RELATED APPLICATIONS

Benefit is claimed to India Provisional Application No. 3063/CHE/2009, titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NOTIFYING MISSED COMMUNICATION TO A USER USING PRESENCE SERVICE" by Logica Pvt. Ltd., filed on December 11, 2009, which is herein incorporated in its entirety by reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to communication. More specifically, it relates to notifying missed communication to a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The usage of cellular telephone has been growing at a high rate. In addition of being a cellular telephone, it supports many additional services, such as short message service (SMS), multi-media message service (MMS), E-mail, Internet surfing and so on.

One or more of the above services can only be availed by a subscriber if the cellular phone is within the service area of a service provider network. Suppose, a caller tries to call a target user, the cellular phone associated with the target user may not be in service area of the service provider network or the mobile phone may be powered off resulting in a missed communication. The caller gets to know via a suitable message from the service provider that the target user cannot be reached or the cellular phone is switched off. However, the target user may not receive any notification about the missed communication from the caller.

Currently, the target user is notified through a short message service (SMS). However, the SMS notifying the missed communication is reached to the cellular phone of the target user when the cellular telephone returns back to the service area or cellular phone is powered ON. Thus, the notification method may cause significant delay in notifying the target user about the missed communication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for notifying missed communication to a communication device. In one aspect, a method of a communication network for notifying a missed communication to a communication device includes receiving a communication from a first communication device of a first registered user, where the communication is directed to a second communication device associated with a second registered user. The method includes determining whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application, and determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user based on the determination. Moreover, the method includes providing a notification associated with the missed communication from the first registered user on at least one of said one or more client applications based on the determined availability status.

In another aspect, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, that when executed by a communication network, result in performing a method described above.

In yet another aspect, an apparatus for notifying a missed communication to a communication device includes a processor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to temporarily store instructions capable of receiving a communication from a first communication device of a first registered user, where the communication is directed to a second communication device associated with a second registered user. The memory further includes instructions to determine whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application. The memory also includes instructions to determine an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user based on the determination. Additionally, the memory includes instructions to provide a notification associated with the missed communication from the first registered user on at least one of said one or more client applications based on the determined availability status.

Other features of the embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING

Figure 1 is a system view of a communication system for notifying a missed communication to a communication device associated with a communication network, according to one embodiment.

Figure 2 is a process flow chart of an exemplary method of notifying a missed communication to a communication device, according to one embodiment.

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for notifying missed communication to a communication device. In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. Figure 1 is a system view of a communication system 100 for notifying a missed communication to a communication device associated with a communication network 104, according to one embodiment. In Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a plurality of communication devices (e.g., communication device 102 and communication device 130) associated with users (e.g., registered users 101 and 131) registered with the communication network 104 for receiving a missed communication notification. The communication devices 102 and 130 may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a smartphone, a personal computer, a laptop, a Vol P, and a tablet.

The communication system 100 also includes the communication network 104 having a processor 106 and memory 108 coupled to the processor and including a missed communication notification module 110 stored in the form of instructions. The communication system 100 further includes network entities which may include but not limited to a short message service center (SMSC) 112, a multi-media message service center 114, a mobile email server 116, a presence server 118, an instant messaging and presence server 120, a proprietary IM server 122 and associated IM/MPS client 126, and a simple IM server 124. As shown, the network entities are communicatively coupled to the communication network 104. Alternatively, the one or more entities may reside inside the communication network 104.

In an exemplary operation, the communication network 104 receives a communication directed to the communication device 130 from the communication device 102. The communication may include a SMS message, a MMS message, an Email message, an instant message, a PoC message, and a voice call. The missed communication notification module 110 prior to forwarding the communication determines whether the communication device 130 is reachable on a client application residing in the communication device 130. The client application, based on the type of communication received, may include but not limited to an instant messaging application, a short message service (SMS) application, a multi-media message service (MMS) application, a Push to talk Over Cellular (PoC) application, a voice call receiver, and electronic mail (Email) application.

If the communication device 130 is reachable, then the communication network 104 provides the communication received from the communication device 102 to the communication device 130. On the other hand, if the communication device 130 is not reachable, then the communication network 104 stores the information associated with the missed communication in a database of associated one of the network entities associated with the communication and in its local database. The communication device 130 may not be reachable as the communication device 130 may be out of service provider network, offline, or powered off. The information associated with the missed communication may include credentials of the user 101, credentials of the user 131, data and time of the communication, and type of communication.

