Contextual call routing by calling party specified information through called party specified form

• US 8,781,094 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Rajesh, Shtiegman, Eran, Raghav, Amritansh, Osherovich, Dena
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US12/015,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,372 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/142.01, 379/142.1, 379/201.02, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 379/211.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

Context-based call routing is provided in a unified communication system by enabling subscribers to define a routing document, which is published by the communication system to callers who subscribe to a presence of the called party. Through publication of the context-based routing information, callers are enabled to make selections between call destination options as defined by the caller and provide a subject for the requested call. The call is then routed by the system according to the caller selection allowing efficient facilitation of the communication between the caller and the called party or their designees.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating communications employing context-based call routing, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a context-based call routing information from a client application associated with a first subscriber specifying an alternative contact, a context selection, and a time-based rule;

in response to receiving the context-based call routing information from the client application associated with the first subscriber, publishing context information based on the context-based call routing information to a second subscriber;

receiving, by the computing device, a request for a call from a client application associated with the second subscriber based on a context-based call routing form that includes the alternative contact based on context information and a subject of the call to be placed to the first subscriber, the request including a text box allowing the second subscriber to input text describing the subject of the call; and

in response to receiving the request for the call from the client application associated with the second subscriber to one of the first subscriber and the alternative contact, routing the call according to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-based call routing information is based on presence information associated with the first subscriber, a time of day, a day of week, a schedule of the first subscriber, an identification of the second subscriber, and a list of context items provided by the first subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

publishing context information to a third subscriber by employing machine learning techniques to dynamically modify the published context information based on the context information provided for the second subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-based call routing information includes at least one from a set of:

calendar information indicating availability of the first subscriber, a mapping link for indicating a location of the first subscriber, and routing options based on an available communication type.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the second subscriber does not provide the subject of the call, determining a context of the call from selections made on the context-based call routing form by the second subscriber; and

providing the context of the call to the first subscriber along with a call request indication.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

enabling the first subscriber to forward the call to one of;

an answering system and another human operator upon reviewing an identity of the first subscriber and the context of the call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a call for the first subscriber from a caller employing a system incapable of processing the context-based call routing form, presenting the caller with at least one of;

a voice prompt menu and a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) menu for providing context information;

collecting the context information provided by the caller; and

presenting the collected context information to the first subscriber along with a call request indication, wherein the voice prompt menu mirrors the context-based call routing form and is generated from recordings within the context-based call routing form.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the client application for the second subscriber to dynamically modify the context-based call routing form based on an ability of the second subscriber to respond to the context-based call routing form and to select alternative contact options.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-based call routing information further specifies at least one alternative communication method and is generated as a context-based call routing document employing a structured markup language.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one alternative communication method includes a video call, an instant message session, an email, and a conference call.

11. A computer-executable unified communications (UC) service managing multi-modal communications between users and facilitating communications employing context-based call routing, the UC service capable of performing actions comprising:

enabling, by a computing device, a first user to generate a context-based call routing document (CCRD) specifying an alternative contact, a context selection, a time-based rule, and an alternative communication method;

in response to receiving the CCRD from a client application associated with the first user, publishing context information based on the CCRD to a second user subscribing to a presence of the first user;

enabling a client application associated with the second user to present the second user a context-based routing form in response to receiving an indication for a call to be placed to the first user, wherein the context-based routing form includes the alternative contact based on context information, the alternative communication method, and an input for a subject of the call to be placed to the first user, the input including a text box allowing the second user to input text describing the subject of the call;

in response to receiving a request for the call from the client application associated with the second user to one of the first user and the alternative contact, routing the call according to the request;

generating another context-based routing form for a third user subscribing to the presence of the first user based on the CCRD provided for the second user; and

publishing the context-based routing form to a client application associated with the third user.

12. The UC service of claim 11, wherein the first user has a plurality of presences, and a distinct CCRD is used for each presence.

13. The UC service of claim 11, wherein the context selection for the CCRD is automatically determined from a set of a project, a calendar item, a personal item associated with the first user and a currently active software application on a first user'"'"'s computing device.

14. The UC service of claim 11, wherein service is capable of associating a plurality of communication forms such that the alternative communication method is presented in context with other associated communication methods, and wherein each communication method is activated upon selection of context information presented to the second user in the context-based routing form.

15. The UC service of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to receiving a call for the first user from a caller employing a system incapable of processing the context-based routing form, presenting the caller with at least one of;

a voice prompt menu and a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) menu for providing context information, wherein the call is made from one of a cellular network and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN);

collecting the context information provided by the caller; and

presenting the collected context information to the first user along with a call request indication, wherein the call is established as a Voice Over IP (VoIP) call.

16. The UC service of claim 11, wherein the first user is enabled to redirect the call from the second user upon receiving the subject of the call, a method of communication, and an identity of the second user, wherein the CCRD is adjusted automatically based on display capabilities of a computing device utilized by the second user.

17. The UC service of claim 11, wherein the context-based routing form is dynamically modified based on at least one of:

available communication methods to the second user and a permission level of the second user to access contact information.

18. A computer-readable storage device with instructions stored thereon for facilitating communications employing context-based routing, the instructions comprising:

receiving a context-based call routing document (CCRD) from a first user specifying an alternative contact, a context selection, a time-based rule, and an alternative communication method;

in response to receiving the CCRD from a client application associated with the first user, publishing context information based on the CCRD to a second user subscribing to a presence of the first user;

enabling a client application associated with the second user to present the second user a context-based routing form in response to receiving an indication for a call to be placed to the first user, wherein the context-based routing form includes the alternative contact based on context information, the alternative communication method, and an input for a subject of the call to be placed to the first user, the input including a text box allowing the second user to input text describing the subject of the call, and wherein the context-based routing form is dynamically modified based on a communication capability of the second user;

in response to receiving a request for the call from the client application associated with the second user to one of the first user and the alternative contact, routing the call according to the request;

if the second user does provide the subject of the call;

presenting the text describing the subject of the call to one of the first user and the alternative contact; and

allowing the first user or the alternative contact to accept or forward the call based on the text describing the subject of the call;

if the second user does not provide the subject of the call;

determining a context of the call from selections made on the context-based routing form by the second user; and

providing the context of the call to one of the first user and the alternative contact.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the context-based routing form is associated with a contacts list of the second user and alternative contacts and alternative communication methods are provided in the context-based routing form according to a priority defined by the first user.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the context for the context selection in the CCRD and a level of private information to be disclosed in the CCRD are automatically determined based on at least one from a set of:

a social networking tool, an organizational hierarchy, and a work relationship between the first user and the second user.