Method and system for facilitating contacting people using electronic devices
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, the method comprising:
- providing a contacting service, the contacting service being connected to a network and having a processor being operable to;
collect data pertaining to a contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to the network, the collected data including location information associated with the contactee;
store the collected data;
the collected data being based upon contactee activities;
wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and the collecting of data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically;
receive a request from a contactor to initiate contact with the contactee;
determine, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee, wherein a weight is assigned to each of the multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee;
establish contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method automatically without requiring any further input from the contactor, wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact;
identify a new location visited by the contactee, wherein the location is not associated with the previously stored location information; and
request information from the contactee about how the contactee should be contacted at the identified new location.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using improved approaches to contact users that can be contacted in a variety of different ways are disclosed. According to one aspect, one user is able to be automatically informed of an appropriate (e.g., preferred) way to contact another user. Once informed of the appropriate way, another user can be contacted (automatically or on user request) using the appropriate way.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, the method comprising:
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providing a contacting service, the contacting service being connected to a network and having a processor being operable to; collect data pertaining to a contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to the network, the collected data including location information associated with the contactee; store the collected data;
the collected data being based upon contactee activities;wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and the collecting of data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically; receive a request from a contactor to initiate contact with the contactee; determine, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee, wherein a weight is assigned to each of the multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee; establish contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method automatically without requiring any further input from the contactor, wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact; identify a new location visited by the contactee, wherein the location is not associated with the previously stored location information; and request information from the contactee about how the contactee should be contacted at the identified new location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer program product, stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium, including at least executable computer program code for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, said computer program product comprising:
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computer program code for collecting data pertaining to a contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to a network, the collected data including location information associated with the contactee; computer program code for storing the collected data, the collected data being based upon contactee activities; wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations; and
collecting data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically;computer program code for assigning a weight to each of the available multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee; computer program code for receiving a request from a contactor to initiate contact with a contactee; computer program code for determining, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee; computer program code for establishing contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method automatically without requiring any further input from the contactor, wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact; computer program code for identify a location visited by the contactee wherein the location is not associated with the previously stored location information; and computer program code for requesting information from the contactee about how the contactee-should be contacted at the identified location.
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14. A computer-implemented method for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, the method comprising:
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providing a contacting service, the contacting service being connected to a network and having a processor being operable to; collect data pertaining to the contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to the network;
the data including location and activity information pertaining to the contactee;
store the collected data;wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and the collecting of data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically; receive a request from a contactor to initiate contact with a contactee; determine, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee, wherein a weight is assigned to each of the multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee; store location information for the contactee, wherein the stored location information is manually inputted by the contactee; identify a location visited by the contactee, wherein the location is not associated with previously stored location information; and request information from the contactee about how the contactee should be contacted at the identified location; establish contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method;
wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A computer-implemented method for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, the method comprising:
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a contacting service, the contacting service being connected to a network and having a processor being operable to; collect data pertaining to a contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to the network;
the collected data including location and activity information pertaining to the contactee;store the collected data; wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and the collecting of data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically; receive a request from a contactor to initiate contact with the contactee; determine, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee, wherein a weight is assigned to each of the multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee; store location information for the contactee, wherein the stored location information is manually inputted by the contactee; identify a location visited by the contactee, wherein the location is not previously stored location information; request and store location information from the contactee about the identified location; request information from the contactee about how the contactee should be contacted at the identified location; automatically establish contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method without requiring any further input from the contactor, wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification