Method and system for controlling delivery of notifications in real-time communications based on communication channel state

Abstract

A critical notification is reliably delivered to at least one participant in a real-time communication session. A candidate delivery channel is selected, and a set of one or more communication state variables associated with the candidate delivery channel are identified. Current values associated with the communication state variables and determined, and a determination is made as to whether the current values associated with the communication state variables indicate that the notification can currently be reliably delivered using the candidate delivery channel. If the notification cannot currently be reliably delivered using the candidate delivery channel, an alternative delivery option is selected that may include using an alternative delivery channel and / or delaying delivery of the notification.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to real-time communication and / or collaboration systems, and more specifically to a method and system for controlling delivery of notifications in real-time communications based on delivery channel state.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]It is often desirable to deliver a notification to a computer system user that is currently involved in a real-time communication session. However, in existing systems, it may be difficult to determine whether the remote user will be able to receive the notification at the time it is generated. This problem arises in part due to the fact that existing systems may not operate to effectively determine whether the communication channel to the remote user has a current state that would make it unlikely that the notification would be effectively delivered. As a result, a time critical notification, and / or a notification relating to the current real-time communication session, may be sent ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The disclosed system reads and checks the current values of the relevant communication state variables for the candidate communication channel. The current values of the relevant communication state variables may, for example, be read at a shared server system, and/or at one or more client computer systems or communication devices associated with individual participants. For example, state variables indicating a current “muted” state of an audio subsystem in a client device, or indicating the current state of a session underlying a VoIP call, may be automatically maintained and accessed either at a shared server system, and/or distributed across participating client systems in a peer-to-peer embodiment. Similarly, the checking of the current values of the relevant communication state variables may also be performed at a shared server system, and/or at one or more client computer systems or communication devices associated with individual participants.

[0016]Based on the current values of the relevant communication state variables for the candidate communication channel, the disclosed system determines whether the notification can currently be reliably delivered through the candidate communication channel. If so, the notification is immediately delivered using that communication channel. Otherwise, responsive to a determination that the notification cannot be reliably delivered through the candidate communication channel, the disclosed system selects an alternative delivery strategy. The specific alternative delivery strategy selected may, for example, be responsive to user preference or administrator defined configuration settin

Problems solved by technology

However, in existing systems, it may be difficult to determine whether the remote user will be able to receive the notification at the time it is generated.

This problem arises in part due to the fact that existing systems may not operate to effectively determine whether the communication channel to the remote user has a current state that would make it unlikely that the notification would be effectively delivered.

As a result, a time critical notification, and / or a notification relating to the current real-time communication session, may be sent even though the current state of the communication channel over which the notification is transferred makes it unlikely that the notification will be effectively received.

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