Delivery Of A Communication Event

• US 20130132573A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindblom, Nils Rune Jonas
• Application Number:
  US13/327,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132573A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0222 in packet switched networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and communication system for delivering selected communication events to a user terminal over a communications network, and a user terminal arranged to deliver only the selected communication events to a user of the user terminal, the method comprising: executing a communication client application in a suspended state at the user terminal; receiving a communication event at a filtering component; using filtering parameters at the filtering component, to determine whether the communication event is a selected communication event; blocking the communication event at the filtering component if the communication event is not a selected communication event; if the communication event is a selected communication event, alerting a user of the user terminal to the communication event; and activating the communication client application to receive the communication event at the user terminal.

Claims

1. A method of delivering selected communication events to a user terminal over a communications network, the method comprising:

executing a communication client application in a suspended state at the user terminal;

receiving a communication event at a filtering component;

using filtering parameters at the filtering component, to determine whether the communication event is a selected communication event;

blocking the communication event at the filtering component if the communication event is not a selected communication event;

if the communication event is a selected communication event, alerting a user of the user terminal to the communication event; and

activating the communication client application to receive the communication event at the user terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering parameters are provided to the filtering component by:

configuring them at the user terminal and uploading them to the filtering component;

configuring them at the filtering component;

or

executing an algorithm at the filtering component to compute them.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the algorithm computes current filtering parameters based on user behaviour with respect to previously received communication events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using filtering parameters is selectively activated in dependence on at least one of:

detecting that the user terminal is a mobile device;

detecting that a battery save mode of the user terminal is enabled;

detecting location of the user terminal;

detecting the type of user terminal; and

detecting the time of day.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering parameters include one or more of:

the communication event being sent by one or more particular users;

the communication event being a particular type of communication event;

the communication event being sent at a particular time of day;

the communication event having a particular associated context;

communication event containing one or more keywords;

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication event type is selected from:

a voice call;

a video call;

a multi-user voice or video call;

an instant message;

a multi-user instant message;

a file transfer;

a presence notification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a voice or video call is a selected communication event, regardless of the other filtering parameters which could determine that the communication event should be blocked.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a server in the communications network, the communication event is received at the user terminal over a channel established between the server and the user terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of alerting comprises transmitting the communication event from the server to the user terminal over the communication network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of alerting comprises:

storing the

communication event at the server; and

transmitting a push notification from the server to the user terminal over the communication network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a second user terminal executing an instance of a communication client application associated with a user of the user terminal, the step of alerting comprises:

transmitting the communication event from the second user terminal to a server in the communications network;

storing the communication event at the server; and

transmitting a push notification from the server to the user terminal over the communication network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering component is implemented at the user terminal.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring a VoIP socket at the user terminal to detect the receipt of the communication event.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising executing event notification code in an active state at the user terminal when the communication client application is in a suspended state to detect the receipt of said alert and display a notification to a user of the user terminal to notify said user of the communication event.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said notification requests confirmation from said user to activate the communication client, wherein the step of activating the communication client application is implemented in response to receiving a user input indicating said confirmation.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically activating the communication client application in response to alerting the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein when the communication client application is in a suspended state a graphical user interface associated with the communication client application is not displayed on the user terminal, and responsive to activating the communication client application, the method comprising displaying the graphical user interface associated with the communication client application.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising displaying the receipt of the communication event at the user terminal using the graphical user interface associated with the communication client application.

19. A user terminal arranged to deliver only selected communication events to a user of the user terminal, the user terminal comprising:

an input for receiving communication events;

a processor for executing a communication client application which has a suspended state and an activated state, said processor arranged to execute filtering code which uses filtering parameters to determine whether a received communication event is a selected communication event and block the communication event if the communication event is not a selected communication event; and

a display arranged to alert a user of the user terminal to a communication event if the communication event is a selected communication event, wherein the communication client application adopts the activated state to receive a selected communication event.

