Gathering context information for a communication

• US 9,479,465 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barlow, William C., Bulut, Muhammed Fatih, Christensen, James E., Marshak, David S., Schirmer, Andrew L., Travis, Amy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCRAY, CLARENCE D
• Application Number:
  US13/532,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A computer receives a first information related to a communication sent to a user device of a second person. The computer determines a user device of a first person using the first information. The computer sends a context information request to the user device of the first person. The computer receives a context information reply responsive to the context information request. The computer sends context information of the context information reply to the user device of the second person. The computer releases the communication to the user device of the second person.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to intercept a first information related to a communication sent to a user device of a second person by a user device of a first person;

program instructions to determine whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device by using the first information, wherein the program instructions to determine whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device further comprises determining whether the user device of the first person has a suitable interface for gathering context information from the first person based on an interface required by a context information request;

based on determining that the user device of the first person is not a suitable device for gathering context information from the first person based on requirements of the context information request, determining another user device of the first person that is suitable for gathering context information from the first person based on the requirements of the context information request;

program instructions to redirect the context information request to the other user device of the first person;

program instructions to receive a context information reply responsive to the context information request; and

program instructions to send context information of the context information reply to the user device of the second person, wherein the sent context information comprises of an urgency of the communication, and a deadline of contact for the communication.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to release the communication to the user device of the second person.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the communication was sent from the user device of the first person.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the suitable interface includes a text interface, an audio interface, or a video interface.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to determine whether the context information of the context information reply is inadequate.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions to, responsive to the determining that the context information of the context information reply is inadequate, send another context information request to the user device of the first person in order to gather additional context information.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to intercept a first information related to a communication sent to a user device of a second person by a user device of a first person;

program instructions to intercept a first information related to a communication sent to a user device of a second person by a user device of a first person;

program instructions to determine whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device by using the first information, wherein the program instructions to determine whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device further comprises determining whether the user device of the first person has a suitable interface for gathering context information from the first person based on an interface required by a context information request;

based on determining that the user device of the first person is not a suitable device for gathering context information from the first person based on requirements of the context information request, determining another user device of the first person that is suitable for gathering context information from the first person based on the requirements of the context information request;

program instructions to redirect the context information request to the other user device of the first person;

program instructions to receive a context information reply responsive to the context information request; and

program instructions to send context information of the context information reply to the user device of the second person, wherein the sent context information comprises of an urgency of the communication, and a deadline of contact for the communication.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to release the communication to the user device of the second person.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the communication was sent from the user device of the first person.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the suitable interface includes a text interface, an audio interface, or a video interface.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to determine whether the context information of the context information reply is inadequate.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to, responsive to the determining that the context information of the context information reply is inadequate, send another context information request to the user device of the first person in order to gather additional context information.