System and method for communication management

• US 9,106,450 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Callanan, Sean, Denner, Gary, O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph, Chakra, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMPTON, TARELL A
• Application Number:
  US11/933,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 455/414.1, 379/201.02, 709/205, 709/204, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method and computer program product for managing communications with a user include defining one or more communication profiles for a user, in which defining the one or more communication profiles includes defining one or more communication channels for the user, and defining a preferred communication schedule for each of the one or more communication channels. The preferred communication schedule is associated with a respective one of the one or more communication channels. Communications with the user by a contacting user are managed based upon, at least in part, the one or more communication profiles for the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining, by a computer, one or more communication profiles for a user, defining the one or more communication profiles including;

defining a plurality of communication channels for the user;

defining a preferred communication schedule for each of the plurality of communication channels, the preferred communication schedule including preferred time periods for receiving communications via each of the plurality of communication channels; and

associating the preferred communication schedule with a respective one of the plurality of communication channels;

managing communications with the user from an initiator contacting user based upon, at least in part, the one or more communication profiles for the user; and

suggesting a recommended communication channel to the initiator contacting user based upon, at least in part, a preferred communication channel of the user for a given day and time, wherein suggesting the recommended communication channel to the initiator contacting user includes providing the preferred time periods for receiving communications each of the plurality of communication channels to the initiator contacting user and providing to the initiator contacting user communication details for each of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the communication details include the contact information to contact the user via each of the plurality of communication channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein managing communications with the user includes broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profiles for the user in response to an attempt to contact the user by the initiator contacting user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profiles for the user includes providing the preferred schedule to the initiator contacting user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profile for the user includes providing communication details for at least the preferred communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein managing communications with the user includes enforcing the one or more communication profiles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein enforcing the one or more communication profiles includes restricting communications to the user on non-preferred channels.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein enforcing the one or more communication profiles includes providing one or more exceptions to the one or more communication profiles based upon, at least in part, a predetermined communications policy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communications policy provides an exception based upon, at least in part, an organizational hierarchy or an identity of the initiator contacting user.

9. The method of claim 1, including defining a plurality of communication profiles.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of communication profiles are for the same user, and wherein at least two of the communication profiles correspond to at least two different initiator contacting users.

10. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

defining one or more communication profiles for a user, defining the one or more communication profiles including;

defining a plurality of communication channels for the user;

defining a preferred communication schedule for each of the plurality of communication channels, the preferred communication schedule including preferred time periods for communications via each of the plurality of communication channels; and

associating the preferred communication schedule with a respective one of the plurality of communication channels;

managing communications with the user from an initiator contacting user based upon, at least in part, the one or more communication profiles for the user; and

suggesting a recommended communication channel to the initiator contacting user based upon, at least in part, a preferred communication channel of the user for a given day and time, wherein suggesting the recommended communication channel to the initiator contacting user includes providing the preferred time periods for receiving communications each of the plurality of communication channels to the initiator contacting user and providing to the initiator contacting user communication details for each of the plurality of communication channels, wherein the communication details include the contact information to contact the user via each of the plurality of communication channels.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for managing communications with the user include instructions for broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profiles for the user in response to an attempt to contact the user by the initiator contacting user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions for broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profiles for the user include instructions for providing the preferred schedule to the initiator contacting user.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions for broadcasting to the initiator contacting user at least a portion of the one or more communication profile for the user include instructions for providing communication details for at least the preferred communication channel.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for managing communications with the user include instructions for enforcing the one or more communication profiles.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for enforcing the one or more communication profiles include instructions for restricting communications to the user on non-preferred channels.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for enforcing the one or more communication profiles include instructions for providing one or more exceptions to the one or more communication profiles based upon, at least in part, a predetermined communications policy.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the communications policy provides an exception based upon, at least in part, an organizational hierarchy, or the identity of the contacting user.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, further including instructions for defining a plurality of communication profiles.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the plurality of communication profiles are for the same user, and wherein at least two of the communication profiles correspond to at least two different initiator contacting users.