Recursive identification of individuals for casual collaborative conferencing

• US 8,625,768 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Consortium US LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: Will, Craig Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US13/429,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/201.11, 709/217, 709/219, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method for real-time communication among two or more individuals separated in space. The method includes the steps of determining that a first individual is likely to be interested in communicating with a second individual via a first communications link; retrieving information via the first communications link about one or more additional individuals from electronic memory means associated with the second individual; and establishing communication with at least one of the additional individuals based on the retrieved information.

Claims

1. A communication system for enabling communications between users in a network, the system comprising a server coupled to the network, the server comprising memory operable to store at least one directory for a first user, the directory comprising information identifying at least one other user, the server being operable:

to monitor communication between the first user and at least one other user;

to record information relating to the communication between the first user and the at least one other user; and

to send to a second user, via a communications link connected to the server, information relating to the communication between the first user and the at least one other user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to send to the second user, via a communications link connected to the server, information related to the at least one other user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the information related to the at least one other user comprises at least one of the following:

an email address, a name, a login name and a picture.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the communications comprises a frequency of communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the communications comprises a form of communication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to receive permissions information from a user, the permissions information defining information relating to communication which can be accessed by others via the network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines information relating to communication which can be accessed by the public.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines information relating to communication which can be accessed by specific persons designated by the first user.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines information relating to communication which can be accessed by members of a specific group designated by the first user.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is further operable to receive permissions information from a user, the permissions information defining information related to the at least one user which can be accessed by others via the network.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines information related to the at least one user which can be accessed by the public.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines the information related to the at least one user which can be accessed by specific persons designated by the first user.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions information defines information related to the at least one user which can be accessed by members of a specific group designated by the first user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to enable the second user to communicate with the at least one other user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server is further operable to receive permissions information from a user, the permissions information defining available forms of communication in which the second user can communicate with the at least one other user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the available forms of communication comprise at least one of the following:

voice, interactive text, internet chat, email and video.