UTILIZING PRESENCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER INFORMATION TO DETERMINE AN APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATIONS MODALITY

• US 20110047116A1
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Killian, Michael J., Balasaygun, Mehmet C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Even with SIP and the varied communications options available to users, the monitoring of presence itself may not provide sufficient information to determine a most appropriate contact modality for a communication. Therefore, there is a need for a more complete method of generating a landscape of recent activity from which a preferred communication modality can be determined, with a corresponding solution provided that allows a contactor to contact a contactee via that modality. For example, a network of bearer channels or feeds can be established as input to a presence determination module. The inputs can include not only presence information, but also feeds from one or more blogs, micro blogs, social networking sites, etc., that allow a more complete picture of recent activity to be determined. Based on this input a preferred contact modality can be determined that may enhance the ability of a contactor to contact a contactee.

Claims

1. A method to provide improved contactability in a communications environment comprising:

aggregating information, with the cooperation of an information aggregation module, from one or more information sources, wherein the information sources include one or more of a blog, a discussion forum, a social networking site, a micro-blog, and a web site;

performing one or more of a conversation analysis, pattern analysis, context analysis, content analysis, usage pattern analysis, input type analysis, temporal relationship analysis, an analysis of history, and statistical analysis of the aggregated information; and

predicting a preferred contact modality.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information regarding the predicted preferred contact modality of a contactee to a contactor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining one or more user identities associated with a contactee.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying one or more rules to the predicted preferred contact modality, and updating the preferred contact modality.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred contact modality is based on a predicted presence.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the aggregated information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred contact modality is based on a predicted presence and a contactor is provided with a plurality of preferred contact modalities for a specific time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of preferred contact modalities for a specific time period are filtered based on one or more rules and contactee identification information.

9. One or more means for performing the steps of claim 1.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage media having stored thereon instructions, that, if executed by a processor, perform the steps of claim 1.

11. A system to provide improved contactability in a communications environment comprising:

an information aggregation module that aggregates information from one or more information sources, wherein the information sources include one or more of a blog, a discussion forum, a social networking site, a micro-blog, and a web site;

one or more modules that perform one or more of a conversation analysis, pattern analysis, context analysis, content analysis, usage pattern analysis, input type analysis, temporal relationship analysis, an analysis of history, and statistical analysis of the aggregated information; and

a predictive presence module that predicts a preferred contact modality.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a status identification generation module that provides information regarding the predicted preferred contact modality of a contactee to a contactor.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a discovery module that determines one or more user identities associated with a contactee.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a rules module that applies one or more rules to the predicted preferred contact modality to update the preferred contact modality.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the preferred contact modality is based on a predicted presence.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the aggregated information is filtered.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the preferred contact modality is based on a predicted presence and a contactor is provided with a plurality of preferred contact modalities for a specific time period.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of preferred contact modalities for a specific time period are filtered based on one or more rules and contactee identification information.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a presence determination module that determines a contactee'"'"'s presence.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising an artificial intelligence module that analyses one or more conversations, posts, threads and message exchanges.