Methods and systems for directing communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12417419-B2
Application number	US-202318093580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A method for improving communications in a digital collaboration environment by receiving a communication directed to a first user, determining that the first user is unavailable, in response to determining that the first user is unavailable, determining a second user based on an attribute, and notifying the second user about the communication directed to the first user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for improving communication in a digital collaboration environment the method comprising:
receiving, in the digital collaboration environment, a digital communication from a source device directed to a device associated with a first user;
causing to determine in real time that the first user is unavailable in the digital collaboration environment based on a delineation of a current geographical location of the first user with respect to a historical geographical location associated with the first user;
in response to determining that the first user is unavailable:
automatically transcribing a content of the digital communication to text if the content of the digital communication is not already in text form;
automatically determining, without participation of the first user, a second user to provide a response to the digital communication on behalf of the first user based on a proximity of a device associated with the first user to a device associated with the second user for a predefined time and further based on pre-existing digital attributes obtained from a database and the automatically transcribed content of the digital communication or based on the pre-existing digital attributes obtained from the database and the content of the digital communication if already in text form;
wherein the pre-existing digital attributes include (a) past communications between the first user and the second user that are searched through using search algorithms associated with a text search, (b) shared projects between the first and second users, (c) job titles of the first user and the second user, and (d) a supervisory relationship between the first user and the second user; and

transmitting a notification signal including an identity of a source associated with the source device and an identity of the first user, to a device associated with the second user, wherein the notification signal is configured to be rendered on the device associated with the second user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing digital attributes are determined based on a volume of communications between the users in the digital collaboration environment.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment exceeds a predetermined threshold of words per day for messaging communications.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment exceeds a predetermined threshold of minutes per day for voice communications.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment exceeds a predetermined threshold of minutes for video communications.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing digital attributes are determined based on a content of one or more of past communications from the device associated with the second user directed to the device associated with the first user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the automatically determining in real time a second user to provide a response to the digital communication on behalf of the first user is based on a plurality of the preexisting digital attributes, wherein each the plurality of the pre-existing digital attributes is assigned a weight.

8. A system for improving communication in a digital collaboration environment the system comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor, operatively connected to the memory and configured to:
receive, in the digital collaboration environment, a digital communication from a source device directed to a device associated with a first user;
cause to determine in real time that the first user is unavailable in the digital collaboration environment based on a delineation of a current geographical location of the first user with respect to a historical geographical location associated with the first user;
in response to determining that the first user is unavailable:

automatically transcribe a content of the digital communication to text if the content of the digital communication is not already in text form;
automatically determine, without participation of the first user, a second user to provide a response to the digital communication on behalf of the first user based on a proximity of a device associated with the first user to a device associated with the second user for a predefined time and further based on pre-existing digital attributes obtained from a database and the automatically transcribed content of the digital communication or based on the pre-existing digital attributes obtained from the database and the content of the digital communication if already in text form;
wherein the pre-existing digital attributes include (a) past communications between the first user and the second user that are searched through using search algorithms associated with a text search, (b) shared projects between the first and second users, (c) job titles of the first user and the second user, and (d) a supervisory relationship between the first user and the second user; and
transmit a notification signal including an identity of a source associated with the source device and an identity of the first user, to a device associated with the second user, wherein the notification signal is configured to be rendered on the device associated with the second user.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pre-existing digital attributes are determined based on a volume of communications between the users in the digital collaboration environment.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment exceeds a predetermined threshold of minutes per day for voice communications.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the volume of communications between the users using the digital collaboration environment exceeds a predetermined threshold of minutes per day for video communications.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pre-existing digital attributes are determined based on a content of one or more of past communications from the device associated with the second user directed to the device associated with the first user.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically determine in real time a second user to provide a response to the digital communication on behalf of the first user is based on a plurality of the pre-existing digital attributes, wherein each the plurality of the pre-existing digital attributes is assigned a weight.

15. A web-based server for improving communication in a digital collaboration environment the server comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor, operatively connected to the memory and configured to:
receive, in the digital collaboration environment, a digital communication from a source device directed to a device associated with a first user;
cause to determine in real time that the first user is unavailable in the digital collaboration environment based on a delineation of a current geographical location of the first user with respect to a historical geographical location associated with the first user;
in response to determining that the first user is unavailable,
automatically transcribe a con

Assignees

• Ringcentral Inc

Inventors

• Chen Jianwei
• Li Weiming
• Huang Yanrong

Classifications

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title

• G06F16/9035

  Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles · CPC title

• H04L51/043

  using or handling presence information · CPC title

• G06Q10/063118

  Staff planning in a project environment · CPC title

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title