System and method for allowing an originating user device to use contact information in a prioritized list to contact a destination user device

• US 9,288,240 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US14/077,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 370/252, 715/811
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The present invention provides an originating user with a prioritized list of communication contacts associated with the various communication devices of a destination user, wherein the originating user will initiate communications with the destination user using one of the communication contacts provided in the prioritized list. Upon selecting a destination user, a request is sent to a service node, which includes rules for establishing the prioritized list based on various prioritization criteria. The prioritization criteria may include static information and dynamic information, such as time, day of the week, and date, as well as presence information bearing on the availability or location of the destination user. Information may be provided in the request corresponding to the originating user, the type of communication desired by the originating user, the relative priority of the communication, among other information, which may be used to create the prioritized list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a multimedia client transmitting a request to initiate communications with a destination user from an originating user device attempting to initiate communications with the destination user, wherein the request is generated at the multimedia client;

the multimedia client receiving a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination user, wherein the prioritized list is based at least in part on one of more of a time of the request, a date of the request, or a day of the week of the request, and wherein the communication methods are associated with devices usable to communicate with the destination user;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, the multimedia client receiving user input selecting one of the communication methods in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

the multimedia client transmitting a request to initiate communications with the destination user using the selected communication method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user in a user interface of the multimedia client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on at least one of time, date, or day of week.

8. A system, comprising:

communication circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate with at least a communication network; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and the communication circuitry are configured to operate together to;

register an originating user device with a service node, wherein the registering includes transmitting profile information associated with the originating user device;

transmit a request to the service node to initiate communications with a destination user from the originating user device, wherein the request is generated at a multimedia client of the originating user device;

receive a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination user device, wherein the prioritized list is based at least in part on one of more of a time of the request, a date of the request, or a day of the week of the request, and wherein the communication methods are associated with ways of communicating with the destination user;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, receiving user input selecting one of the communication methods in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

in response to receiving the user input, transmitting a request to initiate communications with the destination user using the selected communication method.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user in a user interface of the system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on at least one of time, date, or day of week.

15. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor of a multimedia client to:

transmit a request to initiate communications with a destination user, wherein the destination user is associated with a plurality of destination user devices, from an originating user device attempting to initiate communications with the destination user, wherein the request is generated at the originating user device;

receive a prioritized list of communication methods for communicating with the destination user, wherein the prioritized list is based at least in part on one of more of a time of the request, a date of the request, or a day of the week of the request, and wherein the communication methods are associated with ways of communicating with the destination user at the plurality of destination user devices;

upon receipt of the prioritized list of communication methods, receive user input selecting one of the communication methods corresponding to one of the plurality of destination user devices in the prioritized list of communication contacts; and

transmit a request to initiate communications with the destination user device using the selected communication method.

16. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 15, wherein, in response to the request to initiate communications with the destination user device, a service node is configured to create the prioritized list of communication methods.

17. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 15, wherein said transmitting is performed in response to receiving user input selecting the destination user device in a user interface of the multimedia client.

18. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 15, wherein the prioritized list is created based on rules received from the destination user.

19. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 15, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is created in a dynamic fashion.

20. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 15, wherein the prioritized list of communication methods is based on an availability or location of the destination user.