Context-sensitive auto-responder

• US 9,065,786 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yagi Corp (Yagi Agency Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Yagi Corp (Yagi Agency Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Plotkin, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US13/709,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 926 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

In response to detecting an incoming message (such as an email message, a text message, or a voice message) sent by a sender to a recipient, a computer system determines whether a current context of the recipient satisfies a condition. If the current context of the recipient satisfies the condition, then the system selects a response message based on the current context and sends the response message to the sender. The system'"'"'s decision about whether to respond automatically to subsequent messages sent to the recipient may vary as the recipient'"'"'s context changes. Furthermore, the system may select and send different response messages based on changes in the recipient'"'"'s context.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one computer processor, the method comprising:

(A) detecting a first incoming message, wherein the first incoming message is associated with a first sender and a first recipient;

(B) identifying first context data associated with the first recipient at a first time;

(C) determining whether a first condition is satisfied by the first context data;

(D) if the first condition is determined to be satisfied by the first context data, then;

(D)(1) selecting a first response message based on the first context data;

(D)(2) sending the first response message to the first sender; and

(D)(3) blocking a notification of the first incoming message;

(E) detecting a second incoming message, wherein the second incoming message is associated with the first sender and the first recipient;

(F) identifying second context data associated with the first recipient at a second time, wherein the second context data differs from the first context data;

(G) determining whether the first condition is satisfied by the second context data;

(H) if the first condition is determined to be satisfied by the second context data, then;

(H) (1) selecting a second response message based on the second context data, wherein the first response message differs from the second response message; and

(H)(2) sending the second response message to the first sender;

wherein (D)(1) comprises selecting the first response message independently of content of the first incoming message; and

wherein (H)(1) comprises selecting the second response message independently of content of the second incoming message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (D)(1) comprises generating the first response message based on the first context data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) (1) comprises:

(D) (1) (a) before (A), receiving response template data including;

(a) fixed content specification data; and

(2) variable content specification data;

(D) (1) (b) after (B), generating the first response message based on the first context data, comprising;

(D) (1) (b) (i) including, in the first response message, data derived from the fixed content specification data independently of the first context data; and

(D) (1) (b) (ii) including, in the first response message, data derived from the variable content specification and the first context data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (D)(1) comprises selecting the first response message based on the first time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (D)(1) comprises selecting the first response message based on an appointment associated with the first recipient.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) (1) comprises:

(D) (1) (a) identifying a first task performed by a device associated with the first recipient at the first time; and

(D)(1)(b) selecting the first response message based on the first task.

7. The method of claim 1:

wherein (A) comprises detecting a first incoming message transmitted via a first communication mode; and

wherein (D)(2) comprises sending the first response message to the first sender via the first communication mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein (D) further comprises:

(D)(4) generating a derived message based on the first incoming message; and

(D) (5) transmitting the derived message to a second recipient via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.

9. The method of claim 1:

wherein (A) comprises detecting a first incoming message transmitted via a first communication mode; and

wherein (D)(2) comprises sending the first response message to the first sender via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) further comprises:

preventing transmission of the first incoming message to a device associated with the first recipient; and

after preventing transmission of the first incoming message to the device associated with the first recipient, allowing transmission of the first incoming message to the device associated with the first recipient in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein blocking the notification of the first incoming message comprises:

preventing the notification of the first incoming message from being manifested.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(I) after preventing the notification of the first incoming message from being manifested, allowing the notification of the first incoming message to be manifested in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein allowing the notification of the first incoming message to be manifested comprises allowing the notification of the first incoming to be manifested in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the first incoming message comprises receiving the first incoming message before (D)(3).

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(I) before (D)(3), receiving the notification of the first incoming message.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein (D) further comprises:

(D)(4) forwarding the first incoming message to a second recipient.

17. The method of claim 1:

wherein (A) comprises detecting transmission of the first incoming message via a first communication mode; and

wherein the method further comprises;

(I) generating a derived message from the first incoming message; and

(J) transmitting the derived message to the first recipient via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions tangibly stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the instructions are executable by at least one computer processor to perform a method comprising:

(A) detecting a first incoming message, wherein the first incoming message is associated with a first sender and a first recipient;

(B) identifying first context data associated with the first recipient at a first time;

(C) determining whether a first condition is satisfied by the first context data;

(D) if the first condition is determined to be satisfied by the first context data, then;

(D)(1) selecting a first response message based on the first context data;

(D)(2) sending the first response message to the first sender; and

(D)(3) blocking a notification of the first incoming message;

(E) detecting a second incoming message, wherein the second incoming message is associated with the first sender and the first recipient;

(F) identifying second context data associated with the first recipient at a second time, wherein the second context data differs from the first context data;

(G) determining whether the first condition is satisfied by the second context data;

(H) if the first condition is determined to be satisfied by the second context data, then;

(H)(1) selecting a second response message based on the second context data, wherein the first response message differs from the second response message; and

(H)(2) sending the second response message to the first sender;

wherein (D)(1) comprises selecting the first response message independently of content of the first incoming message; and

wherein (H)(1) comprises selecting the second response message independently of content of the second incoming message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D)(1) comprises generating the first response message based on the first context data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D)(1) comprises:

(D) (1) (a) before (A), receiving response template data including;

(a) fixed content specification data; and

(2) variable content specification data;

(D) (1) (b) after (B), generating the first response message based on the first context data, comprising;

(D) (1) (b) (i) including, in the first response message, data derived from the fixed content specification data independently of the first context data; and

(D) (1) (b) (ii) including, in the first response message, data derived from the variable content specification and the first context data.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D)(1) comprises selecting the first response message based on the first time.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D)() comprises selecting the first response message based on an appointment associated with the first recipient.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D)(1) comprises:

(D) (1) (a) identifying a first task performed by a device associated with the first recipient at the first time; and

(D)(1)(b) selecting the first response message based on the first task.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18:

wherein (A) comprises detecting a first incoming message transmitted via a first communication mode; and

wherein (D)(2) comprises sending the first response message to the first sender via the first communication mode.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein (D) further comprises:

(D)(4) generating a derived message based on the first incoming message; and

(D) (5) transmitting the derived message to a second recipient via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18:

wherein (A) comprises detecting a first incoming message transmitted via a first communication mode; and

wherein (D)(2) comprises sending the first response message to the first sender via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D) further comprises:

preventing transmission of the first incoming message to a device associated with the first recipient; and

after preventing transmission of the first incoming message to the device associated with the first recipient, allowing transmission of the first incoming message to the device associated with the first recipient in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein blocking the notification of the first incoming message comprises:

preventing the notification of the first incoming message from being manifested.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein detecting the first incoming message comprises receiving the first incoming message before (D)(3).

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

(I) before (D)(3), receiving the notification of the first incoming message.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

(I) after preventing the notification of the first incoming message from being manifested, allowing the notification of the first incoming message to be manifested in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein allowing the notification of the first incoming message to be manifested comprises allowing the notification of the first incoming to be manifested in response to determining that the first condition is not satisfied by the second context data.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (D) further comprises:

(D)(4) forwarding the first incoming message to a second recipient.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18:

wherein (A) comprises detecting transmission of the first incoming message via a first communication mode; and

wherein the method further comprises;

(I) generating a derived message from the first incoming message; and

(J) transmitting the derived message to the first recipient via a second communication mode that differs from the first communication mode.