Independent contact spanning multiple access networks
View Patent ↗A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user. If the caller is forwarding a message to the user or is placed in communication with the user, and if caller and user are using different transmission modes or different signaling formats, the personal communications portal mediates communication appropriately. Further, the personal communications portal may determine the watched party's physical location based upon the presence information received from the multiple access network and possibly from information received related to events which take place outside of the multiple access network, but which are reported to the portal.
1. A method of communicating with a watched party over a multiple access network comprising:
providing said watched party with a contact identifier;
storing a plurality of contact addresses for said watched party in a common location which is accessible via said multiple access network, wherein at least two of the contact addresses are associated with different locations in the multi-access network;
referencing said plurality of contact addresses by said contact identifier;
receiving a request to contact said watched pa, wherein said request includes said contact identifier;
selecting at least one of said plurality of contact addresses for contacting said watched party, responsive to a presence of the watched party, wherein the presence of the watched party is determined in response to determined location and availability of the watched party.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said storing a plurality of contact addresses comprises:
storing a contact address which is suitable for contacting said watched party via an access network of said multiple access network; and
storing another contact address which is suitable for contacting said watched party via another access network of said multiple access network.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said storing a plurality of contact addresses comprises:
storing a contact address which is suitable for contacting said watched party via a device which is selectively connected to an access network of said multiple access network; and
storing another contact address which is suitable for contacting said watched party via another device which is selectively connected to anther access network of said multiple access network.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said request further includes a method of communication.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said method of communication is a method selected from the group consisting of telephone, facsimile, page, e-mail, and video conference.
6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
determining the presence of said watched party on said multiple access network subsequent to receiving said request;
determining at least one method of communication which is consistent with said presence;
contacting said watched party via said consistent method.
7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:
determining, subsequent to receiving said request, that it is possible to contact said watched party via at least two access networks of said multiple access network;
determining which of said at least two access networks to employ to contact said watched party based upon a default set of rules.
8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising:
denying contact access to said watched party via at least one of said at least two access networks.
9. The method according to claim 7 further comprising:
controlling access to information about said presence of said watching party based upon said default set of rules.
10. A system for communicating with a watched party over a multiple access network comprising:
a processor coupled to said multiple access network;
wherein said processor is configured to store contact information for contacting said watched party via a plurality of access networks, the contact information including a plurality of different contact addresses corresponding to different locations at which the watched party may access the plurality of access networks;
a plurality of gateways coupled between said processor and said plurality of access networks;
wherein said plurality of gateways are configured to provide said processor with information pertaining to a presence of said watched party on said plurality of access networks; and,
a watched party identifier associated with the watched party, for use in requesting said processor to access contact information stored in said processor, the processor selecting one of the plurality of contact addresses in response to the presence of the watched party, and to initiate contact with said watched party using the selected one of the plurality of contact addresses.
11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said watched party identifier further includes a method of communication.
12. The system according to claim 10 wherein said method of communication is selected from the group consisting of telephone, facsimile, page, e-mail, and video conference.
13. A system for communicating with a watched party over a multiple access network comprising:
processor means, coupled to said multiple access network, for storing contact information including a plurality of contact addresses for contacting said watched party at a plurality of different locations via a plurality of access networks;
gateway means coupled between said processor and said plurality of access networks for providing said processor with information pertaining to a presence of said watched party on said plurality of access networks; and,
identifier means associated with the watched party, for requesting said processor to access contact information stored in said processor means and for selecting one of the plurality of contact addresses in response to the presence of the watched party on the plurality of access networks, and further for causing said processor means to initiate contact with said watched party at the selected one of the plurality of contact addresses.
14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said identifier means includes a method of communication.
15. The system according to claim 11 wherein said method of communication is selected from the group consisting of telephone, facsimile, page, e-mail, and video conference.