Patent US3264375A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6970547B2
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US
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Universal state-aware communications
Assignee: TTEC Customer Care Management Ireland Ltd
•
Filing: 2003-05-12
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Granted: 2005-11-29
•
Expires: 2023-05-12
Abstract
Abstract A communications system for general business environments that exploits knowledge of user state to provide advantages of efficiency and control for individual users and for the business. The communications system also provides particular advantages in environments where users have multiple communication devices and for communications of a business with external parties. In other aspects, the communication system provides features of application flexibility and system fault-tolerance with broad applicability to communication systems.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne Andrews
- 👤 Jerry Gechter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 05:36
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1069; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M3/5232; H04L43/00; H04L43/08; H04L43/0805; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/54; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42059; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42093; H04M3/42365
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 86
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
192 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
218 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, enables one of said users to set conditions under which communications are to be established with said user, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users according to said conditions set by said users and when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
218 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, enables one of said users to set conditions under which communications are to be established with said user, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users according to said conditions set by said users and when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
216 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, receives conditions under which communications are to be established among said users from a system administrator, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users according to said conditions set by said administrator and said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
216 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, receives conditions under which communications are to be established among said users from a system administrator, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users according to said conditions set by said administrator and said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
198 words
A system for establishing communications between users involved in a project comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users and project states relating to said project, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users based upon the state of at least one said user and said project states, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established based upon the state of at least one said user and said project states, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
198 words
A system for establishing communications between users involved in a project comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, and a controller that monitors the states of said users and project states relating to said project, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication among two or more said users based upon the state of at least one said user and said project states, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established based upon the state of at least one said user and said project states, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
210 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, at least some said users having more than one said communication device, and a controller that monitors the states of said users on their communication devices, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state on an appropriate device for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state on an appropriate device for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
210 words
A system for establishing communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, at least some said users having more than one said communication device, and a controller that monitors the states of said users on their communication devices, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication between two or more said users, establishes a requested communication when said two or more said users are each in an appropriate state on an appropriate device for participating in said communication, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the corresponding users are each in an appropriate state on an appropriate device for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
209 words
A system to establish communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, one or more communication requesters, each said communication requester able to request the establishment of a communication for a requesting user with one or more additional users, a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication from said communication requesters, establishes a requested communication between said requesting user and said additional users when said requesting user is in an appropriate state, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a requesting user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the requesting user is in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
209 words
A system to establish communications between users comprising one or more communication devices for each said user, one or more communication requesters, each said communication requester able to request the establishment of a communication for a requesting user with one or more additional users, a controller that monitors the states of said users, receives communication requests for the establishment of a communication from said communication requesters, establishes a requested communication between said requesting user and said additional users when said requesting user is in an appropriate state, maintains waiting communications data associated with communication requests waiting to be established, referred to as waiting communications, sends a waiting communication notification with information about an addition, deletion, or change to the waiting communications or other change to the waiting communications data to at least one party that did not request the addition, deletion or change, responds to a waiting communication management request from a recipient of a waiting communications notification by modifying the waiting communications data; and responds to a change of state for a requesting user by selecting at most one waiting communication that can be established because the requesting user is in an appropriate state for participating in the communication, said selecting based on the current waiting communications data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 wherein one of said requests for the establishment of a communication includes specification of an appropriate state for one of said users to participate in the communication.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the states of said users by receiving state change messages requesting or indicating a change in the state of said users.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said controller monitors the states of said users by polling for state data for said users.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communication requests can be originated by users.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communications requests can be originated by parties who are not users.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system claim 1 wherein the states of said users include an Available state in which a user is willing to communicate with another user.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 12 wherein a user can be in the Available state independent of whether said user is currently communicating with another user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the states of said users include a state that is independent of whether the user is currently communicating with another user.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 14 wherein a user can be in the Available state independent of whether said user is currently communicating with another user.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said waiting communications notification is sent automatically to a recipient.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said waiting communications notification is sent in response to a request from a recipient.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient of a waiting communications notification is a user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient of a waiting communications notification is a person who is not a user.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient of a waiting communications notification is a computer application.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said recipient of a waiting communications notification is a Customer Relationship Management system.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient receives the waiting communications notification directly from said controller.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said controller receives the waiting communications management request directly from said recipient.