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. The communication system includes a controller that receives requests for establishing communications when a user is in an appropriate state to receive communications and communicates state of the user to other users. The controller receives a user request for establishing a communication when the user is not in the appropriate state for communication, receives a user request for a state change to the appropriate state to receive the communication, and initiates the communication without changing state of the user.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 204,589, filed Aug. 15, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 436,546, filed May 12, 2003, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,547 on Nov. 29, 2005. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The invention relates to a system and method for establishing communications between users.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Communications systems arose as mechanisms to connect individual telephones to each other. Users dialed phone numbers and were connected through a network to other telephones associated with those numbers. This is still the primary mode of interaction in telecommunication systems in both public and private networks. For a business, this form of telecommunications function is typically provided by a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) on company premises or by a Centrex system offered by a telephone company. I...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0029]Embodiments of the invention may have one or more of the following advantages.

[0030]The communication system exploits knowledge of user state to deliver efficiency benefits in general business environments. The system can enable users and corporations in these environments to manage and control their communications interactions to a degree that is impossible with any prior technology.

[0035]The system is responsive to both corporate and individual communications objectives for both immediate and pending service. Corporate objectives can override individual ones in areas where they are imposed. This means, for example, that corporations can set priorities for work activities and assure that communications supporting those activities will be recognized and executed accordingly.

Problems solved by technology

While ACDs cost significantly more than PBXs to install, the efficiency gains provided by state-dependent routing justify the increased expense.

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