Methods and systems for automatic forwarding of communications to a preferred device
First Claim
1. A method for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
- receiving information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party;
retrieving data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication;
retrieving data corresponding to the calling party;
determining a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user;
determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party;
determining whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party;
automatically sending contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party;
establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and
when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for routing a communication to a preferred device are disclosed. A service center consistent with the present invention is operable to receive information pertaining to a communication to a user from a calling party, and retrieve data corresponding to the user using the received information. The service center also determines a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data, wherein the preferred device is one of a plurality of devices associated with the user. Thereafter, the service center ascertains whether the preferred device of the user requires a new mode of delivery, and routes the communication to the preferred device of the user based on the ascertaining.
451 Citations
90 Claims
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1. A method for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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receiving information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party; retrieving data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication; retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; determining a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determining whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; automatically sending contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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receiving from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to a user from the calling party; retrieving data corresponding to the user using the information pertaining to the communication; retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; determining a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determining whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; providing a user interface to the calling party to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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means for receiving information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party; means for retrieving data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication; means for retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; means for determining a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; means for determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; means for determining whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; means for automatically sending contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; means for establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, and means for, when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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means for receiving from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to a user from the calling party; means for retrieving data corresponding to the user using the information pertaining to the communication; means for retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; means for determining a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; means for determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; means for determining whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; means for providing a user interface to the calling party to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; means for establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and means for, when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a memory having a program that; receives information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party, retrieves data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication, retrieves data corresponding to the calling party; determines a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user, determines a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determines whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, automatically sends contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, establishes a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sends information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party; and a processor that runs the program.
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84. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a memory having a program that; receives from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to a user from a calling party, retrieves data corresponding to the user using the received information pertaining to the communication, retrieves data corresponding to the calling party; determines a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user, determines a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party, determines whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, provides a user interface to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, establishes a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sends information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party; and a processor that runs the program.
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85. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method for routing a communication to a preferred device, the method comprising:
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receiving information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party; retrieving data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication; retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; determining a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data; determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determining whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; automatically sending contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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86. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method for routing a communication to a preferred device, the method comprising:
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receiving from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to a user from a calling party; retrieving data corresponding to the user using the information pertaining to the communication; retrieving data corresponding to the calling party; determining a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; determining a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determining whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; providing a user interface to the calling party to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; establishing a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, sending information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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87. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a first server operable to; receive information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party, retrieve data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication, retrieve data corresponding to the calling party, determine a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user, determine a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party, and determine whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and a second server operable to; automatically send contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, establish a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, send information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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88. An apparatus for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a first server operable to; receive from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to a user from a calling party, retrieve data corresponding to the user using the received information pertaining to the communication, retrieve data corresponding to the calling party, determine a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user, determine a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party, determine whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, and a second server operable to; providing a user interface to the calling party to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, establish a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, send information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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89. A system for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a voice network; a data network; and a service center operable to; receive information pertaining to a communication from a calling party to a device associated with a user being contacted by the calling party; retrieve data corresponding to the user being contacted by the calling party using the information pertaining to the communication; retrieve data corresponding to the calling party; determine a preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; determine a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determine whether the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; automatically send contact information identifying the preferred device of the calling party to the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; establish a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, send information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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90. A system for routing a communication to a preferred device, comprising:
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a voice network; a data network; and a service center operable to; receive from a calling party on a data network, information pertaining to a communication to the user from a calling party; retrieve data corresponding to the user using the received information pertaining to the communication; retrieve data corresponding to the calling party; determine a preferred device of the user based on the retrieved data corresponding to the user; determine a preferred device of the calling party from a plurality of devices associated with the calling party based on the retrieved data corresponding to the calling party; determine whether the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; provide a user interface to the calling party to enter a message in the data format of the preferred device of the user in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user requires a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party, establish a communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party in response to the determination that the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party does not require a different data format than the preferred device of the calling party; and when unable to establish the communication between the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party and the preferred device of the calling party, send information indicating that the calling party should contact the preferred device of the user being contacted by the calling party to the preferred device of the calling party.
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Specification