a call context class, a device type class, and a client class.

15. The memory of claim 14, wherein the call basic class includes a plurality of attributes containing service provider related information, call type related information, and call priority related information.

16. The memory of claim 14, wherein the client class includes a plurality of attributes containing biometric information, location information, and client rule related information.

17. The memory of claim 14, wherein the call contexts class includes a plurality of attributes containing subject information, keywords relating to the conversation, and document files.

18. A system for collecting and transmitting contextual information between at least one receiving party and a sending party wherein the contextual information relates to an exchange of a conversation on a conversation channel, comprising:

during a connection set-up phase exchanging the contextual information between the VoIP clients, wherein the contextual information comprises available media type of each VoIP client and rules of the VoIP clients;

the sending party identifying a predefined structural hierarchy for an arrangement of the contextual information before conversation data packets including conversation are exchanged over the conversation channel, identifying, for the identified structural hierarchy, a set of contextual information for enabling enhanced call features between voice-over-IP clients of an established call and for inclusion in a conversation channel of the call, collecting the identified contextual information, transmitting as part of the conversation of the call using the conversation channel the obtained contextual information represented in accordance with the identified structural hierarchy to the at least one receiving party, and receiving a set of contextual information from the at least one receiving party; and

wherein the sending party initiates and establishes the conversation channel.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the sending party includes at least one VOIP device and a service provider;

and wherein the at least one VOIP device is in communication with the service provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the service provider obtains the contextual information provided from the at least one VOIP device.