Determining cost effective ways of communicating

• US 9,112,706 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganapathy, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US14/286,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.05, 379/114.09, 379/114.12, 379/115.15, 379/114.2, 379/114.01, 379/118, 379/121.01, 379/121.02, 379/122, 379/125, 379/127.01, 379/127.04, 379/128, 379/130, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/354, 379/114.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX
• 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

Abstract

A method may include receiving an instruction to communicate with a second computing device associated with a contact of a user of the first computing device, identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact, identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the second computing device, identifying unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities, selecting one or more unique pairs associated with a likelihood of reaching the contact via the associated contact method and, for each of the selected unique pairs, determining a cost associated with initiating communication to the identified contact method using the identified communication capability, and determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability. The method may include identifying a recommended unique pair based on at least the cost and the reliability measure, and initiating communication with the second computing device to the identified contact method using the recommended communication capability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device associated with a user, contact information of a contact of the user with whom the user wishes to communicate;

identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact;

identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the computing device;

identifying a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities;

for each unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determining a cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability, and determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability; and

identifying a recommended unique pair based on at least one of the cost and the reliability measure of the recommended unique pair, wherein a communication with the contact is initiated from the computing device using the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability comprises:

identifying a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identifying a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determining a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determining the cost associated with initiating the communication based on one or more of the first service provider, the second service provider, and the current time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the recommended unique pair comprises:

selecting, from the plurality of unique pairs, the unique pair associated with a lowest cost or a highest reliability measure as the recommended unique pair.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a likelihood of reaching the contact, wherein the plurality of unique pairs excludes unique pairs that have a low likelihood of reaching the contact.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, for a unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determining the likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

determining a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method; and

determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time comprises:

determining whether the location is a work location of the contact; and

determining whether the current time is within working hours.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

identifying a range of times the contact is available to be reached; and

determining whether the current time is within the identified range of times.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the computing device identifying the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair and requesting permission to initiate the communication; and

receiving a response from the computing device providing permission to proceed with initiating the communication using the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to perform the steps of:

receiving, from a computing device associated with a user, contact information of a contact of the user with whom the user wishes to communicate;

identifying one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact;

identifying one or more communication capabilities associated with the computing device;

identifying a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities;

for each unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determining a cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability, and determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability; and

identifying a recommended unique pair based on at least one of the cost and the reliability measure of the recommended unique pair, wherein a communication with the contact is initiated from the computing device using the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein determining the cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability comprises:

identifying a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identifying a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determining a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determining the cost associated with initiating the communication based on one or more of the first service provider, the second service provider, and the current time.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein identifying the recommended unique pair comprises:

selecting, from the plurality of unique pairs, the unique pair associated with a lowest cost or a highest reliability measure as the recommended unique pair.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising determining a likelihood of reaching the contact, wherein the plurality of unique pairs excludes unique pairs that have a low likelihood of reaching the contact.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein, for a unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determining the likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

determining a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method; and

determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time comprises:

determining whether the location is a work location of the contact; and

determining whether the current time is within working hours.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

identifying a range of times the contact is available to be reached; and

determining whether the current time is within the identified range of times.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the computing device identifying the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair and requesting permission to initiate the communication; and

receiving a response from the computing device providing permission to proceed with initiating the communication using the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair.

17. A system comprising:

a computing device associated with a user configured to receive a selection of contact information of a contact of the user with whom the user wishes to communicate; and

a server device configured to;

receive a first signal associated with the contact information of the contact;

identify one or more contact methods associated with communicating with the contact;

identify one or more communication capabilities associated with the computing device;

identify a plurality of unique pairs of contact methods and communication capabilities;

for each unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determine a cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability, and determining a reliability measure associated with the communication capability;

identify a recommended unique pair based on at least one of the cost and the reliability measure of the recommended unique pair; and

transmit a second signal to the computing device identifying the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair and requesting permission to initiate the communication;

wherein the computing device is configured to initiate a communication with the contact using the communication capability and the contact method of the recommended unique pair based on receiving the second signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein determining the cost associated with initiating communication based on the contact method and the communication capability comprises:

identifying a first service provider associated with the contact method;

identifying a second service provider associated with the communication capability;

determining a current time associated with the communication capability; and

determining the cost associated with initiating the communication based on one or more of the first service provider, the second service provider, and the current time.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the server device is further configured to determine a likelihood of reaching the contact, wherein the plurality of unique pairs excludes unique pairs that have a low likelihood of reaching the contact.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein, for a unique pair of contact method and communication capability, determining the likelihood of reaching the contact comprises:

determining a current time at a location associated with the contact via the contact method; and

determining whether there is a likelihood of reaching the contact via the contact method at the current time.