20. The user terminal of claim 19, wherein the user terminal is one of:

a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant;

a personal computer;

a tablet computer;

a television;

a gaming device;

21. A communication system for delivering selected communication events to a user terminal over a communications network, the communication system comprising:

a filtering component configured to receive a communication event and use filtering parameters to determine whether the communication event is a selected communication event and block the communication event at the filtering component if the communication event is not a selected communication event; and

the user terminal executing a communication client application having a suspended state and an activated state, the user terminal comprising a display arranged to alert a user of the user terminal to the communication event if the communication event is a selected communication event, wherein the communication client application adopts the activated state to receive a selected communication event.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a server.

23. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the selected communication event is received at the user terminal over a channel established between the server and the user terminal.

24. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the filtering component is implemented at the user terminal.

25. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a second user terminal executing an instance of a communication client application associated with a user of the user terminal

26. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the communication network is a packet based network, wherein the packet based network is optionally the Internet.

27. A method of delivering selected communication events to a user terminal over a communications network, the method comprising:

determining characteristics of the user terminal and selecting filtering parameters in dependence on said characteristics;

receiving a communication event at a filtering component;

using said selected filtering parameters at the filtering component, to determine whether the communication event is a selected communication event;

blocking the communication event at the filtering component if the communication event is not a selected communication event; and

if the communication event is a selected communication event, alerting a user of the user terminal to the communication event.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the characteristics of the user terminal include at least one of:

the type of user terminal;

whether a battery saving mode of the user terminal is enabled;

the type of network the user terminal is connected to; and

whether the user terminal is roaming.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the filtering parameters include one or more of:

the communication event being sent by one or more particular users;

the communication event being a particular type of communication event;

the communication event being sent at a particular time of day;

the communication event having a particular associated context;

communication event containing one or more keywords;

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the communication event type is selected from:

a voice call;

a video call;

a multi-user voice or video call;

an instant message;

a multi-user instant message;

a file transfer;

a presence notification.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a voice or video call is a selected communication event, regardless of the other filtering parameters which could determine that the communication event should be blocked.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a server in the communications network, the communication event is received at the user terminal over a channel established between the server and the user terminal.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising uploading the characteristics of the user terminal to the filtering component at the server.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of alerting comprises transmitting the communication event from the server to the user terminal over the communication network.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of alerting comprises:

storing the communication event at the server; and

transmitting a push notification from the server to the user terminal over the communication network.

36. The method of any of claim 27, wherein the filtering component is implemented at the user terminal.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising monitoring a VoIP socket at the user terminal to detect the receipt of the communication event.

38. A user terminal arranged to deliver only selected communication events to a user of the user terminal, the user terminal comprising:

an input for receiving communication events;

a processor arranged to determine characteristics of the user terminal and select filtering parameters in dependence on said characteristics, the processor further arranged to execute filtering code which uses the selected filtering parameters to determine whether a received communication event is a selected communication event and block the communication event if the communication event is not a selected communication event; and

a display arranged to alert a user of the user terminal to a communication event if the communication event is a selected communication event.

39. The user terminal of claim 38, wherein the user terminal is one of:

a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant;

a personal computer;

a tablet computer;

a television;

a gaming device;

40. A communication system for delivering selected communication events to a user terminal over a communications network, the communication system comprising:

a filtering component configured to receive a communication event and use filtering parameters, selected in dependence on characteristics of the user terminal, to determine whether the communication event is a selected communication event and block the communication event at the filtering component if the communication event is not a selected communication event; and

the user terminal comprising a display arranged to alert a user of the user terminal to the communication event if the communication event is a selected communication event.

41. The communication system of claim 40, wherein the filtering component is implemented at a server.

42. The communication system of claim 41, wherein the selected communication event is received at the user terminal over a channel established between the server and the user terminal.

43. The communication system of claim 40, wherein the filtering component is implemented at the user terminal.

44. The communication system of claim 40 wherein the communication network is a packet based network, wherein the packet based network is optionally the Internet.