REPRESENTATION, DECISION MODELS, AND USER INTERFACE FOR ENCODING MANAGING PREFERENCES, AND PERFORMING AUTOMATED DECISION MAKING ABOUT THE TIMING AND MODALITIES OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20080140776A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 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: 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 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 : Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing a user interface that can be employed by contactors and contactees in conjunction with a communications architecture for identifying and establishing an optimal communication based on preferences, capabilities, contexts and goals of the parties to engage in the communication. The user interface can include a graphical display having a plurality of display objects and associated input fields operable by one or more parties to a communication in order to facilitate convenient access, control, personalization and communications via the communications architecture. For example, configuration capabilities are provided in the user interface to enable operational adjustments to one or more operating parameters, communications groupings, policies and/or context preferences relating to a preferred modality of communication and to potential parties of communication between the contactors and contactees. User interface controls are also provided for defining deterministic policies and for encoding preferences for cost-benefit analyses.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate optimal communications, comprising:

defining a first subset of policies that relate to communications attempts by contactors and contactees; and

defining a second subset of policies that relate to routing sequences associated with a channel of communication and a context of the contactors and contactees.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising journaling communications attempts by a respective party.

3. The method of claim 1, the first subset of policies further comprising displaying an attempt at communications from the contactors and contactees.

4. The method of claim 1, the routing sequences further comprising selecting best effort routing for channel of communication that can be employed with respect to the context.

5. The method of claim 1, the routing sequences further comprising routing communications in order of a selected list of contact options.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising exchanging communications information between the contactors and contactees regarding a preferred contacting modality.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining one or more security parameters to restrict contactee information that is provided to unknown contactors.

8. A method to facilitate dynamic communications between parties, comprising:

generating at least one of a list and a gesture that is shared between parties when communications have at least one of been attempted and have failed; and

communicating to a display one or more modalities of preferred communications associated with at least one of the parties.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sharing information relating to at least one of a present and a future ability to communicate.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising monitoring feedback to make decision-theoretic adjustments in a communications system.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising monitoring contexts to adjust communications decisions.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising conducting one or more dialog sessions to facilitate configuration and communications with a user.

13. A system to facilitate optimal communications between parties, comprising:

means for defining a subset of policies that relate to communications attempts by contactors and contactees;

means for routing communications based on at least one of a context of a contactor and a contactee;

means for generating at least one of a list and a gesture that is shared between parties when communications have been attempted; and

means for communicating one or modalities of preferred communications associated with at least one of the parties.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for defining orderings over a handling of calls by multiple parameters, wherein a contactor is provided a list of options as ranked by one or more users'"'"' preferences, the preferences provided in an arranged order of a given user'"'"'s desire that relates to a communications situation at hand.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for sharing out the arranged order directly or only the best option.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a decision that is based on at least one of an identity, a group identity, and a context.