Intelligent disposition manager

• US 8,855,271 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brock, Brett, Goode, Brandon Hall, Whitten, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US12/768,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211.02, 379/88.21, 379/88.23, 379/88.14, 379/414.4, 379/435.3, 379/201.01, 379/201.07, 379/88.22, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 709/206, 725/106
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

When a communication is directed to an intended recipient, a determination may be made by an intelligent communication disposition manager as to whether one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient are available for routing the incoming communication either based on device availability or routing previously defined by the intended recipient. The intelligent communication disposition manager may utilize presence data of the intended recipient for sending a notification of the incoming communication to one or more of the intended recipient'"'"'s available communication devices. The intended recipient may select a preferred call routing option for the incoming call/message to be sent. Based on the real-time response from the intended recipient, the call/message may be routed to his/her preferred communication device.

Claims

1. A method for providing intelligent communication disposition management, the method comprising:

receiving a message for an intended recipient;

determining one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient;

sending a notification to one or more of the determined available communication devices, the sent notification providing one or more options for handling the message including viewing the message, denying the message, delivering the message, and sending the message to an e-mail address;

if a response to the sent notification from one of the one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient is not received within a specified amount of time, routing the message according to a default setting; and

upon receiving the response to the sent notification from one of the one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient within the specified amount of time, routing the message based on the received response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message for the intended recipient includes receiving one or more messages in one of a plurality of communication modes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of communication modes comprises voice communication, video communication, data communication, text message communication, electronic mail communication, and multimedia communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein available communication devices of the intended recipient are coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient is based on retrieved contact and presence data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein contact data for the intended recipient comprises one or more predetermined communication device identifiers at which the intended recipient may be contacted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined communication device identifiers may comprise one of a telephone number, an e-mail address, an instant messaging address, a personal digital assistant number, a fax number, a set-top box address, or a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presence data of the intended recipient may be detected by a presence server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein if the response to the sent notification from a communication device of the intended recipient is not received within the specified amount of time, comprising routing the message according to a specified communication routing logic.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the default setting includes a user-specified routing defined by the intended recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is sent in one or more of a plurality of communication modes based on the receiving communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more of the plurality of communication modes in which the notification may be sent may include e-mails, text messages, audible messages, and selectable visual displays.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more available communication devices may comprise a personal computer, a server computer, a wireline telephone, a wireless telephone, a digital phone, a video phone, a text messaging device, a VoIP phone, a set-top box, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computing device, or a distributed computing environment that may include any of said one or more available communication devices.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the message is an SMS text message.

14. A system for providing intelligent communication disposition management, comprising:

an intelligent communication disposition manager application operative to;

receive a message for an intended recipient;

determine one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient;

send a notification to the determined available communication devices, the sent notification providing one or more options for handling the message including viewing the message, denying the message, delivering the message, and sending the message to an e-mail address;

if a response to the sent notification from one of the one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient is not received within a specified amount of time, routing the message according to a default setting; and

upon receiving the response to the sent notification from a communication device of the intended recipient within the specified amount of time, route the message based on the received response.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein available communication devices of the intended recipient are coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein contact data for the intended recipient comprises one or more predetermined communication device identifiers at which the intended recipient may be contacted.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined communication device identifiers may comprise a telephone number, an e-mail address, an instant messaging address, a personal digital assistant number, a fax number, a set-top box address, or a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) address.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein one or more available communication devices comprises a personal computer, a server computer, a wireline telephone, a wireless telephone, a digital phone, a video phone, a text messaging device, a VoIP phone, a set-top box, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computing device, or a distributed computing environment that may include any of said one or more available communication devices.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the notification is sent in one or more of a plurality of communication modes based on the receiving communication device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more of a plurality of communication modes in which the notification may be sent includes e-mails, text messages, an audible messages, and selectable visual displays.

21. A computer readable medium, not including a carrier wave, containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing intelligent communication disposition management, the method comprising:

receiving a text message for an intended recipient;

determining one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient;

sending a notification to the determined available communication devices, the sent notification providing one or more options for handling the text message including viewing the text message, denying the text message, delivering the text message, and sending the text message to an e-mail address;

if a response to the sent notification from one of the one or more available communication devices of the intended recipient is not received within a specified amount of time, routing the text message according to a default setting; and

upon receiving the response to the sent notification from a communication device of the intended recipient within the specified amount of time, routing the text message based on the received response.