Selective Endpoint Notification for Communication Sessions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-endpoint communication systems lack the ability to selectively notify only specific endpoints of an incoming communication, forcing all endpoints to be notified, which can be undesirable for privacy, continuity, or expertise reasons.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow users to apply override rules to selectively notify a subset of endpoints based on predefined conditions, enabling users to restrict notification to only certain endpoints for specific communication requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If all endpoints are notified of an incoming communication, then the user can choose from multiple endpoints to answer the call, but the user's privacy may be compromised and other users in the team may be unnecessarily disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different notification behaviors for different endpoints based on specific conditions. Override rules enable the system to treat each endpoint individually - some endpoints receive notifications while others do not - rather than applying a uniform notification policy to all endpoints. This resolves the contradiction by providing privacy protection for specific endpoints while maintaining multi-endpoint flexibility where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the endpoint notification process by dividing the set of all endpoints into subsets based on override rules. The system evaluates each endpoint against applicable rules to determine whether to notify it, creating segmented notification groups. This allows selective notification where only certain endpoints are alerted about incoming communications, protecting privacy while maintaining service functionality.
2Productivity
If all endpoints are notified of an incoming communication, then any available user in the team can answer the call, but the service complexity increases and requires managing notifications for all endpoints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring override rules that automatically determine endpoint notification status before an incoming communication arrives. These rules are established in advance and automatically evaluated when calls come in, eliminating the need for real-time manual decision-making about which endpoints to notify. This reduces notification management complexity while maintaining team availability for answering calls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by automatically evaluating override rules and determining the appropriate subset of endpoints to notify without requiring manual intervention. The control system autonomously processes incoming communications against predefined rules, automatically selecting which endpoints receive notifications based on the current call and rule conditions, thereby simplifying notification management.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a user disables the multi-endpoint notification service entirely, then privacy is protected for that user, but the user loses the ability to use multiple endpoints for other incoming communications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by applying local quality through selective endpoint treatment. Instead of disabling the service globally or uniformly applying notification policies, the system applies different notification behaviors to different endpoints based on override rules. Users can protect their privacy on specific endpoints while maintaining multi-endpoint service capabilities on other endpoints, achieving both privacy protection and service versatility simultaneously.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If selective notification based on override rules is implemented, then privacy and expertise handling are enhanced, but the system complexity increases due to rule management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing override rules with a standardized structure that handles multiple functions and conditions through a single rule framework. The rule system is multi-functional, capable of evaluating various endpoint attributes, communication types, and user preferences through a unified rule evaluation process. This reduces rule management complexity by providing a universal rule template that can address diverse privacy and expertise handling requirements without requiring separate complex configurations for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology disclosed herein enables selective endpoint notification of incoming communications directed to a set of endpoints. In a particular embodiment, a method provides, in a communication control system, receiving a first request to establish a communication session with at least one endpoint in first set of endpoints. The first set of endpoints comprises two or more endpoints and the request is directed to the first set of endpoints. The method further provides identifying a first subset of the first set of endpoints based on application of one or more override rules to the first request. The override rules define conditions wherein fewer than all of the first set of endpoints should be notified of the first request. The method also provides notifying the first subset about the first request.