US 8,510,392 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for automatic notification and response

AssigneeAvaya Inc.

InventorsJoan J. Ordille, Thomas A. Petsche

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Abstract

Notification and response system to enable applications to communicate with recipients using different media, by: sending requests to one or more recipients, using the medium specified by each individual recipient; collecting and processing responses; and forwarding responses to their final destination using the medium specified by the final destination. The request is delivered to a recipient according to their preferences. Communication flow expressions specify the recipients, and how, when and where each recipient receives the request. Requests are dynamically updated, and parameters of a communication flow expression are not evaluated, until the request is delivered. Communication flow rules specify recipient's communication preferences and tailor communication flows to characteristics of the sender, the topic or scheduling constraints. Communication flow expressions are evaluated using a three-valued logic of notification success, failure, and possible failure. Primitives specify simultaneous or sequential contact, and when execution of the sub-expression should terminate.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving, by a system from a sender:
(i) a first communication flow expression that comprises:
an identifier of a first recipient of a request;
how, when and where the first recipient will receive the request;
and what action to take if the first recipient fails to respond successfully to the request, wherein how the first recipient will receive the request comprises receiving a message in a first media format;
and
(ii) a message;
replacing, by the system, the identifier of the first recipient with a second communication flow expression, wherein the second communication flow expression is defined by the first recipient, and the second communication flow expression defines how the second recipient will receive the message comprises receiving the message in a second media format;
transmitting, by the system, a notification indication to a second recipient based on the second communication flow expression that the message is available;
transmitting, by the system, the message to the second recipient based on the second communication flow expression and based on a status of the notification indication;
receiving, by the system, a response to the message from the second recipient;
and
determining, by the first system, whether to transmit the message in a third media format to a third recipient based on the response;
wherein the first media format, the second media format and the third media format are independent.

11 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, by a first system from a second system:
(i) a first communication flow expression that comprises:
an identifier of a first recipient of a request;
how, when and where the first recipient will receive the request;
and what action to take if the first recipient fails to respond successfully to the request, wherein how the first recipient will receive the request comprises receiving a first message in a first media format;
and
(ii) an identifier of the first message;
replacing, by the first system, the identifier of the first recipient with a second communication flow expression, wherein the second communication flow expression is defined by the first recipient, and the second communication flow expression defines how a second recipient will receive the first message comprises receiving the first message in a second media format;
processing, by the first system, the second communication flow expression to generate a first list that comprises:
(i) a desired communication media of the second recipient, and
(ii) a desired communication media of a third recipient;
and
transmitting, by the first system, the first list to the second system
transmitting, by the first system, a notification indication to the second recipient based on the second communication flow expression that the first message is available;
transmitting, by the first system, the first message to the second recipient based on the second communication flow expression and based on a status of the notification indication;
receiving, by the first system, a response to the first message from the second recipient;
and
determining, by the first system, whether to transmit the first message in a third media format to a third recipient based on the response;
wherein the first media format, the second media format and the third media format are independent.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.