Gathering context information for a communication

• US 9,479,467 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• 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 F., 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:
  US13/952,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 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-implemented method comprising the steps of:

intercepting a first information related to a communication sent to a user device of a second person by a user device of a first person;

determining whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device using the first information, wherein determining whether the user device of the first person is a suitable device further comprises determining that 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;

redirecting the context information request to the other user device of the first person;

receiving a context information reply responsive to the context information request; and

sending 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 method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

releasing the communication to the user device of the second person.

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

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

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the context information of the context information reply is inadequate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

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