One number LAN based calendar

Abstract

A system and method for providing data communication between an information system, such as a LAN, and a communication system, such as a PBX operating under control of an automatic call routing system, is disclosed. According to a preferred embodiment, data as to a particular LAN user's schedule, as reflected in an electronic calendar application, is used to properly route calls via the automatic call routing system. Alternative embodiments providing for the scheduling of events in the electronic calendar as well as the dissemination of information through the communication system are also disclosed.

1 . A system comprising; 
 a communication system operable for handling communication connections between calling and called parties;    a general purpose computing system, said computing system operable for running thereon any number of information systems for individual ones of said called parties, said information systems independent from said communication connections;    a database within said communication system for storing, at least on a temporary basis, information received from a calling party; and    a translator for sending stored ones of said received information to at least one of said information systems running on said computing system.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said stored information is directed to particular called parties and wherein the information sent to said computing system is for association with information systems running with respect to said called party.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one of said information systems running on said computing system is a calendaring program and said received information sent to said at least one of said information systems is calendaring information directed to said called party.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said communications system further comprises means for querying said calling party to elicit information directed toward said called party.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for integrating select portions of information sent by said translator with information associated with said at least one of said information systems running on said computing system.    
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the integrating means comprises: 
 means for storing said information sent by said translator discrete from information associated with said at least one of said information systems; and    means for allowing said called party to selectively integrate select portions of said information sent by said translator within said information associated with said at least one of said information systems.    
   
   
       7 . A method for telephonically updating calendaring information with respect to a particular called party, said method comprising: 
 executing a calendaring program on a called party's individual general purpose processor-based system;    storing existing calendaring information with respect to said called party on said general purpose processor-based system, said existing calendaring information operable with said calendaring program executing on said general purpose processor-based system;    receiving, on a separate telephony system, an incoming call from a calling party directed toward said called party;    querying said calling party, using said separate telephony system, for additional calendaring information directed toward said called party; and    integrating select portions of said additional calendaring information into said existing calendaring information stored on said general purpose processor-based system, making said additional calendaring information accessible by said calendaring program executing on said general purpose processor-based system.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said querying comprises: 
 eliciting a particular calendaring preference from said calling party; and    determining if a conflict exists between said preference and said existing calendaring information.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said querying further comprises: 
 offering at least one calendaring alternative to said calling party if a conflict exists between said preference and said existing calendaring information.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said calendaring alternative is a nearest available scheduling choice of said existing calendaring information to said preference.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said querying is carried out by a voice response unit.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said integrating comprises: 
 storing said additional calendaring information discrete from said stored calendaring information on said general purpose processor-based system; and    allowing said called party to selectively integrate portions of said additional calendaring information into said existing calendaring information stored on said general purpose processor-based system.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 selectively disseminating at least a portion of said existing calendaring information through said separate telephony system.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said disseminating comprises: 
 presenting to said calling party a humanly perceptible reproduction of said at least a portion of said existing calendaring information.    
   
   
       15 . A system for telephonically updating calendaring information with respect to a particular called party, said system comprising: 
 means operable within a telephony system for querying a calling party to elicit calendaring information directed toward said called party;    a general purpose processor-based system, separate from said telephony system, executing a calendaring program;    existing calendaring information with respect to said called party stored on said general purpose processor-based system and operable with said calendaring program; and    means for integrating select portions of said elicited calendaring information into said existing calendaring information stored on said general purpose processor-based system, said integrated elicited calendaring information accessible by said calendaring program on said general purpose processor-based system.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said querying means comprises: 
 means for eliciting a particular calendaring preference from said calling party; and    means for determining if a conflict exists between said preference and said existing calendaring information.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said querying means further comprises: 
 means for offering at least one calendaring alternative to said calling party if a conflict exists between said preference and said existing calendaring information.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said querying means comprises a voice response unit.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said integrating means comprises: 
 means for storing said elicited calendaring information discrete from said existing calendaring information on said general purpose processor-based system; and    means for allowing said called party to selectively integrate select portions of said elicited calendaring information within said existing calendaring information stored on said general purpose processor-based system.