Presence-based telecommunications system

• US 7,162,256 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Klemm, Reinhard Peter, Seligmann, Doree Duncan, Sammon, Michael J., Brotman, Lynne Shapiro, Boyer, David Gray, John, Ajita, Khan, Anjum
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari; Sayed T.
• Application Number:
  US10/742,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20050070312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6, 455/456.1, 455/422, 455/440, 455/456.3, 455/414.2, 379/218.01, 379/218.02, 379/201.06, 379/201.08
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for enabling a user of a telecommunications terminal to specify desired characteristics for the recipient of a call in lieu of a contact identifier are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment enables a user to specify one or more of the following criteria for a recipient: (i) a role requirement that specifies a role (e.g., a nurse, a doctor, etc.); (ii) a capability requirement that specifies one or more capabilities (e.g., able to speak Spanish, etc.); (iii) a location requirement (e.g., on the third floor of Building A, etc.); and (iv) a cardinality descriptor for the number of recipients (e.g., one recipient, at least three recipients, etc.). The illustrative embodiment also employs availability data (e.g., a schedule, etc.) and rules to determine whether a particular person is available to receive a call.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for associating each of a plurality of users with one or more roles and a current location; and

a processor for;

(i) receiving a transmission request that specifies a role requirement, a cardinality descriptor, and a location requirement, and

(ii) determining which of said users to transmit to based on said role requirement, said cardinality descriptor, said location requirement, and the contents of said memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said location requirement is selected from the group consisting of:

within an area, outside an area, within a distance of an area, outside a distance from an area, closest to an area, and furthest from an area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for storing a class hierarchy for said roles, and wherein said role requirement comprises a relationship with respect to said class hierarchy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with one or more capabilities, and wherein said transmission request also specifies a capability requirement, and wherein the determination of which of said users to transmit to is also based on said capability requirement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with an availability datum, and wherein the determination of which of said users to transmit to is also based on said availability datum.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said availability datum is selected from the group consisting of:

a schedule, a temporal flag, a set of one or more rules, and a hierarchy of one or more rules.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with a contact identifier, and wherein said processor is also for:

(iii) determining one or more contact identifiers to transmit to based on the contents of said memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determination of which of said users to transmit to is also based on calendrical time.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory for associating each of a plurality of users with one or more capabilities and a current location; and

a processor for;

(i) receiving a transmission request that specifies a capability requirement, a cardinality descriptor, and a location requirement, and

(ii) determining which of said users to transmit to based on said capability requirement, said cardinality descriptor, said location requirement, and the contents of said memory.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said location requirement is selected from the group consisting of:

within an area, outside an area, within a distance of an area, outside a distance from an area, closest to an area, and furthest from an area.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said memory is also for associating each of said plurality of users with an availability datum, and wherein the determination of which of said users to transmit to is also based on said availability datum.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said availability datum is selected from the group consisting of:

a schedule, a temporal flag, a set of one or more rules, and a hierarchy of one or more rules.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a transmission request that specifies a capability requirement, a cardinality descriptor, and a location requirement; and

determining which of a plurality of users to transmit to based on

said capability requirement, said cardinality descriptor.

said location requirement,

the current locations of said users, and

capabilities associated with said users.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said location requirement specifies being closest to an area.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said location requirement specifies being furthest from an area.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said location requirement specifies being outside an area.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the determination of which of said plurality of users to transmit to is also based on availability information for one or more of said plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the determination of which of said plurality of users to transmit to is also based on calendrical time.