Universal state-aware communications

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.

1 . A system for communication with an external user comprising: 
 a plurality of internal users capable of communicating with external users; and    a controller that 
 receives a communication request from an external user to communicate with that user;  
 receives state information about the external user indicating whether the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating;  
 receives state information about the internal users; and  
 establishes a communication to the external user when the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating and one of the internal users is in an appropriate state to communicate with the external user.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the communication request is made by the arrival of a call or InstantMessage.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the call is a call on a Public Switched Telephone Network.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the communication request is communicated by invoking a web service.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the web service is publicly accessible over the Internet.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the state information for an external user is provided by a public or private Instant Messaging system.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the state information is communicated from a web page.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the state information is communicated as a web service.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller establishes a communication to the external user when the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating and one of the internal users is in an Available state indicating that such user is available to accept a communication.  
     
     
         11 . A method for communication with an external user comprising: 
 receiving a communication request from an external user to communicate with that user;    receiving state information about the external user indicating whether the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating;    receiving state information about the internal users; and    establishing a communication to the external user when the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating and one of the internal users is in an appropriate state to communicate with the external user.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the communication request is made by the arrival of a call or InstantMessage.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the call is a call on a Public Switched Telephone Network.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol call.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the communication request is communicated by invoking a web service.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the web service is publicly accessible over the Internet.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the state information for an external user is provided by a public or private Instant Messaging system.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the state information is communicated from a web page.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the state information is communicated as a web service.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  wherein establishing includes establishing a communication to the external user when the external user is in an appropriate state for communicating and one of the internal users is in an Available state indicating that such user is available to accept a communication.  
     
     
         21 . A server for directing communication between users comprising: 
 a communication request interface that receives a request from a requesting user to communicate with that user;    user status interfaces that receive state information about users;    a call establishment interface by which the server establishes a communication to the requesting user when the requesting user is in an appropriate state for communicating and another user is in an appropriate state to communicate with the requesting user.    
     
     
         22 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the communication request interface receives the request by the arrival of a call or InstantMessage.  
     
     
         23 . The server of  claim 22  wherein the call is a call on Public Switched Telephone Network.  
     
     
         24 . The server of  claim 22  wherein the call is a VoIP call.  
     
     
         25 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the communication request is communicated by invoking a web service.  
     
     
         26 . The server of  claim 25  wherein the web service is publicly accessible over the Internet.  
     
     
         27 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the state information about the requesting user is received from a user status interface to a public or private Instant Messaging system.  
     
     
         28 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the state information about the requesting user is received from a user status interface to a web page.  
     
     
         29 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the state information about the requesting user is received from a user status interface to a web service.  
     
     
         30 . The server of  claim 21  wherein the call establishment interface establishes a communication to the requesting user when the requesting user is in an appropriate state for communicating and another user is in an Available state indicating that the other user is available to accept a communication.