Also, the missed communication notification module 110 updates a presence status attribute associated with the missed communication from the communication device 102 in the presence server 118 on behalf of an authorized presentity. A presentity is a presence entity which provides presence information associated with the user 101 (e.g., sender) to a presence service. The missed communication notification
system 100 adds a new presence status attribute to the standard presence status attribute set for indicating the missed communication notification. The new presence status attribute may include attribute such as failed to connect a call, failed to deliver SMS, failed delivering MMS notification, failed delivering mobile email notification and the like. In one exemplary implementation, upon occurrence of the missed communication from the user 101, the missed communication notification module 110 acts as a presentity on behalf of the user 101 and updates the missed communication presence attribute with a suitable value indicating a type of missed communication such as "voice call", "SMS", "IM", and the like in such a way that the new presence attribute is hidden from other users except the user 131 (i.e., a target user of the missed communication).

The missed communication notification module 110 then fetches the information associated with the missed communication from the database associated with respective one of the network entities. In one exemplary implementation, the information is fetched from respective network entities by periodically polling the respective network entities. In an alternate exemplary implementation, the information associated with the missed communication is fetched upon receiving a notification regarding the missed communication from the respective network entities.

The missed communication notification module 110 identifies one or more client applications associated with the registered user 131. The client applications may include but not limited to an address book application, an instant messaging application, a short message service (SMS) application, a multi-media message service (MMS) application, a Push to talk Over Cellular (PoC) application, a voice call receiver, and electronic mail (Email) application residing in communication device 130 or other communication devices of the registered user. In one embodiment, the missed communication notification module 110 compares the information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the registered user 131 and identifies the one or more client applications associated with the user 131. The credentials of the user 131 includes but not limited to mobile number, email IDs, and instant messaging and presence IDs.

The missed communication notification module 110 then periodically determines an availability status of the registered user 131 on one or more of the identified client applications. The missed communication notification module 110 generates a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status from the presence server and communicates the same to the registered user 131 on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the user 131 based on the availability status. The missed communication notification may include credentials of the user 101, date and time of communication and so on. In one embodiment, the presence status attribute associated with the missed communication from the user 101 is watchable only by a presence watcher (e.g., the user 131) of the missed communication. Once the user 131 views the presence status attribute of the user 101 in the missed communication notification, the presence status attribute is reset to null in the presence server 118. In this manner, above described system provides the missed communication notification (IM, Email, SMS, address book and so on) to the user 131 in real time on any application on which the user is available.

Figure 2 is a process flow chart 200 of an exemplary method of notifying a missed communication to a communication device, according to one embodiment. At step 202, a communication is received from a first communication device of a first registered user. The communication is meant for a second communication device associated with the second registered user. At step 204, it is determined whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application residing in the second communication device. If the second communication device is reachable, the communication is provided on the client application at step 206. If the second communication device is not reachable then at step 208, information associated with the missed communication is stored in a database associated with respective one of the network entities and a presence status associated with the missed communication is updated in a presence server.

At step 210, information associated with the missed communication is fetched from the database associated with respective one of the network entities. In one exemplary implementation, the presence status is fetched from respective network entities by polling the respective network entities regarding the latest information on the missed communication. In an alternate exemplary inriplementation, the information associated with the missed communication is fetched upon receiving a notification regarding the missed communication from the respective network entities.

In step 212, one or more client applications associated with the second registered user are identified. In one embodiment, one or more client applications are identified by comparing the information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user. At step 214, an availability status of the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications is determined. At step 216, a notification associated with the missed communication is generated based on the presence status and the information associated with the missed communication. At step 218, the missed communication notification is provided to the second registered user on one of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

Moreover, in one exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, for notifying missed communication to a communication device, that when executed by a communication network, causes to perform the method described above.

Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments. Furthermore, the various devices, modules, analyzers, generators, and the like described herein may be enabled and operated using hardware circuitry, for example, complementary metal oxide semiconductor based logic circuitry, firmware, software and/or any combination of hardware, firmware, and/or software embodied in a machine readable medium. For example, the various electrical structure and methods may be embodied using transistors, logic gates, and electrical circuits, such as application specific integrated circuit.

We claim:

1. A method of a communication network for notifying a missed communication to a
communication device, comprising: receiving a communication from a first communication device of a first registered user, wherein the communication is directed to a second communication device associated with a second registered user; determining whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application residing in the second communication device; determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user based on the determination; and providing a notification associated with the missed communication from the first registered user on at least one of said one or more client applications based on the determined availability status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client applications is selected from the group consisting of an address book application, an instant messaging application, a short message service (SMS) application, a multi-media message service (MMS) application, a Push to talk Over Cellular (PoC) application, a voice call receiver, and electronic mail (Email) application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is selected from the group consisting of a SMS message, a MMS message, an Email message, an instant message, a PoC message, and a voice call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, smartphone, personal computer, laptop, and tablet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second communication
device is reachable on the client application, comprises: determining whether the second communication device is available for communication via the client application residing in the second communication device; if so, providing the communication received from the first communication on the client application of the second communication device; and if not, updating a presence status of the first registered user based on the information associated with the missed communication in a presence server, wherein the presence status includes failure to communicate the communication from the first registered user to the second communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein updating the presence status of the first registered
user based on the information associated with the missed communication in the presence server comprises: allowing the second user to watch the updated presence status associated with the missed communication in the presence status in such a way that the updated presence status is not viewable by other users of the communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an availability status of the second
registered user on the one or more client applications associated with the second
registered user further comprises: polling each of the network entities to obtain any newly added information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user;

identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user; determining an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more of the identified client applications; generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information associated with the missed communication comprises credentials of the first registered user, credentials of the second registered user, type of missed communication, and date and time associated with the missed communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the credentials associated with the second registered user comprises mobile number, email identifiers (IDs), and instant messaging and presence IDs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more client applications associated with the second registered user further comprises: receiving a notification from one of the network entities regarding information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user;

fetching the information associated with the missed communication from the database associated with the respective one of the network entities; identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the fetched information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user; determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications; generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

11. An apparatus for notifying a missed communication to a communication device,
comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to temporarily store instructions capable of: receiving a communication from a first communication device of a first registered user, wherein the communication is directed to a second communication device associated with a second registered user; determining whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application residing in the second communication device; determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user based on the determination; and

providing a notification associated with the missed communication from the first registered user on at least one of said one or more client applications based on the determined availability status.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the client applications is selected from the group consisting of an address book application, an instant messaging application, a short message service (SMS) application, a multi-media message (MMS) service application. Push to talk over Cellular (PoC) application, and electronic mail (Email) application.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication is selected from the group consisting of a SMS message, a MMS message, an email message, an instant message, PoC, and a voice call.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions to determine whether the second communication device is reachable on the client application, comprises: determining whether the second communication device is available for communication via the client application;

if so, providing the communication received from the first communication on the client application of the second communication device; and if not, updating a presence status of the first registered user based on the information associated with the missed communication, wherein the presence status includes failure to communicate the communication to the second communication device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein updating the presence status of the first
registered user based on the information associated with the missed communication in
the presence server comprises: allowing the second user to watch the updated presence status associated with the missed communication in the presence status in such a way that the updated presence status is not viewable by other users of the communication network.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions to determine an availability
status of the second registered user on the one or more client applications associated
with the second registered user further comprises: polling each of the network entities to obtain any newly added information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user determining an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more of the identified client applications;

generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the information associated with the missed
communication comprises credentials of the first registered user, credentials of the second registered user, type of missed communication, date and time associated with the missed communication.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the credentials associated with the second registered user comprises mobile number, email ID, PoC, and instant messaging and presence identifiers.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions to determine an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user further comprises: receiving a notification from one of the network entities regarding information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user;

fetching the information associated with the missed communication from the database associated with the respective one of the network entities identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the fetched information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored
therein, that when executed by a communication network, result in performing a method
comprising receiving a communication from a first communication device of a first registered user, wherein the communication is directed to a second communication device associated with a second registered user determining whether the second communication device is reachable on a client application residing in the second communication device determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more client applications associated with the second registered user based on the determination; and providing a notification associated with the missed communication from the first registered user on at least one of said one or more client applications based on the determined availability status.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein
determining whether the second communication device is reachable on the client application, comprises: determining whether the second communication device is available for communication via the client application residing in the second communication device;

if so, providing the communication received from the first communication on the client application of the second communication device; and if not, updating a presence status of the first registered user based on the information associated with the missed communication, wherein the presence status includes failure to communicate the communication to the second communication device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein updating the presence status of the first registered user based on the information associated with the missed communication in the presence server comprises: allowing the second user to watch the updated presence status associated with the missed communication in the presence status in such a way that the updated presence status is not viewable by other users of the communication network.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the
instructions to determine an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more client applications associated with the second registered user further comprises: polling each of the network entities to obtain any newly added information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user;

identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user determining an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more of the identified client applications generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the information associated with the missed communication comprises credentials of the first registered user, credentials of the second registered user, type of missed communication, date and time associated with the missed communication.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the credentials associated with the second registered user comprises mobile number, email ID, PoC, and instant messaging and presence IDs.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions to determine an availability status of the second registered user on the one or more client applications associated with the second registered user further comprises receiving a notification from one of the network entities regarding information associated with the missed communication from the first registered user;

fetching the information associated with the missed communication from the database associated with the respective one of the network entities identifying one or more client applications associated with the second registered user by comparing the fetched information associated with the missed communication with credentials associated with the second registered user determining an availability status of the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications generating a notification associated with the missed communication based on the presence status; and providing the missed communication notification to the second registered user on one or more of the identified client applications using the credentials associated with the second registered user based on the availability status.

27. A method and apparatus for notifying missed communication as described and explained with reference to the drawings.