Methods and systems for a communications and information resource manager

• US 20030065779A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale, Koch, Robert A., Anderson, Richard A., Hill, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• 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 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 : Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 : where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 : where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 : where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 : where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13338 : Do-not-disturb
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement

Abstract

A manager interfaces with communications systems such as a telecommunications and/or data network. The manager allows a user to participate in, keep track of, log, monitor, and engage or direct activities relating to communications. The manager may include user data and keep it current, receive and display data on a user'"'"'s communications, and respond to communications with a standard or selected response. The manager may make information related to the data or the received communications available and include a message log with entries on communications of the user including instant or chat room messages, and unanswered calls. The manager may include a directory that is kept current using data on received communications and may include a calendar with scheduled activities.

Claims

1. In a system including a communications manager (com manager) implemented in a computer with the com manager managing communications and data relating to the communications of a user, the com manager being functionally connected through a telecommunications manager (telecom manager) to a telecommunications network and through a gateway to a data network, a method for making the com manager more user-friendly, the method comprising:

causing the com manager to include identity information relating to a user;

causing the com manager to include a user'"'"'s preference for customized information;

causing the com manager to use the identity information relating to the user to recognize the user when the user activates the communications manager;

based on the user'"'"'s preference, causing the com manager to obtain the customized information through the telecom manager from the telecommunications network; and

causing the com manager to present the customized information when the user activates the com manager.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the user'"'"'s preference, causing the com manager to obtain the customized information through the gateway from the data network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a first user;

and

wherein causing the com manager to include the identity information relating to the user of the com manager comprises causing the com manager to include the identity information relating to the first user and identity information relating to a second user;

wherein causing the com manager to include the user'"'"'s preference for the customized information comprises causing the com manager to include the first user'"'"'s preference for the customized information and a second user'"'"'s preference for customized information;

wherein causing the com manager to use the identity information relating to the user to recognize the user when the user activates the com manager comprises causing the com manager to use the identity information relating to the first user to recognize the first user when the first user activates the com manager and to use the identity information relating to the second user to recognize the second user when the second user activates the com manager;

wherein, based on the user'"'"'s preference, causing the com manager to obtain the customized information comprises;

causing the com manager to obtain the customized information based on the first user'"'"'s preferences through the telecom manager from the telecommunications network, and

causing the com manager to obtain customized information based on the second user'"'"'s preferences through the telecom manager from the telecommunications network; and

wherein causing the com manager to present the customized information comprises;

causing the com manager to present the customized information based on the first user'"'"'s preferences when the first user activates the com manager, and

causing the com manager to present the customized information based on the second user'"'"'s preferences when the second user activates the com manager.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity information comprises a name of the user, a password of the user, or a personal identification number (PIN) of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized information comprises a greeting, a quote-of-the day, a joke, stock information, weather information, a cartoon, an inspirational message, a photograph, or a news report.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized information comprises an icon relating to an information resource;

and

further comprising;

based on activation of the icon, causing the com manager to access the information resource through the telecom manager of the telecommunications network or through the gateway of the data network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized information changes each time the user activates the com manager.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s preference for the customized information comprises a preference for particular information to be presented when the com manager presents a message log to the user;

and

further comprising;

causing the com manager to present the user with the message log; and

causing the com manager to present the particular information with the message log.

9. In a system including a communications manager (com manager) implemented in a computer with the com manager managing communications and data relating to the communications of a user, the com manager being functionally connected through a telecommunications manager (telecom manager) to a telecommunications network and through a gateway to a data network, a method for making a user'"'"'s communication with a communicating partner easier, comprising:

causing the com manager to present an icon for facilitating communications of a user;

in response to activation of the icon by the user, causing the com manager to query the user for identification of the communicating partner;

in response to receiving the identification, causing the com manager to determine a communications preference of the communicating partner;

in response to determining the communications preference, causing the com manager to present the user with a template having fields and relating to the communications preference; and

causing the com manager to fill in at least one of the fields of the template with information relating to the communicating partner,

whereby the user'"'"'s communication with the communicating partner is made easier by the presentation to the user of the template relating to the communications preference of the communicating partner.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications preference of the communicating partner comprises an electronic mail (e-mail) message;

and

wherein the template relating to the communications preference comprises an e-mail template.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications preference of the communicating partner comprises facsimile (fax) message;

and

wherein the template relating to the communications preference comprises a fax template.

12. In a system including a communications manager (com manager) implemented in a computer with the com manager managing communications and data relating to the communications of a user, the com manager being functionally connected through a telecommunications manager (telecom manager) to a telecommunications network and through a gateway to a data network, a method for making the com manager a scheduling aid, the method comprising:

causing the com manager to include a calendar;

causing the com manager to allow a user to fill-out an entry with information about a communicating partner with the entry including a field for a date and date information;

causing the com manager to store the entry in an address book; and

causing the com manager to associate the date and the date information of the calendar with a corresponding date in the calendar,

whereby the date information from the entry in the address book appears on the corresponding date in the calendar when the user views the calendar.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data information comprises birthday information.

14. In a system including a communications manager (com manager) implemented in a computer with the com manager managing communications and data relating to the communications of a user, the com manager being functionally connected through a telecommunications manager (telecom manager) to a telecommunications network and through a gateway to a data network, a method for updating information about a user, the method comprising:

causing the com manager to include information about a user;

causing the com manager to check periodically for other information about the user with the telecom manager of the telecommunications network;

if the telecom manager has the other information about the user, then causing the com manager to retrieve the other information; and

causing the com manager to store the other information with the information about the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

causing the com manager to check periodically for the other information about the user with the gateway of the data network;

if the gateway has the other information about the user, then causing the com manager to retrieve the other information; and

causing the com manager to store the other information with the information about the user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information about the user comprises device information about communication devices of the user;

and

wherein the other information comprises wireless device information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the information about the user comprises service information about communication services of the user;

and

wherein the other information comprises wireless service information.