Method and apparatus for automatic notification and response based on communication flow expressions having dynamic context

• US 8,516,045 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Ordille, Joann J., Slye, John Hamilton, Tendick, Patrick, Yang, Qian
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/083,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20050223070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,078 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/229, 709/234
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 : Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4874 : Intercept announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 : Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 : Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatic notification and response based on communication flow expressions having dynamic context. A message is provided from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths. The communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression having a dynamic context, wherein the communication flow expression contains at least one primitive keyword indicating how the message should be processed. The dynamic context of the communication flow expression may be established using one or more labels or a context function. A number of primitive keywords are provided that allow a communication flow expression to react to a dynamic context.

Claims

1. A method for providing a message from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths, said method comprising:

receiving said message from said sender by a data-processing system in accordance with said communication flow;

evaluating said communication flow by said data-processing system, wherein said communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression that comprises a dynamic context, wherein said dynamic context comprises one or more of an update to data in said communication flow, a response received for said communication flow, and a state of said communication flow, wherein said dynamic context is established via at least one of a label that provides context and a context function that sets said context in said communication flow expression, and wherein said communication flow expression further comprises at least one primitive keyword indicating how said message should be processed in response to said dynamic context, wherein said primitive keyword is an evaluation function that specifies data being watched that will trigger evaluation of a specified conditional, wherein said evaluation function acts on changes to one or more of data and responses associated with said communication flow expression, and wherein said evaluation function allows an application to dynamically add one or more nodes to said communication flow during execution of said communication flow as a result of data updates or receipt of responses;

processing said message by said data-processing system based on said communication flow expression and said dynamic context; and

sending said message to said at least one recipient in accordance with said communication flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said dynamic context is established by said data-processing system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels are inherited by each child node of the node to which said one or more labels are applied.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels are unique.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels are a condition in a communication rule.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more of said labels are tested by a conditional expression in a communication flow.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels identify a subscription that generated a message.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said data-processing system applies one or more communication rules to said one or more labels to determine the preferred communication flow for delivering messages based on one or more subscriptions.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels identify phases of a communication.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels identify roles of recipients of a communication.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more labels control a rendering of said message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said context function enables an application to set a context for said communication flow expression that is executed at the root level.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said context function invokes a method on the root of a subtree created by parsing a second argument of said context function to set said context.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said method causes said context to propagate down said subtree, setting a context on all nodes that do not currently have a defined context.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said primitive keyword is a watch operand that has an associated test expression that is evaluated at runtime, and wherein said watch operand will block until said associated test expression evaluates to true, and then said watch operand will evaluate to true.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said watch operand evaluates said associated test expression the first time said associated test expression is encountered and if said associated test expression is false, then said associated test expression is evaluated each time the request data is modified or a response is submitted.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said watch operand monitors a specific element in the data associated with said communication flow expression, or the responses associated with said communication flow expression and allows iteration over all values, and wherein said watch operand evaluates said associated test expression for each existing value or response, and then when a new value is added for said element being watched, or a new response is submitted.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said primitive keyword is an advises or informs operator that causes an out-of-band communication flow expression to be evaluated outside of the scope of said main communication flow expression.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a response received to said out-of-band communication flow expression is treated as a comment and does not affect the truth-value of the said main communication flow expression.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said primitive keyword is a consult operator that evaluates all of its children and waits for one of them to result in a true or false value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said result is returned as the value of the operator, but the remaining operands are placed out-of-band so that they can continue operation without affecting an outcome of said communication flow expression.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said primitive keyword is a contact function that allows a media contact to be defined directly in said communication flow expression.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said contact function allows a communication flow to be dynamically delegated to another recipient.

24. An apparatus for providing a message from a sender to at least one recipient in accordance with a communication flow having a plurality of potential paths, said apparatus comprising:

a memory that is non-transitory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

receive said message from said sender in accordance with said communication flow;

evaluate said communication flow by said data-processing system, wherein said communication flow is controlled by a communication flow expression that comprises a dynamic context, wherein said dynamic context comprises one or more of an update to data in said communication flow, a response received for said communication flow, and a state of said communication flow, wherein said dynamic context is established via at least one of a label that provides context and a context function that sets said context in said communication flow expression, and wherein said communication flow expression further comprises at least one primitive keyword indicating how said message should be processed in response to said dynamic context, wherein said primitive keyword is an evaluation function that specifies data being watched that will trigger evaluation of a specified conditional, wherein said evaluation function acts on changes to one or more of data and responses associated with said communication flow expression, and wherein said evaluation function allows an application to dynamically add one or more nodes to said communication flow during execution of said communication flow as a result of data updates or receipt of responses;

process said message based on said communication flow expression and said dynamic context; and

send said message to said at least one recipient in accordance with said communication flow.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said dynamic context is established using one or more labels.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said context function enables an application to set a context for said communication flow expression that is executed at the root level.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said primitive keyword is a watch operand that has an associated test expression that is evaluated at runtime, and wherein said watch operand will block until said associated test expression evaluates to true, and then said watch operand will evaluate to true.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said primitive keyword is an advises or informs operator that causes an out-of-band communication flow expression to be evaluated outside of the scope of said main communication flow expression.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said primitive keyword is a consult operator that evaluates all of its children and waits for one of them to result in a true or false value.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said primitive keyword is a contact function that allows a media contact to be defined directly in said communication flow expression.