Delivery expert system, method and computer program product

• US 8,462,366 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Open TEXT SA (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranalli, Douglas J., Huebner, Robert, Johns, Valerie Louise, Ranalli, Shelley J., Baumgartner, Lori, Li, Diana
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US13/410,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/2.1, 358/2.99, 358/3.01, 358/3.12, 358/3.13, 358/529, 358/518, 358/534, 358/1.13, 358/400, 358/401, 358/404, 358/444, 358/434, 358/435, 358/1.14
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/324 intermediate the transmitter and receiver terminals, e.g. at an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32406 in connection with routing or relaying, e.g. using a fax-server or a store-and-forward facility stored and forward data switching systems H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32422 Reprocessing messages, e.g. in case the intended destination is busy

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein can facilitate delivery of a document from a source to a destination over a network where an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful. Actions to be taken are based upon input conditions which may include a time-variable set of input conditions such as identifying non-business days and/or hours at the destination. The document can be a fax, an email, or a voice mail. The actions may include resubmitting the document to the network for a next delivery attempt, cancelling the document, sending a request to the source or destination for additional delivery information, identifying the destination as a technical problem, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating delivery of a document from a source to a destination over a network when an initial delivery attempt has been unsuccessful, comprising:

at a server machine communicatively connected to the network;

initiating a rule-based process to determine a next action based on at least one input condition to the rule-based process, the next action being related to delivery of the document, wherein the at least one input condition comprises one or more of the following;

destination;

source;

past delivery attempts;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination categorized by one or more of a country in which the destination is located, a region, and a destination number;

a response;

a cycle, the cycle being one pass through the rule-based process;

destination business hours;

a delivery instruction;

past action taken; and

alternative network tried.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the rule-based process at least retrieves information related to past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one input condition comprises at least a result from the past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the document is at least one of an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the server machine from the source before the initial delivery attempt.

6. A method according to claim 1,

wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the server machine from the source after the initial delivery attempt.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the rule-based instructions received at the server machine from the source are designated temporary.

8. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a computing device to perform:

after an initial delivery attempt of a document from a source to a destination over a network has been unsuccessful, initiating a rule-based process to determine a next action based on at least one input condition to the rule-based process, the next action being related to delivery of the document, wherein the at least one input condition comprises one or more of the following;

destination;

source;

past delivery attempts;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination categorized by one or more of a country in which the destination is located, a region, and a destination number;

a response;

a cycle, the cycle being one pass through the rule-based process;

destination business hours;

a delivery instruction;

past action taken; and

alternative network tried.

9. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the rule-based process at least retrieves information related to past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the at least one input condition comprises at least a result from the past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

11. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the document is at least one of an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document.

12. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the computing device from the source before the initial delivery attempt.

13. A computer program product according to claim 8, wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the computing device from the source after the initial delivery attempt.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the rule-based instructions received at the computing device from the source are designated temporary.

15. A computing system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by the at least one processor to perform;

after an initial delivery attempt of a document from a source to a destination over a network has been unsuccessful, initiating a rule-based process to determine a next action based on at least one input condition to the rule-based process, the next action being related to delivery of the document, wherein the at least one input condition comprises one or more of the following;

destination;

source;

past delivery attempts;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination;

non-business time, day, or hour at the destination categorized by one or more of a country in which the destination is located, a region, and a destination number;

a response;

a cycle, the cycle being one pass through the rule-based process;

destination business hours;

a delivery instruction;

past action taken; and

alternative network tried.

16. A computing system according to claim 15, wherein the rule-based process at least retrieves information related to past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

17. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one input condition comprises at least a result from the past attempts to deliver other documents to the destination.

18. A computing system according to claim 15, wherein the document is at least one of an email message, a voice mail message, or a fax document.

19. A computing system according to claim 15, wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the computing system from the source before the initial delivery attempt.

20. A computing system according to claim 15, wherein rule-based instructions for the rule-based process are received at the computing system from the source after the initial delivery attempt.