SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES USING AVAILABILITY DATA FROM COMMUNICATION THROUGH AN EXTERNAL INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM

• US 20090216851A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Devereux Research AB LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Herot, Christopher F., Digate, Charles J., Ketudat, Tonytip, Kopikis, Alexis M., Teven, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for immediate and delayed real-time communication activities using availability data from and communications through an external instant messaging system, that operates to obtain aggregated user online presence information through its own client software, through interception of client-server communications between an external instant messaging client and server, and through other available interfaces to user account information on such external instant messaging systems. The system operates to gather user online presence information in part by intercepting communications between an instant messaging client and the Internet. The aggregate presence data, as well as other information describing the availability of a user, is used to intelligently route real-time communications, such as instant messages and phone calls. The disclosed system further implements a technique for waiting for changes in a user'"'"'s availability status, and for performing actions on a user'"'"'s behalf in response to such changes in availability status.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method of supporting real-time communication between at least two users, comprising:

receiving a request for a real-time communication, wherein said request includes a list of participant users to participate in said real-time communication;

querying a presence database to obtain online presence data associated with one of said participant users and determining that the one participant user on the list of participant users is unavailable;

receiving a presence change message associated with the one participant user;

processing a rule having a logical structure defining a relationship between the online presence data, the presence change message, and said real-time communication, the processing of the rule including determining whether the real-time communication should be performed based at least in part on the presence change message; and

performing said real-time communication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said real-time communication is a telephone call.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said at real-time communication is a chat session.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said real-time communication is a shared whiteboard.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said real-time communication is a remote presentation.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said real-time communication activity is a video conference.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said performing of said real-time communication activity includes setting up the connection by sending an instant message.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said sending of said instant message is accomplished by introducing said instant message into a communications stream.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein responsive to determining that the one participant user for said real-time communication activity is not available, generating a script to be executed upon receipt of a presence change message indicating that said one participant has become available.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the presence change message indicates that said one participant user is presently using a software program on a client system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the presence change message indicates that the software program is an instant messaging client software.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that a second participant user is unavailable, and in response, determining that a stand-in participant user is available to take the place of the unavailable second participant user, and performing said real-time communication with the stand-in participant user in place of the unavailable second participant user.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein said list of participant users to participate in said real time action includes a name of a group of users, wherein the one participant user that is unavailable is contained within the name of the group of users.

27. A system for supporting real-time communication between at least two users, comprising:

a processor;

a computer program storage memory communicably coupled with said processor, said computer storage memory storing a computer program executable by said processor, said computer program including program code configuring the processor to receive a request for a real-time communication, and in response, retrieve from the request a list of participant users to participate in said real-time communication;

program code configuring the processor to query a presence database to obtain online presence data associated with one of said participant users and to determine that the one participant user on the list of participant users is unavailable;

program code configuring the processor to receive a presence change message associated with the one participant user and to responsively process a rule having a logical structure defining a relationship between the online presence data, the presence change message, and said real-time communication, the processing of the rule determining whether the real-time communication should be performed based at least in part on the presence change message; and

program code configuring the processor to perform said real-time communication.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said real-time communication is a telephone call.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said at real-time communication is a chat session.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said real-time communication is a shared whiteboard.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said real-time communication is a remote presentation.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein said real-time communication activity is a video conference.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said performing of said real-time communication activity includes setting up the connection by sending an instant message.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein responsive to determining that the one participant for said real-time communication activity is not available, the program code configuring the processor to generate a script to be executed upon receipt of a presence change message indicating that the one participant has become available.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the presence change message indicates that the one participant user is presently using a software program on a client system.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the presence change message indicates that the software program is an instant messaging client software.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein the program code further configures the processor to determine that a second participant user is unavailable, and in response, determine that a stand-in participant user is available to take the place of the unavailable second participant user.