Presence-based telecommunications system

• US 20050070312A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Klemm, Reinhard Peter, Seligmann, Doree Duncan, John, Ajita, Sammon, Michael J., Brotman, Lynne Shapiro, Boyer, David Gray, Khan, Anjum
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.600
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling a user of a telecommunications terminal to specify desired characteristics for the recipient of a call in lieu of a contact identifier are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment enables a user to specify one or more of the following criteria for a recipient: (i) a role requirement that specifies a role (e.g., a nurse, a doctor, etc.); (ii) a capability requirement that specifies one or more capabilities (e.g., able to speak Spanish, etc.); (iii) a location requirement (e.g., on the third floor of Building A, etc.); and (iv) a cardinality descriptor for the number of recipients (e.g., one recipient, at least three recipients, etc.). The illustrative embodiment also employs availability data (e.g., a schedule, etc.) and rules to determine whether a particular person is available to receive a call.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for associating each of a plurality of users with one or more roles and a current location; and

a processor for;

(i) receiving a transmission request that specifies a role requirement and a location requirement, and

(ii) determining to which of said users to transmit based on said role requirement, said location requirement, and the contents of said memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said location requirement is selected from the group consisting of:

within an area, outside an area, within a distance of an area, outside a distance from an area, closest to an area, and furthest from an area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for storing a class hierarchy for said roles, and wherein said role requirement comprises a relationship with respect to said class hierarchy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with one or more capabilities, and wherein said transmission request also specifies a capability requirement, and wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on said capability requirement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transmission request also specifies a cardinality descriptor, and wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on said cardinality descriptor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with an availability datum, and wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on said availability datum.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said availability datum is selected from the group consisting of:

a schedule, a temporal flag, a set of one or more rules, and a hierarchy of one or more rules.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with a contact identifier, and wherein said processor is also for:

(iii) determining one or more contact identifiers to which to transmit based on (ii) and on the contents of said memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on calendrical time.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for associating each of a plurality of users with one or more capabilities and a current location; and

a processor for;

(i) receiving a transmission request that specifies a capability requirement and a location requirement, and

(ii) determining to which of said users to transmit based on said capability requirement, said location requirement, and the contents of said memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said location requirement is selected from the group consisting of:

within an area, outside an area, within a distance of an area, outside a distance from an area, closest to an area, and furthest from an area.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said transmission request also specifies a cardinality descriptor, and wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on said cardinality descriptor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with an availability datum, and wherein said determining in (ii) is also based on said availability datum.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said availability datum is selected from the group consisting of:

a schedule, a temporal flag, a set of one or more rules, and a hierarchy of one or more rules.

15. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a transmission request that specifies a role requirement and a location requirement; and

(b) determining to which of a plurality of users to transmit based on;

(i) said role requirement,

(ii) said location requirement,

(iii) the current locations of said users, and

(iv) roles associated with said users.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said location requirement is selected from the group consisting of:

within an area, outside an area, within a distance of an area, outside a distance from an area, closest to an area, and furthest from an area.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said transmission request also specifies a capability requirement, and wherein said determining in (b) is also based on:

(v) said capability requirement, and (vi) capabilities associated with said users.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said transmission request also specifies a cardinality descriptor, and wherein said determining in (b) is also based on:

(vii) said cardinality descriptor.

19. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a transmission request that specifies a capability requirement and a location requirement; and

(b) determining to which of a plurality of users to transmit based on;

(i) said capability requirement,

(ii) said location requirement,

(iii) the current locations of said users, and

(iv) roles associated with said users.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said transmission request also specifies a cardinality descriptor, and wherein said determining in (b) is also based on:

(v) said cardinality descriptor.