Granted Patent B2

US 7,127,047 · App. 10/339,996 · Granted Oct 24, 2006

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. Apparatus for establishing and maintaining communication among a group of users defining a community of interest, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices for voice communication between users of said group, each of said communication devices including a display for indicating communication availability of said users;

a plurality of device agents for controlling respective ones of said communication devices in establishing said voice communication and updating each said display;

a plurality of user agents for maintaining user preferences, said user preferences including an indication of said interest with which said group is associated, and a list of said users of said group, and for enabling user selection of said group based on information relating activities of said user to said interest;

a tuple space for exchanging tuples and anti-tuples between said user agents to monitor said communication availability, in response to which respective ones of said device agents update each respective display;

a transient voice store for receiving and storing a voice message from a first one of said users to a second one of said users with whom said first user is desirous of communicating and who is indicated on the display of said first user as being available for communication, whereupon the display of said second user is updated to indicate receipt of said voice message, and for playing said voice message to said second user; and

a communication switch for establishing two-way communication between said users;

whereby in response to said second user listening to said voice message and provided that said first user is available for communication a voice path is created in said communication switch between said first user and said second user, and in the event said first user is no longer available for communication said second user stores a voice message for said first user via said transient message store.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said display further includes a button associated with each of said users for initiating communication therebetween.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said button is illuminated so as to indicate said availability and status.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said button is illuminated with ‘*’ to indicate user availability, ‘*>’ to indicate leaving a message for another user, ‘<*’ to indicate message waiting, and ‘<*>’ to indicate two-way communication having been established between users.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said button is an LCD.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said button is an icon on a PC.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of communication devices is a phone.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of communication devices is a PC.

9. A method for establishing and maintaining communication among a group of users defining a community of interest, comprising:

a) maintaining user preferences, said user preferences including an indication of said interest with which said group is associated, and a list of said users of said group;

b) enabling user selection of said group based on information relating activities of said user to said interest;

c) monitoring communication availability of each user in said group;

d) indicating to each user the communication availability of each other user in said group;

e) receiving and storing a voice message from a first one of said users to a second one of said users with whom said first user is desirous of communicating and who is indicated to said first user as being available for communication;

f) playing said voice message to said second user;

g) in the event said first user is available for communication establishing two-way communication between said users, and otherwise receiving and storing a voice message from said second one of said users to said first one of said users; and

h) playing said voice message to said first user.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

i) in the event said second user is available for communication establishing two-way communication between said users, and otherwise receiving and storing a voice message from said first one of said users to said second one of said users; and

j) playing said voice message to said second user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said indication is an identification field to indicate said interest with which said group is associated.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said user agents suggest said group for selection by said user based on said identification field.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said information includes at least one of physical location of said user, computer files in use by said user, and electronic calendar data for said user that is related to said identification field.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein said indication is an identification field to indicate said interest with which said group is associated.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said information includes at least one of physical location of said user, computer files in use by said user, and electronic calendar data for said user that is related to said identification field.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said interest is a group project.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein said interest is a group project.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said communication is ad hoc.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein said communication is ad hoc.

Assignments (30)