Universal call management platform

• US 9,602,986 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Inventors: Vendrow, Vlad, Chau, Vi, Shah, Praful, Shmunis, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US15/134,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 1/1, 709/230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for enabling integration between various internet- or non-internet based communication services (e.g., as provided by different communications platforms and service providers) using a universal platform are described. In some implementations, a service manager is provided that can integrate call management capabilities with multiple communications platforms using the universal platform to enable seamless communication between the various platforms. For example, interactions between individual users on one or more platforms can be tracked in a single conversation history as a threaded interface. The universal platform can integrate with various platforms and third party protocols and services to provide call features that include, for example, call forwarding, call handling, multiple greeting prompts, call screening rules, ring-out rules, international calling, caller ID rules, after hours, and announcement prompts.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

obtaining tracked communications between a first user of the mobile device and one or more other users through a plurality of communication portals, wherein a communication portal is a medium through which the first user of the mobile device sends or receives messages to a plurality of other users;

generating, for each of the plurality of communication portals, a respective summary of each of one or more tracked communications transmitted through the communication portal; and

presenting the respective summaries in a threaded user interface on the mobile device, wherein the threaded user interface includes a reply user interface element that allows the first user to respond to tracked communications, and wherein the reply user interface element allows the first user to respond to tracked communications using a communication portal different from a communication portal used to transmit the tracked communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracked communications include a first voice message, and wherein generating a summary of the first voice message comprises converting at least a portion of the first voice message to text.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication portals includes a social network, and wherein the tracked communications include messages received through the social network from contacts of the first user on the social network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input selecting the reply user interface element to reply to a particular tracked communication; and

in response;

presenting a reply user interface that allows the first user to select a communication portal to use in responding to the particular tracked communication.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user input selecting a particular communication portal to use in responding to the particular tracked communication that is different from the communication portal through which the particular tracked communication was received and, in response;

determining contact information of a sender of the particular tracked communication with the particular communication portal, and

sending a response to the particular tracked communication through the particular communication portal using the determined contact information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the threaded interface in real time as outgoing or incoming communications are sent to or received from the mobile device through the plurality of communications portals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the respective summaries comprises:

receiving contact information associated with a plurality of contacts having sent to or received from the mobile device one or more communications through one or more of the communication portals;

identifying, from the contact information, one or more contacts who have previously sent or received one or more messages to or from the mobile device using more than one communication portal;

aggregating the one or more messages sent to or received from the mobile using more than one communication portal into a single entry; and

displaying the single entry in the threaded user interface on the mobile device.

8. A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining tracked communications between a first user of the mobile device and one or more other users through a plurality of communication portals, wherein a communication portal is a medium through which the first user of the mobile device sends or receives messages to a plurality of other users;

generating, for each of the plurality of communication portals, a respective summary of each of one or more tracked communications transmitted through the communication portal; and

presenting the respective summaries in a threaded user interface on the mobile device, wherein the threaded user interface includes a reply user interface element that allows the first user to respond to tracked communications, and wherein the reply user interface element allows the first user to respond to tracked communications using a communication portal different from a communication portal used to transmit the tracked communication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the tracked communications include a first voice message, and wherein generating a summary of the first voice message comprises converting at least a portion of the first voice message to text.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of communication portals includes a social network, and wherein the tracked communications include messages received through the social network from contacts of the first user on the social network.

11. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving a user input selecting the reply user interface element to reply to a particular tracked communication; and

in response;

presenting a reply user interface that allows the first user to select a communication portal to use in responding to the particular tracked communication.

12. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving a user input selecting a particular communication portal to use in responding to the particular tracked communication that is different from the communication portal through which the particular tracked communication was received and, in response;

determining contact information of a sender of the particular tracked communication with the particular communication portal, and

sending a response to the particular tracked communication through the particular communication portal using the determined contact information.

13. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

updating the threaded interface in real time as outgoing or incoming communications are sent to or received from the mobile device through the plurality of communications portals.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein presenting the respective summaries comprises:

receiving contact information associated with a plurality of contacts having sent to or received from the mobile device one or more communications through one or more of the communication portals;

identifying, from the contact information, one or more contacts who have previously sent or received one or more messages to or from the mobile device using more than one communication portal;

aggregating the one or more messages sent to or received from the mobile using more than one communication portal into a single entry; and

displaying the single entry in the threaded user interface on the mobile device.

15. One or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with a computer program product, the computer program product comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining tracked communications between a first user of the mobile device and one or more other users through a plurality of communication portals, wherein a communication portal is a medium through which the first user of the mobile device sends or receives messages to a plurality of other users;

generating, for each of the plurality of communication portals, a respective summary of each of one or more tracked communications transmitted through the communication portal; and

presenting the respective summaries in a threaded user interface on the mobile device, wherein the threaded user interface includes a reply user interface element that allows the first user to respond to tracked communications, and wherein the reply user interface element allows the first user to respond to tracked communications using a communication portal different from a communication portal used to transmit the tracked communication.

16. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein presenting the respective summaries comprises:

receiving contact information associated with a plurality of contacts having sent to or received from the mobile device one or more communications through one or more of the communication portals;

identifying, from the contact information, one or more contacts who have previously sent or received one or more messages to or from the mobile device using more than one communication portal;

aggregating the one or more messages sent to or received from the mobile using more than one communication portal into a single entry; and

displaying the single entry in the threaded user interface on the mobile device.