Service for providing periodic contact to a predetermined list of contacts using multi-party rules

• US 8,140,620 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Anilkumar B., Creamer, Thomas E., Jaiswal, Peeyush, Moore, Victor S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US12/276,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 707/E17.044
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, a system, and an apparatus for permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other person. The present invention provides a method, a system, and an apparatus that is capable of enabling a user to remain in contact with others through a service that checks contacts set up in a predetermined contact list. The contact list is then contacted and the user is contacted with the results. As such, the present invention permits the user to remain in contact with a significant number of entities while saving time and effort by ensuring the user is only contacted with certain information. The system and method also permits the user to remain in contact even when the user is unavailable.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

subscribing a user to a service;

establishing a contact list comprising the at least one other entity to maintain in contact with the user while the user is unavailable or unable to communicate directly with the at least one other entity;

establishing at least one service rule used for the service to contact the at least one other entity, wherein the at least one service rule defines when and how the at least one other entity in the contact list is to be contacted, wherein the at least one service rule is user-customizable and is followed when attempting to reach the at least one other entity;

establishing by the user at least one contact rule used for the service to contact the user after the at least one other entity has been contacted, wherein the at least one contact rule defines if, when, and how the user should be contacted;

when the user is unavailable to initiate contact or upon being activated by the user, the service automatically contacting each entity on the contact list and eliciting specified information according to the at least one service rule;

obtaining the specified information from the at least one other entity; and

subsequently conveying the obtained information to the user if the at least one contact rule is satisfied.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage of claim 1, wherein the contact list is a database and the contact list includes information selected from names, phone numbers, email addresses, pager numbers, and a combination thereof.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage of claim 1, wherein the at least one service rule is selected from how to contact the at least one entity, what to ask the at least one entity, a time period to contact the at least one entity, and a combination thereof.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage of claim 1, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after each of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage of claim 1, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the user is contacted after all of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

6. A system of permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other entity while the user is unavailable or unable to communicate directly with the at least one other entity, the system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for controlling the processor, the computer program comprising instructions for;

subscribing a user to a service;

establishing by the user a contact list comprising the at least one other entity;

establishing by the user at least one service rule used for the service to contact the at least one other entity, wherein the at least one service rule defines when and how the at least one other entity in the contact list is to be contacted, wherein the at least one service rule is user-customizable and is followed when attempting to reach the at least one other entity;

establishing by the user at least one contact rule used for the service to contact the user after the at least one other entity has been contacted, wherein the at least one contact rule defines if, when, and how the user should be contacted;

when the user is unavailable to initiate contact or upon being activated by the user, the service automatically contacting each entity on the contact list and eliciting specified information according to the at least one service rule;

obtaining the specified information from the at least one other entity; and

subsequently conveying the obtained information to the user if the at least one contact rule is satisfied.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the contact list is a database and the contact list includes information selected from names, phone numbers, email addresses, pager numbers, and a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one service rule is selected from how to contact the at least one entity, what to ask the at least one entity, a time period to contact the at least one entity, and a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities, and wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for contacting the user after each of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the contact list comprises at least two entities and the wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for contacting the user after all of the at least two entities is contacted if the at least one contact rule has been satisfied.