Messaging in a hosted private branch exchange

• US 8,483,367 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Chau, Vi, Lin, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/584,505
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.23, 379/252, 379/88.19, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) system is provided that includes: non-transitory storage that includes subscriber identifying information that identifies a subscriber to a message routing service; non-transitory storage that includes distribution rules information associated with the identified subscriber; and a message management server configured to receive a message sent over the Internet to the identified subscriber and to send the message over the Internet to one or more devices according to the distribution rules associated with the identified subscriber.

Claims

1. A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) system comprising:

non-transitory storage that includes subscriber identifying information that identifies a subscriber to a message routing service;

non-transitory storage that includes distribution rules information associated with the identified subscriber; and

a message management server configured to receive a message sent over the Internet to the identified subscriber and to send the message over the Internet to one or more devices according to the distribution rules associated with the identified subscriber;

wherein the subscriber identifying information identifies a department subscriber to the message routing service and department members;

wherein the distribution rules information includes department message distribution rules associated with the identified department subscriber;

wherein the department message distribution rules include a first rule for distribution of a message received from a department outsider that is directed to the department;

wherein the message management server distributes messages to the identified department members, according to the first rule, that include content of a message received from the department outsider and directed to the department;

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department outsider and to include the associated thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to the identified department members according to the first rule;

wherein the department message distribution rules include a second rule for distribution of a message received from a department member that is directed to a department outsider;

wherein the message management server distributes messages to a department outsider and to the identified department members, according to the second rule, that include message content received from a department member that is directed to the department outsider;

wherein the message management server provides an indication of an identity of the department member that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members; and

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the message distributed to the identified department outsider that the message content is received from the department but does not provide an indication in the message distributed to the identified department outsider of the identity of the department member that the message content is received from.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the subscriber identifying information identifies an individual user subscriber to the message routing service;

and

wherein the distribution rules information includes user-specific message distribution rules associated with the identified individual user subscriber.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the messages distributed to the identified department members that the message content is received from a department outsider.

4. The system of claim 3,

wherein the message management server identifies the department outsider that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server is configured to create a message thread in which each message in the thread is responsive to a previous message in the thread and in which each message in the thread is associated with the same thread identifier.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a department member with a message thread and to provide an indication to the identified department members of the department member assigned to the thread identifier.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server identifies the department member that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members;

and

wherein the message management server does not identify the department member that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the department outsider.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department member and to include the assigned thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to the identified department members and to the department outsider according to the second rule.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the department message distribution rules include a third rule for distribution of a message received from a department member that is directed to the department;

wherein the message management server distributes messages to the identified department members according to the third rule that include message content received from a department member that is directed to the department.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the messages distributed to the identified department members that the message content is received from a department member.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the message management server identifies the department member that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members.

12. The system of claim 9,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department member and to include the assigned thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to the identified department members according to the third rule.

16. The method of claim 6,

wherein the message management server is configured to not provide an indication to the department outsider of the department member assigned to the thread identifier.

13. A method to produce a department message thread in a non-transitory storage device comprising:

producing messages according to a first rule for distribution of a message received from a department outsider that is directed to the department, requiring sending messages including received message content to department members wherein a department outsider that the message content is received from is identified in the messages sent to the department members;

producing messages according to a second rule for distribution of a message received from a department member that is directed to a department outsider, requiring sending messages including received message content to department members wherein the department outsider and a department member from whom the message content is received are identified in the messages sent to the department members, and sending a message including received message content to the department outsider wherein the department, but not the identity of the department member that the message content is received from, is identified in the messages sent to the department outsider;

producing messages according to a third rule for distribution of a message received from a department member that is directed to the department, requiring sending messages including received message content to department members wherein a department member that the message content is received from is identified in the messages sent to the department members; and

creating a department message thread structure for produced messages sent to department members in which messages in the thread are ordered chronologically such that each message in the thread is responsive to a previous message in the thread and in which each message in the thread is associated with the same thread identifier.

14. A method for generating a display within a user device display screen that represents messages within a department message thread produced according to the process of claim 13 comprising:

associating, in non-transitory storage device the created department message thread with a thread identifier;

sending to the user device, information that can be used by the device to display an indication of the thread identifier associated with the created department thread structure; and

sending to the user device, information that is associated with the indication of the thread identifier and that can be used by the device to display the messages in the created thread structure in the chronological order.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

sending to the user device information that can be used by the device to display in association with the messages an indication of an identity of a department member assigned to the thread.

17. The method of claim 13,

associating a department member with the message thread and providing an indication to the identified department members of the department member assigned to the message thread.

18. The method of claim 17 further including:

not providing an indication to the department outsider of the department member assigned to the message thread.