Real-time communication of a selected type

• US 7,437,412 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pragmatus AV LLC (Pragmatus, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avistar Communications Corporation (Avistar)
• Inventors: Lantz, Keith A., Lauwers, J. Chris, Burns, Emmett R., Burnett, Gerald J., Ludwig, Lester F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Application Number:
  US11/624,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 709223-224, 709227-228, 715751-759
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

First and second users log in using respective communication devices. Address information of the communication devices are sent to respective first and second servers. At the communication device used by the first user, a graphical icon representing the second user is retrieved from the first server, and is displayed in a quick dial list of first-user-selected user identifiers on the display. The first user selects the icon to request communication with the second user. Real-time communication types are displayed on a display associated with the communication device used by the first user. In response, the first server is queried to obtain the current address information for the selected second user. The received address information is used to establish a communication type. If a communication type is selected by the first user, the real-time communication is of the selected type. Otherwise, the real-time communication is of a default communication type.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling a first user to log in using at least one of a plurality of communication devices;

enabling a second user to log in using at least one of a plurality of communication devices;

sending information indicating an address of the first user to a first server associated with the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in;

sending information indicating an address of the second user to a second server associated with the at least one communication device used by the second user to log in, the second server being separated from the first server by at least one wide area network;

retrieving, at the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in, a graphical icon information representing the second user from the first server;

causing display of representations of a plurality of real-time communication types for the first user to select on a display associated with the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in;

causing display of a graphical rolodex on a display of the communication device used by the first user to log in, the graphical rolodex having a scrollable listing of user identifiers of potential participants;

causing display of a quick-dial panel on the display of the communication device used by the first user to log in, the quick-dial panel listing identifiers in the form of icons for potential participants for selection by the first user, the quick-dial panel having been previously created by the first user by selecting user identifiers of potential participants from the graphical rolodex, wherein at least one of the graphical rolodex and the quick-dial panel further comprises the retrieved graphical icon for the second user;

allowing the first user to initiate real-time communication with the second user by selecting a user identifier for the second user from at least one of the graphical rolodex and the quick-dial panel;

in response, querying the first server to obtain a current address information for the selected second user;

using the address information to cause automatic establishing of real-time communication of a selected real-time communication type between the first and second users, wherein

if the real-time communication type is selected by the first user from the plurality of displayed real-time communication types, the real-time communication is of the selected type, and

if the real-time communication type is not selected by the first user, the real-time communication is of a default communication type; and

detecting an incoming communication, from at least one communicating participant, at the communication device used by the first user to log in during an active communication with the second user;

notifying the first user of the identity of at the at least one communicating participant; and

providing the first user with an option of accepting the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the second user with at least one port to which the at least one communication device used by the second user to log in is connected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the first user to specify a third user by selecting a user identifier associated with the third user in the quick-dial panel to request real-time communication with the third user; and

if the third user has not logged in, causing the first server to automatically notify the first user that the third user has not logged in.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the communication devices to register at least one collaborative service that the respective communication device provides.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication types comprise at least one of the group consisting of audio, video, and real-time text.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication is enabled based on capabilities of at least the communication device used by the second user to log in.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device used by the first user to log in is a wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless device uses at least cellular phone links for the real-time communication.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing communication between the first server and the second server to receive the current address information of the second user from the second server at the first server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising exchanging the address information of the first user and the second user between the first server and the second server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second server is separate from any server associated with the first communication device used by the first user to log in by at least one wide area network, and wherein real-time communication between the first and second users is established using a wide area network gateway over the wide area network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one user identifier in the graphical rolodex comprises at least an icon representing a corresponding potential participant.

13. A machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, which when executed by at least one computer, cause the computer to:

enable a first user to log in using at least one of a plurality of communication devices;

enable a second user to log in using at least one of a plurality of communication devices;

send information indicating an address of the first user to a first server associated with the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in;

send information indicating an address of the second user to a second server associated with the at least one communication device used by the second user to log in, the second server being separated from the first server by at least one wide area network;

retrieve, at the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in, a graphical icon representing the second user from the first server;

cause display a plurality of real-time communication types for the first user to select on a display associated with the at least one communication device used by the first user to log in;

cause display of a graphical rolodex on a display of the communication device used by the first user to log in, the graphical rolodex having a scrollable listing of user identifiers of potential participants;

cause display of a quick-dial panel on the display of the communication device used by the first user to log in, the quick-dial panel listing identifiers in the form of icons for potential participants for selection by the first user, the quick-dial panel having been previously created by the first user by selecting user identifiers of potential participants from the graphical rolodex, wherein at least one of the graphical rolodex and the quick-dial panel further comprises the retrieved graphical icon for the second user;

allow the first user to initiate collaboration with the second user by selecting a user identifier for the second user from at least one of the graphical rolodex and the quick-dial panel;

in response, querying the first server to obtain a current address information for the selected second user;

use the address information to cause automatic establishing real-time communication of a selected real-time communication type between the first and second users, wherein

if the real-time communication type is selected by the first user from the plurality of displayed real-time communication types, the real-time communication is of the selected type, and

if the real-time communication type is not selected by the first user, the real-time communication is of a default communication type; and

detect an incoming communication, from at least one communicating participant, at the communication device used by the first user to log in during an active communication with the second user;

notify the first user of the identity of the at least one communicating participant; and

provide the first user with an option of accepting the incoming communication.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to establish communication between the first server and second server to receive the address information associated with the second user from the second server.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the real-time communication types comprise at least one of the group consisting of audio, video, and real-time text.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the real time communication between the first and second users is established using a wide area network gateway over the wide area network.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

enable the first user to specify a third user by selecting a user identifier associated with the third user in the quick-dial panel to request real-time communication with the third user; and

if the third user has not logged in, cause the first server to automatically notify the first user that the third user has not logged in.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to enable the communication devices to register at least one collaborative service that the respective communication device provides.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to exchange address information associated with the first user and the second user between the first server and the second server.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein at least one user identifier in the graphical rolodex comprises at least an icon representing a corresponding potential participant.