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient receives the waiting communications notification from another party based on a waiting communications notification received directly from said controller.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said controller receives the waiting communications management request from another party based on a waiting communications management request received directly from said recipient.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the waiting communications notification provides the length of time a communication request has spent waiting to be established.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said modifying includes a deletion of a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said modifying includes a change to a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said change includes a change to one or more of the users in the communication request.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said change includes a change to the appropriate state for a user to participate in a communication.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said change includes a change to the media or the subject of the communication request.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said modifying deactivates a communication request, so that it cannot be chosen by said selecting, or activates a deactivated communication request so that it can be chosen.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said modifying sets a corporate priority order among the communication requests waiting to be established, and said selecting is responsive to the corporate priority order to determine the order in which communications are established.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 33 wherein only some parties and not others are permitted to set a corporate priority order.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said recipient is a user and said modifying only involves communication requests for said user.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 35 wherein said modifying sets a user priority order for call requests involving the user, and said selecting is responsive to said user priority order to determine the order in which communications are established for the user.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said controller further receives a user state change request from a user and responds to the user state change request by sending user state information indicating the requested change of state has occurred for the user.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 37 wherein said controller responds to the change of state request from the user by establishing a communication instead of indicating the requested change of state has occurred for the user.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes a reporting interface that provides historical information on the handling of communication requests by the system and said historical information provides the duration of the waiting time before a requested communication was established.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes an administrative interface and the logic for selecting can be modified by said administrative interface.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 1 wherein logic for selecting is specified by logical links between basic operations and the links and basic operations are defined in a database.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communication is a real-time communication medium such as voice.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communication is a non-real-time communication medium such as email.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communication involves an Instant Messaging system.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said communication involves the Public Switched Telephone network.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the state of a user is monitored using an Instant Messaging system, a CRM system, a SIP network, or a GPS system.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the state of a user is monitored using a Web server or a Web service.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said conditions are set by modifying said waiting communications data.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said conditions are set by specifying selection logic for said selecting.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 47 wherein said selection logic is defined by user-editable scripts.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 2 wherein said conditions are set by specifying priorities for callers or caller attributes to be used by said selecting.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said administrative conditions are set by modifying said waiting communications data.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said administrative conditions are set by specifying selection logic for said selecting.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 53 wherein said selection logic is defined by administrative scripts.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said administrative conditions are set by specifying priorities for organizations to be used by said selecting.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
11 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said administrator is a user.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said administrator is not a user.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by initiating a communication request.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by setting a corporate priority for a communication request, where said corporate priority is used by said selecting to determine the order in which communications are established.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by changing the state of a user.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller establishes said requested communication based upon the states of said two or more said users and said project states.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by deleting a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by modifying a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 63 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by changing the users involved in a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 63 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by changing an appropriate state for a user to participate in a communication.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 63 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by changing the media or the subject of a communication request.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by deactivating a communication request, so that it cannot be chosen by said selecting, or by activating a deactivated communication request so that it can be chosen.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said controller responds to a change in project state by modifying the waiting communications data.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said selecting further includes device selection logic to determine which user devices are appropriate for said requested communication and said device selection logic depends on the states of at least one of said two or more said users on their devices.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the waiting communications notification provides the length of time a communication request has spent waiting to be established.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said modifying includes a deletion of a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said modifying includes a change to a communication request that is waiting to be established.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 72 wherein said change includes a change to one or more of the users in the communication request.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 72 wherein said change includes a change to the appropriate state for the requesting user to participate in a communication.
Claim 81
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 72 wherein said change includes a change to the media or the subject of the communication request.
Claim 82
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said modifying deactivates a communication request, so that it cannot be chosen by said selecting, or activates a deactivated communication request so that it can be chosen.
Claim 83
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said modifying sets a corporate priority order among the communication requests waiting to be established, and said selecting is responsive to the corporate priority order to determine the order in which communications are established.
Claim 84
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said requests for the establishment of communication include specification of said appropriate state for the requesting user.
Claim 85
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said waiting communication notification provides historical information on the handling of communication requests by the system and said historical information provides the duration of the pending time before a requested communication was established.
Claim 86
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the states of the requesting user include a state that is independent of whether the user is currently communicating with another user.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-11-28 | 2009-05-30 | 2009-11-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-11-28 | 2013-05-30 | 2013-11-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-11-28 | 2017-05-30 | 2017-11-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |