System and method of sharing auto-reply information

• US 20070192418A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Vander Veen, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A system and method routes messages based on an intended recipient'"'"'s availability to receive messages. Each network user'"'"'s current status is determined by tracking when the user activates and deactivates an auto-reply feature. The user'"'"'s current status, return date and alternate contact(s) are specified in the auto-reply and stored and updated on a user status server which periodically communicates to each user the current status information for each contact listed in that user'"'"'s address book. When the current status information indicates that the intended recipient is unavailable, message routing options are presented to the sender. These options include sending the message to the user regardless of the intended recipient'"'"'s current unavailability, not sending the message at all, routing the message to at least one specified alternate contact, sending the message to the intended recipient while sending a copy of the message to the alternate contact.

Claims

1. A system for intelligently routing communications to networked users based on user availability, the system comprising:

a plurality of communications devices being adapted to communicate with each other through a mail server connected to the network, each communications device enabling a user of the device to activate and deactivate an auto-reply feature that automatically replies to incoming messages; and

at least one device connected to the network for receiving, storing and updating current status information for each user, the current status information including an indication as to whether each user is available or unavailable to receive a message.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is a user status server communicatively connected to the mail server to enable the mail server to route a message from a sender to a recipient provided the current status information of the recipient indicates that the recipient is available to receive the message.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the user status server is further adapted to provide message routing options to the sender prior to sending the message to the recipient in the event that the current status information indicates that the intended recipient is unavailable.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the message routing options comprise an option to send the message to the user regardless of the user'"'"'s current unavailability.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the message routing options comprise an option to not send the message at all.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the message routing options comprise an option to route the message to at least one specified alternate contact.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the message routing options comprise an option to send the message to the user with a copy of the message to the alternate contact.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the message routing options comprise a first option of sending the message to the user regardless of the user'"'"'s current unavailability, a second option of not sending the message at all, a third option of routing the message to at least one specified alternate contact, and a fourth option of sending the message to the user while sending a copy of the message to the alternate contact.

9. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the user status server periodically communicates current status information to every user actively connected to the network in order to update each user'"'"'s address book with current status information for every other user listed in each address book.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the user status server further communicates to all users a return date and an alternate contact for each user whose auto-reply feature is activated, whereby each user'"'"'s address book can store and display the return date and alternate contact for each user whose current status information indicates that the user is unavailable.

11. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the network comprises a wireless network hosting wireless communications devices, the wireless network being communicatively linked to a data network through an applications gateway that mediates data traffic between the wireless network and the data network, the data network being connected to the mail server and user status server.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the mail server is capable of synchronizing a user'"'"'s wireless communications device with a desktop mail client associated with the same user, the mail server being adapted to recognize, during synchronization, activation of the auto-reply feature by either the wireless communications device or the. desktop mail client, to extract, where specified by the user, the return date and the alternate contact, and to communicate the user'"'"'s status information, return date and alternate contact to the user status server for sharing with other users.

13. A method of disseminating user availability information through a network to improve communication efficiency, the method comprising steps of:

determining a current status of each user of the network to determine if each user is currently available to be a recipient of a message;

forwarding messages from a sender to the recipient when the recipient'"'"'s current status indicates to the sender that the recipient is currently available to receive messages; and

providing message options to the sender when an intended recipient'"'"'s current status indicates to the sender that the intended recipient is unavailable to receive the message.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of providing message options comprises providing the sender with an option of sending the message to the intended recipient notwithstanding the intended recipient'"'"'s indicated unavailability.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of providing message options comprises providing the sender with an option of not sending the message to the intended recipient.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of providing message options comprises providing the sender with an option of sending the message to the alternate contact.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of providing message options comprises providing the sender with an option of sending the message to the intended recipient and copying the message to the alternate contact.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of providing message options comprises providing the sender with a first option of sending the message to the intended recipient notwithstanding the intended recipient'"'"'s indicated unavailability;

a second option of not sending the message to the intended recipient;

a third option of sending the message to the alternate contact; and

a fourth option of sending the message to the intended recipient and copying the message to the alternate contact.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the determining step comprises the steps of, for each user:

assuming as a default status that the user is available to receive messages; and

updating the current status to indicate that the user is unavailable to receive messages in response to activation of the auto-reply feature.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the determining step further comprises the step of updating the current status to indicate that the user is once again available to receive messages in response to deactivation of the auto-reply feature.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the updating steps are performed by storing and updating the current status of each user on a user status server connected to a mail server connected to a data network for handling mail transiting the data network.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the updating steps further comprise the step of periodically interrogating the mail server to determine which contacts are listed in each user'"'"'s address book and to communicate to each user only the current status information for the contacts listed in that user'"'"'s address book.

23. A mobile wireless terminal device enabled for wireless communication with a data network via a wireless network, the device comprising a memory and a microprocessor for executing an e-mail application, the e-mail application being adapted to store and update current status information for at least one other network user, the current status information being indicative of the at least one other user'"'"'s availability to receive an e-mail.

24. The mobile wireless terminal device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the current status information further comprises a date of anticipated availability for the at least one other network user when that other network user is indicated to be currently unavailable.

25. The mobile wireless terminal device as claimed in claim 24 wherein the current status information further comprises an alternate contact person and respective contact information for the alternate contact person.

26. The mobile wireless terminal device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the current status information comprises an alternate contact person and respective contact information for the alternate contact person.