Systems and methods for providing unified collaboration systems with conditional communication handling

Abstract

A communication system provides integrated email, telephone and instant messenger communication including a common address book, a common log of communication history and shared presence information. A user can respond to a communication according to any format, email, telephone or instant messenger, with a response using the same format or any other format. The response may be initiated by a single command.

1 . A system for providing unified collaboration comprising:
 an email server in communication with a client device;   an instant messenger server in communication with the client device;   a PBX server in communication with the client device; and   wherein the instant messenger server receives user presence information from the client device and, in response to the presence information received by the instant messenger server, the PBX server selects a telephone handling scheme and the email server selects an email handling scheme, and   wherein the system provides a common log that includes entries for email communications, instant messenger communications and telephone communications.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user presence information is provided as a current state that is selected from a plurality of possible presence states. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a current state indicating user absence causes the PBX server to forward a telephone call to another client device or direct the telephone call to a voicemail system. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an address book server in communication with the client device, the address book server providing address information from a common address book that includes email address information, instant messenger address information and phone number information for an individual. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein communication with the client device is secured communication. 
   
   
       6 . A method of providing integrated communication comprising:
 determining a presence state of a user from an instant messenger portion of an integrated communication system, the presence state being one of a plurality of possible presence states;   in response to the determining of the presence state of the user, selecting an instant messenger handling scheme for an instant messenger server that receives incoming instant messages directed to the user, the instant messenger handling scheme selected from a plurality of possible instant messenger handling schemes;   in response to the determining of the presence state of the user, selecting an email handling scheme for an email server that receives incoming emails directed to the user, the email handling scheme selected from a plurality of possible email handling schemes;   in response to the determining of the presence state of the user, selecting a telephone call handling scheme for a PBX server that receives incoming telephone calls directed to the user, the telephone call handling scheme selected from a plurality of possible call handling schemes; and   providing a common log that includes entries for email communications, instant messenger communications and telephone communications.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the determined presence state is “away” and the call handling scheme comprises directing telephone calls directed to the user to another user, to a mobile telephone, or to a voicemail system. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising maintaining a common address book that includes email, telephone and instant messenger address information. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising determining access privileges of a user from the common address book. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising providing encryption and decryption of communication as part of the integrated communication system. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising, in response to receiving a communication by email, instant messenger or telephone, providing the user with options to initiate a reply by email, instant messenger or telephone, each option selectable by a single command.