Determining cost effective ways of communicating

• US 8,750,475 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganapathy, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/363,991
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.2, 379/114.05, 379/114.09, 379/114.12, 379/114.15, 379/114.01, 379/118, 379/121.01, 379/121.02, 379/122, 379/125, 379/127.01, 379/127.04, 379/128, 379/130, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/354, 379/114.06
• US Class Current: 379/114.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity

Abstract

A method may include receiving an instruction to communicate with a second computing device associated with a contact of a user of the first computing device, identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact, identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the second computing device, identifying unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities, selecting one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method and, for each of the selected unique pairs, determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability, and determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability. The method may include identifying a recommended unique pair based on at least the cost and the reliability measure, and initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device, an instruction to communicate with a second computing device associated with a contact of a user of the first computing device;

identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact;

identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the second computing device;

identifying a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities;

selecting, from the plurality of unique pairs, one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method;

for each of the selected unique pairs;

determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability, and

determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability;

identifying a recommended unique pair based on at least the cost and the reliability measure; and

initiating, by the first computing device, communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a cost comprises:

identifying a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identifying a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determining a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability based on the service provider and the current time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a recommended unique pairs comprises:

selecting, from the selected unique pairs, the unique pair associated with a lowest cost and a highest reliability measure as the recommended unique pair.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method comprises:

determining a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method;

determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time; and

selecting the unique pair if there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

determining whether the location is a work location of the contact; and

determining whether the current time is within working hours.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

identifying a range of times the contact is available to be reached, wherein the range of times is provided by a user; and

determining whether the current time is within the identified range of times.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating communication comprises automatically initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability comprises:

displaying the recommended communication capability and recommended contact method to the user; and

receiving confirmation from the user to proceed with initiating communication via the recommended communication capability and recommended contact method.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device, an instruction to communicate with a second computing device associated with a contact of a user of the first computing device;

identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact;

identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the second computing device;

identifying a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities;

selecting, from the plurality of unique pairs, one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method;

for each of the selected unique pairs, determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability;

identifying a recommended unique pair from the selected unique pairs based on at least the associated cost; and

initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a cost comprises:

identifying a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identifying a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determining a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability based on the service provider and the current time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying a recommended unique pairs comprises:

selecting, from the selected unique pairs, the unique pair associated with a lowest cost.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method comprises:

determining a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method;

determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time; and

selecting the unique pair if there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

identifying a range of times the contact is available to be reached, wherein the range of times is provided by a user; and

determining whether the current time is within the identified range of times.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating communication comprises automatically initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability comprises:

displaying the recommended communication capability and recommended contact method to the user; and

receiving confirmation from the user to proceed with initiating communication via the recommended communication capability and recommended contact method.

16. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device, the computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to;

receive an instruction to communicate with a second computing device associated with a contact of a user of the first computing device,

identify one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact,

identify one or more communication capabilities associated with the second computing device,

identify a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities,

select, from the plurality of unique pairs, one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method,

for each of the selected unique pairs;

determine a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability, and

determine a reliability measure associated with the communication capability,

identify a recommended unique pair based on at least the cost and the reliability measure, and

initiate communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to determine a cost comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

identify a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identify a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determine a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determine a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability based on the service provider and the current time.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to identify a recommended unique pair comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed cause the computing device to select, from the selected unique pairs, the unique pair associated with a lowest cost and a highest reliability measure as the recommended unique pair.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed cause the computing device to select one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

determine a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method;

determine whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time; and

select the unique pair if there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed cause the computing device to determine whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed cause the computing device to:

identify a range of times the contact is available to be reached, wherein the range of times is provided by a user; and

determine whether the current time is within the identified range of times.