Cloud-based phone system with methodologies for suggesting account configuration settings

• US 9,141,673 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Chau, Vi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US13/797,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface

Abstract

A cloud-based phone system with methodologies for suggesting account configuration settings is provided. In one embodiment, for example, techniques are provided for suggesting how a particular user should configure a particular account configuration parameter of a plurality of account configuration parameters available to the particular user. One or more parameters of the plurality of account configuration parameters that are related to the particular parameter are identified. One or more other users are identified that have configured the one or more parameters similar to how the particular user has configured the one or more parameters. A suggestion of how the particular user should configure the particular parameter is made based on settings for the particular parameter made by the one or more other users.

Claims

1. In a cloud-based phone system comprising one or more computing devices, a method for generating a suggested setting for a first account configuration parameter from a plurality of account configuration parameters for a particular user of the cloud-based phone system, the method comprising:

identifying, from the plurality of account configuration parameters, at least one second account configuration parameter;

selecting, based on user selection criteria, a set of related users from a plurality of users that use the cloud-based phone system, wherein the set of related users are related to the particular user by a particular organizational relationship;

determining account usage statistics for the set of related users regarding the first account configuration parameter;

selecting, based at least in part on the account usage statistics and user similarity criteria, at least one reference user from the set of related users, wherein a setting for the at least one second account configuration parameter associated with the at least one reference user is the same or similar to a setting for the at least one second account configuration parameter associated with the particular user; and

providing a suggested setting for the first account configuration parameter for the particular user of the cloud-based phone system based at least in part on the account usage statistics and a setting for the first account configuration parameter associated with the at least one reference user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying from the plurality of account configuration parameters, the at least one second account configuration parameter includes identifying the at least one second account configuration parameter from mapping data that associates the first account configuration parameter with the at least one second account configuration parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the at least one reference user includes selecting at least one reference user from the set of related users that has configured the at least one second account configuration parameter with a setting that is exactly the same as a setting configured by the particular user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the suggesting setting to the particular user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the suggestion setting to the particular user includes sending an e-mail message or a text message to the particular user with the suggested setting.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the suggested setting for the first account configuration parameter for the particular user includes determining a most predominant configuration setting from among the settings configured for the first account configuration parameter by the at least one reference user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the suggested setting is performed in response to detecting geographical movement of the particular user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the geographical movement of the particular user includes receiving geographical location data from a mobile computing device of the particular user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the suggested setting is performed in response to the particular user requesting a web page from the cloud-based phone system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first account configuration parameter is at least one of:

a call answering rule, a call forwarding rule, a call notification setting, a caller identification setting, and a call greeting option.

11. A cloud-based phone system comprising:

one or more computing devices;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which,

when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause performance of a method for generating a suggested setting for a first account configuration parameter from a plurality of account configuration parameters for a particular user of the cloud-based phone system, the method comprising;

identifying, from the plurality of account configuration parameters, at least one second account configuration parameter;

selecting, based on user selection criteria, a set of related users from a plurality of users that use the cloud-based phone system, wherein the set of related users are related to the particular user by a particular organizational relationship;

determining account usage statistics for the set of related users regarding the first account configuration parameter;

selecting, based at least in part the account usage statistics and user similarity criteria, at least one reference user from the set of related users, wherein a setting for the at least one second account configuration parameter associated with the at least one reference user is the same or similar to a setting for the least one second account parameter associated with the particular user;

providing a suggested setting for the first account configuration parameter for the particular user of the cloud-based phone system based at least in part on the account usage statistics and a setting for the first account configuration parameter associated with the at least one reference user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying from the plurality of account configuration parameters, the at least one second account configuration parameter includes identifying the at least one second account configuration parameter from mapping data that associates the first account configuration parameter with the at least one second account configuration parameter.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein selecting the at least one reference user includes selecting at least one reference user from the set of related users that has configured the at least one second account configuration parameter with a setting that is exactly the same as a setting configured by the particular user.

14. The system of claim 11, the method further comprising providing the suggesting setting to the particular user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein providing the suggestion setting to the particular user includes sending an e-mail message or a text message to the particular user with the suggested setting.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein generating the suggested setting for the first account configuration parameter for the particular user includes determining a most predominant configuration setting from among the settings configured for the first account configuration parameter by the at least one reference user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein generating the suggested setting is performed in response to detecting geographical movement of the particular user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein detecting the geographical movement of the particular user includes receiving geographical location data from a mobile computing device of the particular user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein generating the suggested setting is performed in response to the particular user requesting a web page from the cloud-based phone system.

20. The system of claim 11, the method further comprising:

determining account usage statistics from the set of related users;

selecting the at least one reference user for the set of related users based at least in part on the account usage statistics;

determining account usage statistics of the account usage statistics for the one at least one reference user;

generating the suggested setting for the first account configuration parameter for the particular user based at least in part on the account usage statistics for the at least one reference user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein determining account usage statistics for the set of related users includes determining account usage statistics for the set of related users related to the first account configuration parameter.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the first account configuration parameter is at least one of:

a call answering rule, a call forwarding rule, a call notification setting, a caller identification setting, and a call greeting option.