Break-through mechanism for personas associated with a single device

• US 8,892,658 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2008
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Anoop, Czerwinski, Mary P., Barga, Roger S., Curtis, Pavel, Hough, Paul J., McAniff, Richard J., Ozzie, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Julian
• Application Number:
  US12/098,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,416 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 67/54 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 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: 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

A single device that receives communications intended for a user having multiple contact addresses associated with different user roles is provided. The single device can receive communications intended for multiple telephone numbers, email aliases, screen names, aliases, other means of contact, or combinations thereof. Since a user engaged in a particular role might not desire to be interrupted with communications intended for a different role, the communications for the other roles can be maintained until the user is actively engaged in the role for which the communication was intended. In situations where there is an important communication sent to a non-active role, selective convergence between roles is initiated and the important communication is presented to the user.

Claims

1. A system for persona breakthrough for priority communications, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory that includes a plurality of computer-executable components which are operable by the one or more processors, the plurality of computer-executable components comprising;

a role component that;

ascertains a communication role of an incoming communication by evaluating one or more phrases of the incoming communication, wherein the communication role is one of a plurality of roles associated with a recipient that the incoming communication is assigned to; and

ascertains a recipient active role based on at least one of location information of a device that receives the incoming communication, a time when the incoming communication is received or an application that is currently running on the device;

a ranking component that lowers a priority of the incoming communication in response to determining that the incoming communication is similar to a previously received and ignored break-through communication, the break-through communication associated with a previous communication role that did not match a previous recipient active role; and

a rendering component that presents the communication to a user in response to a determination that;

the communication role matches the recipient active role, or

the communication role does not match the recipient active role and the priority of the incoming communication is greater than a predetermined threshold level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ranking component increases the priority of the incoming communication based on a sender identification included in the incoming communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendering component does not output the communication if the communication role does not match the recipient active role and the priority of the incoming communication does not meet a threshold level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ranking component increases the priority of the incoming communication based on a plurality of key words included in the incoming communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is addressed to one of a plurality of aliases that are routed through a single device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ranking component prioritizes the incoming communication based on an importance level.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the recipient active role is a role in which a user is currently engaged.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority is based in part on a user preference.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the recipient active role is further based on activities that a user is currently engaged in.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that automates one or more system components.

11. A computer-implemented method for selectively converging user roles when an important communication is received, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems comprising one or more processors;

receiving a communication intended for at least one alias associated with a user;

determining a communication role and a current user role, the current user role being ascertained based on at least location information of a device that receives the incoming communication, wherein the communication role is one of a plurality of roles associated with the user that the incoming communication is assigned to;

assigning a priority level for the communication in response to determining that the communication is similar to a previously received and ignored break-through communication, the break-through communication associated with a previous communication role that did not match a previous current user role;

in response to a determination that the priority level meets or exceeds a threshold level and that the current user role is different than the communication role, selectively converging the current user role and the communication role to allow the user to receive the communication through the current user role; and

in response to a determination that the priority level neither meets nor exceeds the threshold level, retaining the communication in storage until a transition of the current user role is made such that the communication role matches the current user role.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein selectively converging the roles comprises presenting the communication on an output device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the roles are not converged if the priority level is below the threshold level.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the incoming communication is presented if the intended role matches the current user role, and wherein the current user role is based in part on at least one of locations of the user, a time, or applications currently used by the user.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein determining the communication role comprises comparing information associated with a sender of the communication with information contained in a contact database.

14. The computer-implemented method of 11, wherein the incoming communication is addressed to one of a plurality of aliases that are routed through a single device.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising:

determining a communication role of an incoming communication, wherein the communication role is one of a plurality of roles associated with a recipient that the incoming communication is assigned to;

ascertaining a current role of a recipient of the incoming communication based on at least a first weight associated with a first criterion for location information of a device that receives the incoming communication, and a second weight associated with a second criterion for an application that is currently running on the device, wherein the first weight of the first criterion is different than the second weight of the second criterion;

determining whether the communication role matches the current role;

in response to a determination that the communication role matches the current role, presenting the incoming communication; and

in response to a determination that the communication role does not match the current role;

determining a priority level of the incoming communication based on an identity of a sender of the incoming communication and historical information associated with the incoming communication; and

interrupting a current activity of a user if the priority level meets or exceeds a threshold level.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the acts further comprise retaining the incoming communication if the priority level does not meet the threshold level and the current role and the communication role do not match.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the historical information associated with the incoming communication includes information of ignored incoming communications.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein determining the priority level to the incoming communication is further based on a key word of the incoming communication.