US 7,599,996 B2 · Communication using delegates, such as delegates specified in an email or scheduling application

Abstract

A facility allows for automatic delegation of incoming real-time communications based on a delegation scheme. The delegation scheme may be rules-based and may be applied to a single real-time communication channel or multiple communication channels, including both real-time and non-real-time communication channels. The delegate information may include rules that indicate under what circumstances a communication should be rerouted, which delegate the communication should be rerouted to, and whether other associated actions should be taken in connection with the rerouting (or lack thereof). In some cases, the context of the incoming communication may play a role in how or whether a communication is rerouted to a delegate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method in a computer system for determining whether to reroute an incoming communication to a delegate identified by a user for which the communication is intended, the method comprising:

receiving a specification of delegate information, wherein the specification of delegate information is received in association with an application primarily used for non-real time communications including email and scheduling;
receiving an indication of an incoming real-time communication, wherein the incoming real-time communication is intended for the user;
determining whether the user is available or unavailable to receive the incoming real-time communication;
and
if the user is unavailable to receive the incoming real-time communication,
selecting by the computer system a delegate to whom to reroute the incoming real-time communication, wherein selecting the delegate is based on the delegate information;
and
directing by the computer system to reroute the incoming real-time communication to the selected delegate
so that the selection of a delegate for the incoming real-time communication is based on the specified delegate information received in association with the application primarily used for non-real time communications rather than an application primarily used for real-time communications.

6 more elements

A computing device for determining whether to route an incoming real-time communication to a delegate specified by a recipient for whom the communication is intended, the real-time communication being a telephone call, the system comprising:

a processor;
a memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions to implement components comprising:
an application configured primarily for handling non-real time communications;
a delegation component of the application configured for specifying a list of delegates and for determining delegates to whom incoming real-time communications should be routed based on availability of the recipient and a delegate specified using the application configured primarily for handling non-real time communications;
a communication receiving component that receives an indication of an incoming telephone call for the recipient and determines that the recipient is currently unavailable;
a communication forwarding component configured for forwarding the incoming telephone call to the delegates identified using the delegation component based on the determination of whether the recipient is currently unavailable.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Communication using delegates, such as delegates specified in an email or scheduling application

Life of this patent

Communication using delegates, such as delegates specified in an email or scheduling application

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20