Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Call distribution to operator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2003-10-21
Matar, Ahmad F. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Call distribution to operator
C379S265130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636600
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for finding a contact within a first group who is linked to a desired communications partner within a second group, which is defined by desired properties of the communications partner, and to a method for setting up a connection to such a contact.
The invention is concerned with a solution to the problem that a communication subscriber wants a communications partner having particular properties. Such properties may be, for example, special knowledge in a particular area, or else attachment to an organization, to a company, to a particular division of a company, such as sales, or to a particular division of the company of the communication subscriber.
The communication subscriber is usually in a particular associated field, such as his circle of acquaintances, his company, an association or an organization, and can expect with all probability that a person in this associated field is linked to a communications partner having the desired properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for finding a contact or for setting up a connection to the contact which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art methods of this general type. The present invention is concerned with a technical solution to finding such a contact linked to a communications partner having particular properties.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a contact finding method, which includes:
providing a first group and a second group;
entering desired properties of a desired communications partner of the second group into a communication agent associated with a searching subscriber;
transmitting inquires specifying the desired properties from the communication agent associated with the searching subscriber to a multiplicity of further communication agents each associated with persons within the first group;
checking a communications partner file of each of the persons in the first group for entries of communications partners in the second group having the desired properties via the further communication agents associated with the persons;
transmitting information regarding a found subscriber in the first group, who has been determined to be a contact and with whom one of the further communication agents is associated, by the further communication agents to the communication agent of the searching subscriber if the desired communications partner having the desired properties is found; and
outputting additional information, via the communication agent of the searching subscriber, regarding the contact found in the first group to a man/machine interface.
The basis of the invention is that both the searching subscriber and the persons in the first group each have a communication agent with particular properties. Such a communication agent, that is associated with the particular subscriber, must have the property that it interchanges information with other communication agents. This can usually take place via a communication network or via a data network.
At least the communication agents of the persons in the first group must each have access to a communications partner directory containing communications partners of the subscriber with whom they are associated. In such a communications partner directory, it should be possible to enter not only the basic requirements, such as communication address or telephone number and name of a communications partner, but also further properties.
At least the communication agents associated with the members of the first group require a controller so that, prompted by another communication agent, the entries for at least the additional properties of the communications partners of the person with whom they are respectively associated can be compared with desired properties. In this context, if appropriate, a plurality of properties can be logically combined on the basis of the rules of Boolean algebra, that is to say using AND, OR, AND NOT, etc. In addition, the controller for the communication agents of at least the persons in the first group must be configured so that, if the result of the comparison of the properties is positive, they can transmit a report to the communication agent which gave the order for the comparison procedure. If appropriate, this report can be restricted to the name and/or one or more communication addresses of the person in the first group with whom the communication agent sending the report is associated.
Alternatively, the report can additionally contain information about the communications partner found with the properties sought.
At least the communication agent of the subscriber searching for the contact must contain the controller so that, after the desired properties of a desired communications partner have been entered, inquiries regarding the presence of contact partners having the sought properties in the communication directories of potential contacts can be transmitted to communication agents of these potential contacts. Furthermore, the communication agent of at least the subscriber searching for a contact must contain the controller so that, after a positive acknowledgement has been received from the communication agent of the contact, information regarding the contact found can be output to a man/machine interface.
If, in addition to the information being output, it is also desirable to set up a connection to such a contact, the communication agent of at least the subscriber searching for the contact also requires a controller for setting up such a connection.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a connection set up method, which includes:
providing a first group and a second group;
entering desired properties of a desired communications partner of the second group into a communication agent associated with a searching subscriber;
making a request for the connection to be set up to a contact within the first group;
transmitting inquiries specifying the desired properties, via the communication agent associated with the searching subscriber, to a multiplicity of further communication agents each associated with persons within the first group;
checking, via the further communication agents, a communications partner file of each of the persons in the first group for entries of communications partners in the second group having the desired properties;
transmitting information regarding a found subscriber in the first group who has been found as the contact and with whom one of the further communication agents is associated, by the further communication agents to the communication agent of the searching subscriber if the desired communications partner having the desired properties is found; and
using the communication agent of the searching subscriber to output additional information regarding the contact found in the first group and the connection to the contact is set up.
The first group, within which the method according to the invention searches for the contact, can either have a predetermined definition or can be defined, as required, administratively or by a searching subscriber. It is also possible for the first group to be selected from a multiplicity of possible person groups or for it to contain the sum of a plurality of defined person groups. In relation to a searching subscriber, for example, such person groups or the first group are all the communications partners in the company of the searching subscriber or in a particular division of the company, all the persons in an organization to which the subscriber also belongs, the members of a working group, the members of a project group, or persons working in a particular area of activity. If the members of the first group can be defined by the searching subscriber, another provision may be that, to define the first group, members of a plurality of predefined groups are selected on the basis of the rules of
Remmele Werner
Schmiedel Gabriele
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Matar Ahmad F.
Nguyen Quynh H.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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