Messaging in a hosted private branch exchange

• US 8,867,710 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Chau, Vi, Lin, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/920,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20140045540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.23, 379/88.19
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) system is provided that includes: non-transitory storage that includes subscriber identifying information that identifies a subscriber to a message routing service; non-transitory storage that includes distribution rules information associated with the identified subscriber; and a message management server configured to receive a message sent over the Internet to the identified subscriber and to send the message over the Internet to one or more devices according to the distribution rules associated with the identified subscriber.

Claims

1. A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) system comprising:

non-transitory storage that includes subscriber identifying information that identifies subscribers to a message routing service;

non-transitory storage that includes department member subscriber identifying information that identifies the identified subscribers who also are members of a department;

non-transitory storage that includes,

thread identifier association rules to associate messages of message threads with department member subscribers who are to be recipients of the messages of the message threads,

department distribution rules associated with the department to determine distribution of a message, which identifies a department member as a recipient, one or more of a department outsider subscriber and/or one or more other department member subscribers, based at least in part upon the thread identifier association rules, and

individual subscriber, device routing distribution rules, associated with individual subscribers to use to route messages to individual subscriber devices;

a message management server configured to,

receive a message sent over the Internet, wherein the received message includes message content and indicates one or more recipients,

in response to a message that includes a department as a recipient and that does not include a thread identifier, create a thread identifier association rule that associates the message with one or more department member subscribers, and determine distribution of the received message to one or more of, a department outsider subscriber and/or one or more other department member subscribers, according to the department distribution rules associated with the department, based at least in part upon the created thread identifier association rule,

in response to receipt of a message that includes a department as a recipient and that includes a thread identifier, add the message to a message thread that includes a prior message that included the thread identifier and determine distribution of the received message to one or more of, a department outsider subscriber and one or more other individual department member subscribers, according to the department distribution rules associated with the department, and

determine device routing, for each determined recipient of the message who is a department outsider subscriber and for each recipient the messages who is a department member subscriber, according to the individual subscriber, device routing distribution rules, and

send one or more messages over the Internet to one or more subscriber devices of recipients indicated in the received message based at least in part upon the determined distribution and based at least in part upon the determined device routing.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the department message distribution rules include a first rule for distribution of a message received from a department outsider that is directed to the department;

wherein the message management server determines distribution of messages to one or more department member subscribers according to the first rule in response to receipt of a message received from a department outsider and directed to the department.

3. The system of claim 2,

wherein the message management server provides an indication in messages distributed to department member subscribers according to the first rule that the message content is received from a department outsider.

4. The system of claim 3,

wherein the message management server identifies the department outsider subscriber that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the one or more department member subscribers.

5. The system of claim 2,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department outsider subscriber and to include the associated thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to the department member subscribers according to the first rule.

6. The system of claim 2,

wherein the message management server is configured to create a message thread in which each message in the thread is responsive to a previous message in the thread and in which each message in the thread is associated with the same thread identifier.

7. The system of claim 2,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a department member subscriber with a message thread and to identify the associated department member subscriber in messages distributed according to the first rule, to one or more other department member subscribers.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein the department message distribution rules include a second rule for distribution of a message received from a department member subscriber that is directed to a department outsider;

wherein the message management server determines distribution of one or more messages to a department outsider subscriber and to one or more department member subscribers according to the second rule, in response to receiving a message from a department member subscriber that is directed to the department outsider subscriber.

9. The system of claim 8,

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the messages distributed to the identified department members that the message content is received from a department member subscriber;

and

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the message distributed to the department outsider subscriber that the message content is received from the department.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the message management server identifies the department member subscriber that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members;

and

wherein the message management server does not identify the department member subscriber that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the department outsider subscriber.

11. The system of claim 1,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department member subscriber and to include the assigned thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to one or more department member subscribers and to the department outsider according to the second rule.

12. The system of claim 1,

wherein the department message distribution rules include a third rule for distribution of a message received from a department member subscriber that is directed to the department;

wherein the message management server distributes messages to the identified department member subscribers according to the third rule that include message content received from a department member that is directed to the department.

13. The system of claim 12,

wherein the message management server provides an indication in the messages distributed to the department member subscribers that the message content is received from a department member.

14. The system of claim 13,

wherein the message management server identifies the department member subscriber that the message content is received from in the messages distributed to the identified department members.

15. The system of claim 12,

wherein the message management server is configured to associate a thread identifier to a message received from a department member subscriber and to include the assigned thread identifier with the messages that it distributes to the department member subscribers according to the third rule.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the individual subscriber routing distribution rules associated with individual subscribers select from among two or more different devices.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the individual subscriber routing distribution rules associated with individual subscribers select from among two or more different mobile device numbers.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the individual subscriber routing distribution rules associated with individual subscribers select from among different communication modes including two or more of email, messages and fax.