Method for establishing interpersonal communication and system

• US 9,224,133 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rehmann, Mark L., Seibert, Philip M., Welker, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/069,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/223, 709/204, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

A method includes determining a set of individuals available to participate in a chat event, and determining a pairing of individuals from the first set including a first individual and a second individual, the pairing based on matching criterion. The method also includes providing an invitation to the first individual and to the second individual, establishing communication between the first individual and the second individual in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the first individual or in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the second individual.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying at a computer a plurality of individuals who are candidates to participate in an interpersonal communication event with one other unspecified individual of the plurality of individuals, the event initiated by the server at an unscheduled time;

determining at the computer a subset of the plurality of individuals currently available at a first time to participate in a first interpersonal communication event;

determining at the computer a first pairing of individuals from the subset including a first individual and a second individual, the first pairing based on a first matching criterion and pursuant to identifying exactly two individuals;

in response to determining the first pairing, providing by the computer, a first invitation to the first individual and to the second individual, the first invitation to participate in the first interpersonal communication event, the first invitation not solicited by the first or the second individual;

establishing, by the computer, communication between the first individual and the second individual in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the first individual or in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the second individual; and

revoking the first invitation in response to determining that the first individual or the second individual are no longer available to participate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising revoking the first invitation in response to determining that the first invitation has remained unanswered for longer than a predetermined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

updating the subset of individuals available to participate at a second time;

determining a second pairing of individuals from the updated subset including a third individual and a fourth individual;

in response to determining the second pairing, providing a second invitation to the third individual and to the fourth individual, the invitation to participate immediately in a second interpersonal communication event; and

establishing communication between the third individual and the fourth individual in response to an acceptance of the second invitation by the third individual or in response to an acceptance of the second invitation by the fourth individual.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first interpersonal communication event comprises exchanging messages using a text based user interface rendered at a video display unit at an information handling system associated with the first individual and a similar user interface rendered at a video display unit at an information handling system associated with the second individual.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first interpersonal communication event is implemented using an electronic voice communication system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first invitation includes displaying an icon identifying the first individual at a video display unit associated with the second individual and displaying an icon identifying the second individual at a video display unit associated with the first individual.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the icon identifying the first individual is a photograph of the first individual.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the set of individuals available at the first time comprises determining the presence of the first individual at a predetermined location.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the set of individuals available at the first time comprises accessing an appointment system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first matching criterion is configurable.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first matching criterion is a working relationship between the first individual and the second individual.

12. A method comprising:

providing at a first time an indication to an interpersonal communication event server as to current availability of a first individual to participate in an interpersonal communication event, the providing initiated by an information handling system associated with the first individual and without action by the first individual;

receiving at the information handling system a first invitation from the interpersonal communication event server, the invitation soliciting the first individual to participate in a first interpersonal communication event with only a second individual, the second individual selected from a subset of the plurality of willing individuals available at the first time to participate in an interpersonal communication event, the event initiated by the interpersonal communication event server, the selection by the interpersonal communication event server based on a first matching criterion;

initiating, by the interpersonal communication even server, the first interpersonal communication event between the first and the second individual in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the first individual or in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the second individual; and

receiving an indication from the interpersonal communication event server that the first invitation is revoked in response to determining at the event server that the first individual or the second individual are no longer available to participate.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving at a second time a revocation of the first invitation in response to determining at the interpersonal communication server that the first invitation has remained unanswered for longer than a predetermined amount of time.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the indication comprises:

determining, at a client server process executing at an information handling system, the presence and availability of the first individual at the first time; and

transmitting the indication to the interpersonal communication event server.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing an indication to the interpersonal communication event server as to the availability of the first individual to participate in the interpersonal communication event at a second time.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the first matching criterion is a working relationship between the first individual and the second individual.

17. An information handling system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium, the storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

identify a plurality of individuals who are candidates to participate in an interpersonal communication event with one other unspecified individual of the plurality of individuals, the event initiated by the information handling system at an unscheduled time;

determine a subset of the plurality of individuals currently available at a first time to participate in a first interpersonal communication event;

determine a first pairing of individuals from the subset including a first individual and a second individual, the first pairing based on a first matching criterion and pursuant to identifying exactly two individuals;

in response to determining the first pairing, provide a first invitation to the first individual and to the second individual, the first invitation to participate in the first interpersonal communication event, the first invitation not solicited by the first or the second individual;

establish communication between the first individual and the second individual in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the first individual or in response to an acceptance of the first invitation by the second individual; and

revoke the first invitation in response to determining that the first individual or the second individual are no longer available to participate.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further to revoke the first invitation in response to determining the first individual that the first invitation has remained unanswered for longer than a predetermined amount of time.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the first invitation includes displaying an icon identifying the first individual at a video display unit associated with the second individual and displaying an icon identifying the second individual at a video display unit associated with the first individual.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising instructions to:

update the subset of individuals available to participate at a second time;

determine a second pairing of individuals from the updated subset including a third individual and a fourth individual;

in response to determining the second pairing, provide a second invitation to the third individual and to the fourth individual, the invitation to participate immediately in a second interpersonal communication event; and

establish communication between the third individual and the fourth individual in response to an acceptance of the second invitation by the third individual or in response to an acceptance of the second invitation by the fourth individual.