System and method for automatically responding to a received communication

• US 7,673,055 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu Ha T
• Application Number:
  US11/159,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/206, 709/220, 370/254, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A device and a method of responding to a received interrupt event received by a communication device is provided. The method comprises accessing data associated with a calendar application and/or a location application to determine a current state of availability of a user of the device using data; determining whether a response action is to be sent in response to the event when the device is note available; and sending the response action. The device incorporates modules to perform the method.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device, comprising:

accessing data associated from at least one of a plurality of applications operating on said communication device to determine a current state of availability of said user;

accessing a database of response actions for incoming communications, said database listing response action categories against interrupt events, to attempt to determine a level of importance for said interrupt event based on source information of said interrupt event and if said database contains a record for said interrupt event, then determining whether a response action is to be sent in response to said interrupt event based on said level of importance when said communication device is in said current state of availability;

if said response action is to be sent,

building said response action for said communication device having context data associated with at least one application operating on said communication device, said level of importance being used to determine a level of detail provided by said context data; and

sending said response action from said communication device to another device to a sender associated With said interrupt event; and

upon a change of said current state of availability, providing a notice on said communication device indicating previous response actions sent during a previous state of unavailability, said notice providing a link to initiate a response communication with said another device.

2. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said response action includes a projected available time for said user extracted from said data.

3. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said response action is sent using a communication method that was used to transmit said interrupt event to said communication device; and

a second response action is sent from said communication device to said another device in using a different communication method than said communication method used to transmit said interrupt event.

4. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a response template is provided to allow entry of said response and any other responses in view of said received interrupt event.

5. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said data relates to a current location identified by a location application operating on said communication device;

said location application relates to a GPS function; and

said response action indicates that said user is in said current location.

6. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said context data is extracted from at least two applications operating on said communication device, and provides at least data associated with said sender and data associated with said current state of availability of said user.

7. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

said current state of availability of said user is selected from a do not disturb state, an

available state and a not available state.

8. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said database identifies a plurality of response actions using a plurality of communication methods for a particular sender of communications to said communication device.

9. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said context data provides location and time data extracted from said data; and

said data provides an indicator for said level of detail for said response.

10. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said response action is selected from sending a generic response and sending a message containing customized fields for a sender based on source information of said interrupt event.

11. The method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of said communication device as claimed in claim 1 wherein

upon said change of said current state of availability, sending another response action from said communication device to said another device advising of said change utilizing log data of send response actions for said communication device.

12. A method of responding to a received interrupt event for a user of a communication device, comprising:

accessing data associated from at least one of a plurality of applications operating on said communication device to determine a current state of availability of said user;

accessing a database of response actions for incoming communications, said database listing response action categories against interrupt events, to attempt to determine a level of importance for said interrupt event based on source information of said interrupt event and if said database contains a record for said interrupt event, then determining whether a response action is to be sent in response to said interrupt event based on said level of importance when said communication device is in said current state of availability;

if said response action is to be sent,

building said response action for said communication device having context data associated with at least one application operating on said communication device, said level of importance being used to determine a level of detail provided by said context data; and

sending said response action from said communication device to another device to a sender associated with said interrupt event; and

upon a change of said current state of availability, sending another response action from said communication device to said another device advising of said change utilizing log data of sent response actions for said communication device providing a notice on said communication device indicating previous response actions sent during a previous state of unavailability.

13. A communication device for receiving and responding to a received interrupt event, comprising:

microprocessor;

a calendar application providing instructions to said microprocessor to track and provide a current state of availability of a user of said communication device utilizing availability data provided about said user to said communication device;

a communication module to receive and send communications utilizing at least one communication technology;

an application providing instructions to said microprocessor

to track said received interrupt event received from another device by said communication module;

to access a database of response actions for incoming communications, said database listing response action categories against interrupt events to attempt to determine a level of importance for said interrupt event based on source information of said interrupt event;

if said database contains a record for said interrupt event, then to determine whether a response action is to be sent in response to said interrupt event based on said level of importance when said communication device is in said current state of availability;

and if said response action is to be sent,

to build said response action for said communication device having context data associated with at least one application operating on said communication device, said level of importance being used to determine a level of detail provided by said context data; and

to send said response action from said communication device to said another device;

and

upon a change of said current state of availability

to provide a notice on said communication device indicating previous response actions sent during a previous state of unavailability, said notice providing a link to initiate a response communication with said another device.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 13 wherein

for said response action, said application provides details relating to said current state of availability.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said response action is sent using a communication technology associated with said received interrupt event.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 15 wherein

said at least one communication technology comprises at least data and telephonic communications;

and

said application sends said response action using a different communication technology from a communication technology associated with said received interrupt event.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 13 wherein:

said application sends another response action to said another device upon a change of said current state of availability of said user.

18. The communication device as claimed in claim 13 wherein:

said application generates a notice indicating responses sent prior to a change of said current state of availability.

19. The communication device as claimed in claim 13 wherein:

said context data is extracted from at least two applications operating on said communication device, and provides at least data associated with said sender and data associated with said current state of availability of said user.

20. The communication device as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said current state of availability of said user is selected from a do not disturb state, an

available state and a not available state.

21. The communication device for receiving and responding to a received interrupt event as claimed in claim 13 wherein

upon said change of said current state of availability, said application provides instructions to said microprocessor to send another response action from said communication device to said another device advising of said change utilizing log data of send response actions for said communication device.