Rate control in communications systems

• US 7,688,953 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schramm, Steven D., Fullarton, Paul, Chatterjee, Saurav, Rana, Hemendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi; Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US11/509,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.8, 379/88.11, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/88.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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

Abstract

Communications rate control is described. The rate control includes receiving a message addressed to a client device of a user. A determination is made as to a category of the message. Data of the message is synchronized between a server and the mobile device in response to one or more of the category and one or more user actions at the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, in a plurality of disparate directory databases, contact data associated with each of a plurality of client devices, wherein the contact data includes at least one predetermined criterion associated with synchronization of message for each of the plurality of client devices;

aggregating the plurality of disparate directory databases into an integrated directory associated with each of the plurality of client devices;

receiving a plurality of messages comprising data for at least one of the plurality of client devices in accordance with stored contact data associated therewith;

determining a category associated with a content type of each of the messages;

determining a device context state for the at least one client device selected from a first device context state and a second device context state;

synchronizing the at least one client device with data from messages having a category meeting a predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the at least one client device responsive to determining the at least one client device being in one of a group consisting of the first device context state and the second device context state;

synchronizing the at least one client device with data from messages that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the at least one client device responsive to determining the client device is in the first context state; and

queuing messages for future synchronization with the at least one client device that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data and responsive to determining the at least one client device is in the second context state until the client device is in the first context state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing includes immediately synchronizing messages in a first category.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing in response to a predefined activity at the client device when the message is a second category.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predefined activity includes one or more of generating a message at the client device and navigating a user interface of the client device.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising re-categorizing messages of one or more types of the second category in response to a communication event initiated at the client device.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising re-categorizing messages of one or more types of the second category in response to a search of data of the server initiated at the client device.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing messages of the second category in response to an action including navigating to a first portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to presence data of other users.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to the other users having a first presence status.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first portion is a communications log page of the user interface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first presence status is an active status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing messages of the second category in response to an action including navigating to a second portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to presence data of other users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to other users having one or more of a first presence status and a second presence status.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second portion is a contacts list of the user interface.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first presence status is an active status and the second presence status is a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the user has communicated via the client device with the other user during a pre-specified period of time, wherein the standby status indicates the user has communicated via the client device with the other user outside the pre-specified period of time.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing messages of the second category in response to a generated message of the first category being generated at the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to another user having one or more of a first presence status and a second presence status.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first presence status is an active status and the second presence status is a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time, wherein the standby status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user outside the pre-specified period of time.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a first category is a high-priority message and a second category is lower priority message relative to the first category, wherein the priority is assigned by the server.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a first category is one or more of a text message, a telephone call notification message, a contact update message to update contact information, and a notification message of an event.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a second category is a presence message, wherein the presence message includes information of presence and availability of at least one other user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the presence message includes one or more of a presence message corresponding to another user whom a user of the client device is actively monitoring and a presence message corresponding to another user whom a user of the client device excludes from active monitoring.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the message in a first queue when the message is a first category and placing the message in a second queue when the message is a second category.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the synchronizing includes immediately synchronizing contents of the first queue in response to the message when the message is the first category.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing contents of the second queue in response to a user action at the client device when the message is a second category.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein synchronizing contents of the second queue includes:

moving one or more messages of the second queue to the first queue according to a presence status of another user that corresponds to the message; and

synchronizing contents of the first queue.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the user action includes navigating to a first portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the presence status is an active status that indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a prespecified period of time.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the user action includes navigating to a second portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the presence status includes one or more of an active status and a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time and the standby status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user outside the pre-specified period of time.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the user action includes generating a message of the first category at the client device, wherein the presence status includes an active status and a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time and the standby status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user outside the prespecified period of time.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the user actions occur before the receiving.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the user actions occur after the receiving.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the category includes a plurality of message types.

31. A system comprising a rate controller coupled to at least one server and at least one communication network, the rate controller configured to access, in a plurality of disparate directory databases stored on the at least one server, contact data associated with each of a plurality of client devices, wherein the contact data includes at least one predetermined criterion associated with synchronization of message for each of the plurality of client devices;

wherein the rate controller is configured to aggregate the plurality of disparate directory databases into an integrated directory associated with each of the plurality of client devices;

wherein the rate controller configured to determine a category associated with a content type for each of a plurality of messages comprising data for at least one of the plurality of client devices received at the server;

wherein the rate controller is configured to determine whether the at least one client device is in one of a group consisting of a first device context state and a second device context state;

wherein the rate controller is configured to synchronize the at least one client device with data from messages having a category meeting a predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the client device responsive to determining that the client device is in one of a group consisting of the first device context state and the second device context state;

wherein the rate controller is configured to synchronize the at least one client device with data from messages that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the client device responsive to determining the client device is in the first device context state; and

wherein the rate controller is configured store data in a queue for future synchronization with the at least one client device from messages that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data and determining the at least one client device is in the second device context state until determining the client device is in the first device context state.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the synchronizing includes immediately synchronizing in response to the message when the message is a first category.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the rate controller determines the client device is in the first device context state in response to a user action at the client device when the message is a second category.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the user action includes one or more of generating a message at the client device and navigating a user interface of the client device.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the rate controller is configured to re-categorize messages of one or more types of the second category in response to one or more of a communication event initiated at the client device and a search of data of the server initiated at the client device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the rate controller synchronizes messages of the second category with the client device in response to an action including navigating to a first portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to presence data of other users.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the rate controller synchronizes messages of the second category in response to an action including navigating to a second portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to presence data of other users.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the rate controller synchronizes messages of the second category in response to a generated message of the first category being generated at the client device, wherein the messages of the second category correspond to another user having one or more of a first presence status and a second presence status.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the rate controller is configured to place the message in a first queue when the message is a first category and placing the message in a second queue when the message is a second category.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the rate controller immediately synchronizes contents of the first queue in response to the message when the message is the first category.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the rate controller synchronizes contents of the second queue in response to a user action at the client device when the message is a second category.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein synchronizing contents of the second queue by the rate controller includes:

moving one or more messages of the second queue to the first queue according to a presence status of another user that corresponds to the message; and

synchronizing contents of the first queue.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the user action includes navigating to a first portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the presence status is an active status that indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a prespecified period of time.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the user action includes navigating to a second portion of a user interface of the client device, wherein the presence status includes one or more of an active status and a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time and the standby status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user outside the pre-specified period of time.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the user action includes generating a message of the first category at the client device, wherein the presence status includes an active status and a standby status, wherein the active status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user during a pre-specified period of time and the standby status indicates the client device has communicated with the other user outside the prespecified period of time.

46. An apparatus, comprising:

means for storing, in a plurality of disparate directory databases, contact data associated with each of a plurality of client devices, wherein the contact data includes at least one predetermined criterion associated with synchronization of message for each of the plurality of client devices;

means for aggregating the plurality of disparate directory databases into an integrated directory associated with each of the plurality of client devices;

means for receiving a plurality of messages comprising data for at least one of the plurality of client devices;

means for determining a device context state for the at least one client device;

means for determining a category associated with a content type of each of the messages;

means for synchronizing the client with data from messages having a category meeting a predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the at least one client device responsive to determining the client being in one of a group consisting of the first device context state and the second device context state;

means for synchronizing the at least one client device with data from messages that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data corresponding to the at least one client device responsive to determining the client device is in the first device context state; and

means for queuing messages for future synchronization with the at least one client device that do not meet the predetermined criterion associated with the stored contact data and determining the at least one client device is in the second device context state until the client device is in the first device context state.