Method and system for intelligent routing based on presence detection

• US 8,095,605 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vishik, Claire Svetlana, Gorti, Sreenivasa Rao, Van Vleck, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOROBOV, VITALI A
• Application Number:
  US12/172,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20090019542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/206, 709/239, 709/245, 709/204, 725/10, 379/201.03, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A message, which is to be routed to one of a plurality of authorized parties comprising a first authorized party and a second authorized party, is received by a routing system. A Web service is polled to detect for a presence of the first authorized party. After determining that the presence of the first authorized party remains undetected over an allocated time interval, the Web service is polled to detect for a presence of the second authorized party. In response to detecting the presence of the second authorized party, the message is routed to an active communication device associated with the second authorized party.

Claims

1. A method for routing a message to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the method comprising:

receiving a message which is to be routed to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the plurality of authorized parties comprising a first authorized party who is a user of a first plurality of communication devices and a second authorized party who is a user of a second plurality of communication devices;

determining that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active by polling a Web service to detect a presence of the first authorized party;

determining that one of the communication devices in the second plurality of communication devices is active by polling the Web service to detect a presence of the second authorized party; and

routing the message to the active communication device in the second plurality of communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a request, the first authorized party is a main approver of the request, and the second authorized party is a secondary approver of the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active is made independent of whether the first authorized party is logged into a particular device or software application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an instant message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting the message for presentation on the active communication device in the second plurality of communication devices.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a set of instructions for routing a message to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a message which is to be routed to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the plurality of authorized parties comprising a first authorized party who is a user of a first plurality of communication devices and a second authorized party who is a user of a second plurality of communication devices;

determining that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active by polling a Web service to detect a presence of the first authorized party;

determining a that one of the communication devices in the second plurality of communication devices is active by polling the Web service to detect a presence of the second authorized party; and

routing the message to the active communication device in the second plurality of communication devices.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the message comprises a request, the first authorized party is a main approver of the request, and the second authorized party is a secondary approver of the request.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the determination that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active is made independent of whether the first authorized party is logged into a particular device or software application.

9. A system for routing a message to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the system comprising:

a computer system operative to;

receive a message which is to be routed to one of a plurality of authorized parties, the plurality of authorized parties comprising a first authorized party who is a user of a first plurality of communication devices and a second authorized party who is a user of a second plurality of communication devices;

determine that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active by polling a Web service to detect a presence of the first authorized party;

determine that one of the communication devices in the second plurality of communication devices is active by polling the Web service to detect a presence of the second authorized party; and

route the message to the active communication device in the second plurality of communication devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein to determine that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active, the computer system is operative to poll a Web service to detect a presence of the first authorized party.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the message comprises a request, the first authorized party is a main approver of the request, and the second authorized party is a secondary approver of the request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is operative to determine that none of the communication devices in the first plurality of communication devices is active independent of whether the first authorized party is logged into a particular device or software application.