Communicating messages to proximate devices on a contact list responsive to an unsuccessful call

• US 8,484,344 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Butterfield, Daniel J., Cheng, Tsz S., Fitzpatrick, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/617,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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

Abstract

An unsuccessful communication attempt to a mobile receiving device is detected. A contact list associated with the mobile receiving device is accessed. One or more proximate devices to the mobile recipient device are determined. Each of the one or more proximate devices are communication devices of a contact of the contact list. A digitally encoded message is conveyed to at least one of the one or more proximate devices. The digitally encoded message indicates that a communication attempt with the mobile receiving device was unsuccessful and requests a recipient of the digitally encoded message inform a holder of the mobile receiving device of the unsuccessful communication attempt.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

one or more computing devices detecting an unsuccessful communication attempt to a mobile receiving device;

at least one of the one or more computing devices accessing a contact list associated with the mobile receiving device, wherein the contact list maintains names, contact numbers, and email addresses;

at least one of the one or more computing devices determining one or more proximate devices to the mobile recipient device, wherein each of the one or more proximate devices are communication devices of a contact of the contact list; and

at least one of the one or more computing devices conveying a digitally encoded message to at least one of the one or more proximate devices, wherein said digitally encoded message indicates that a communication attempt with the mobile receiving device was unsuccessful and requests a recipient of the digitally encoded message inform a holder of the mobile receiving device of the unsuccessful communication attempt, wherein the computer program instructions only convey the message to a detected communication device when the unsuccessful communication attempt is identified as being an important communication attempt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unsuccessful communication attempt results from the mobile receiving device being powered off.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the one or more computing devices determining that the mobile receiving device is in a ringer mute state, which is a presumed cause of the communication attempt being unsuccessful.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the one or more computing devices, detecting an impediment to the unsuccessful communication attempt, which is the presumed cause of the communication attempt being unsuccessful.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the impediment comprises a sensor of the mobile communicating device providing data that indicates the mobile receiving device to be in a concealed state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the one or more computing devices filtering the detected one or more proximate communication devices using the contact list to ensure only those one or more proximate communication devices that are associated with contacts of the contact list are conveyed messages relating to the communication attempt.

7. A mobile communication device comprising:

a network transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a communication system;

a personal area network transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with proximate devices;

one or more memories comprising a contact list of a plurality of contacts;

computer program instructions, stored in at least one of the one or more memories, executed by a processor of the mobile communication device to convey a message to one or more detected communication devices within range of the personal area network transceiver in response to an unsuccessful communication attempt with the mobile communication device over the network transceiver, wherein said message is only conveyed to detected communication devices associated with one of the contacts of the contact list, wherein the contact list maintains names, contact numbers, and email addresses, wherein the computer program instructions only conveyed the message to a detected communication device when the unsuccessful communication attempt is identified as being an important communication attempt.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein said message directs a recipient of the message to inform an owner of the mobile communication device of the unsuccessful communication attempt.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the computer program instructions only relay the message to the detected communication device when the mobile communication device has a muted ringer state.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device detects the communication devices within range of the personal area network transceiver.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 7, further comprising:

a condition detector configured to detect whether an impediment to a communication attempt exists, wherein the message is only sent to the one or more communication devices when an impediment is detected by the condition detector.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the impediment comprises the mobile communication device being in a concealed state, as determined by a sensor of the mobile communication device.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the impediment decreases a likelihood that a user of the mobile communication device will be successfully notified of an incoming communication attempt.

14. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, non-transitory mediums;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to detect an unsuccessful communication attempt to a mobile receiving device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to access a contact list associated with the mobile receiving device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to determine one or more proximate devices to the mobile recipient device, wherein each of the one or more proximate devices are communication devices of a contact of the contact list, wherein the contact list maintains names, contact numbers, and email addresses; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to convey a digitally encoded message to at least one of the one or more proximate devices, wherein said digitally encoded message indicates that a communication attempt with the mobile receiving device was unsuccessful and requests a recipient of the digitally encoded message inform a holder of the mobile receiving device of the unsuccessful communication attempt, wherein the computer program instructions only conveyed the message to a detected communication device when the unsuccessful communication attempt is identified as being an important communication attempt.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the unsuccessful communication attempt results from the mobile receiving device being powered off.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one of the one or more computing devices determining that the mobile receiving device is in a ringer mute state, which is a presumed cause of the communication attempt being unsuccessful.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to detect an impediment to the unsuccessful communication attempt, which is the presumed cause of the communication attempt being unsuccessful.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the impediment comprises a sensor of the mobile communicating device providing data that indicates the mobile receiving device to be in a concealed state.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, to filter the detected one or more proximate communication devices using the contact list to ensure only those one or more proximate communication devices that are associated with a contacts of the contact list are conveyed messages relating to the communication attempt.