The present invention pertains to an urgent call management system, and
more particularly a system for contacting a user who is the recipient of an urgent
call and who cannot be reached via his or her mobile terminal.
Currently, a user with a mobile terminal might still be unreachable, because
his or her accessibility depends on the environment in which the user is located.
This is because it is common for the user to be unable to hear his or her mobile
terminal ring, when for example, the user does not have his or her mobile terminal
with him or her, or because the ring volume is not high enough, or the network's
coverage is too weak, or the mobile terminal is off.
Thus, a user may miss a call for multiple reasons, without knowing how
important it was. In an emergency, it is not possible to alert the user even though he
or she owns a mobile terminal.
There is therefore a need to reach a user by other means.
One goal of the invention is to remedy the aforementioned shortcomings by
proposing a communication system enabling a user to be alerted of an emergency
when the user cannot be called via his or her mobile terminal.
To achieve this goal, a method is disclosed for contacting a user who owns
a mobile terminal, who is the recipient of a call from a calling user's communicating
device to the mobile terminal, and who cannot be reached via the mobile terminal
over a telecommunications network, said method comprising the following steps
within a communication server:
determining the call's level of urgency,
determining a list of third-party users who might contact the calling user,
based on the social relationship between the called user and each third-party user,
geolocation data related to the called user and related to the third-party users, and
the call's level of urgency, and
establishing a call between the calling user and at least one third-party user
on the list.
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Advantageously, whenever the call made by the calling user is urgent, the
calling user may be put in contact with a third-party user who will then be able to
inform the called user of the message corresponding to the urgent call. The called
user may thereby be contacted by a third-party user to be notified of an urgent call,
even when the called user cannot be reached via his or her mobile terminal.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the list may contain an
ordered enumeration of the third-party users geographically closest to the called
user.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the geolocation data
may comprise the last known geographic position of the called user and of each of
the third-party users.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the geolocation data
related to the called user may comprise presence data related to the called user's
calendar.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the communication
server may have previously saved a group of third-party users who have agreed to
potentially be called in order to contact the called user, based on the social
relationship between the third-party user and the called user.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the communication
server may determine said list of third-party users by first producing an initial list
from users belonging to said group based on the call's level of urgency and then by
producing said list based on the geolocation data related to the called user and
related to the third-party users found on said initial list.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the call's level of
urgency may be determined by transferring the call to a voice server that has a
system for assessing the call's level of urgency. For example, the level of urgency is
given by the user and then approved either automatically by an analysis system or
manually via a dedicated call center.
The invention also relates to a communication server for contacting a user
who possesses a mobile terminal, who is the recipient of a call from a called user's
communicating device to the mobile terminal, and who cannot be reached via the
mobile terminal over a telecommunications network, said communication server
comprising:
means for determining a level of urgency of the call,
4
means for determining a list of third-party users who might contact the
calling user, based on the social relationship between the called user and each
third-party user, geolocation data related to the called user and related to the thirdparty
users, and the call's level of urgency, and
means for establishing a call between the called user and at least one
third-party user on the list.
The invention also pertains to a computer program capable of being
implemented within a server, said program comprising instructions which, whenever
the program is executed within said server, carry out the steps according to the
inventive method.
The present invention and the benefits thereof shall be better understood
upon examining the description below, which makes reference to the attached
figures, in which:
- Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system for
contacting a called user who cannot be reached via his or her mobile terminal
according to one embodiment of the invention, and
- Figure 2 is an algorithm of a method for contacting a called user who
cannot be reached via his or her mobile terminal according to one embodiment of
the invention.
The invention pertains to the communication system in which a "calling"
user calls a "called" user who has a mobile terminal, the called user being
unreachable via his or her mobile terminal. The communication system allows the
calling user to be put in contact with a "third-party" user who is capable of
contacting the called user.
It is assumed that the called user and third-party users have subscribed to
a service according to the invention. For example, each user that has subscribed to
the service may be declared as a called user and third-party user.
With reference to figure 1, a communication system comprises a calling
user's communicating device DCa, a called user's mobile terminal TM, at least one
5
communicating device DCt of a third-party user, and a communication system SC,
capable of communicating with one another over a telecommunications network RT.
The telecommunications network RT may comprise a wireless network,
such as a GSM ("Global System for Mobile communications") or UMTS ("Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System") digital cellular radio communication network.
The telecommunications network RT may be connected to an IMS ("IP Multimedia
Subsystem") packet network. Furthermore, the telecommunications network RT
may comprise a wired network or be a combination of wired and wireless networks.
According to one example, a communicating device DCa of a calling user,
a mobile terminal TM of a called user, or a communicating device DCt of a thirdparty
user is a mobile cellular radio communication terminal, connected by a radio
communication channel to an access network comprising the fixed-line network of a
radio communications network, for example a GSM or UMTS network.
According to another example, a communicating device DCa of a called
user, a mobile terminal TM of a called user, or a communicating device DCt of a
third-party user comprises a telecommunications device or electronic object that is
personal to the user and which may be a communicating personal digital assistant
PDA, or a smartphone, which may be connected to an access terminal of a shortrange
public wireless network of the WLAN ("Wireless Local Area Network") type or
one compliant with the 802.1x standards, or a medium-range one according to the
WiMAX ("Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access") protocol.
According to another example, a communicating device DCa of a calling
user or a communicating device DCt of a third-party user is a TDM ("Time Division
Multiplexing") fixed-line telephone, or a fixed-line voice over IP ("Internet Protocol")
telephone, or a POE ("Power Over Ethernet") fixed-line telephone.
Optionally, the communicating device DCa of a called user, a mobile
terminal TM of a called user, or a communicating device DCt of a third-party user
are capable of communicating via a short-range wireless connection of the Wi-Fi or
Bluetooth type.
Furthermore, a third-party user may possess multiple communicating
devices DCt, for example a mobile terminal and a fixed-line telephone.
6
The communication server SC may comprise a set of servers that each
provide one or more features of the communication server SC. The communication
server SC is, for example, managed by a telecommunications operator.
The communication server SC comprises a call processing module MTA, a
filter module FIL, a selection module SEL, a preference management module GES,
and a location module LOC.
In the remainder of the description, the term module may designate a
device, a software program, or a combination of computer hardware and software,
configured to execute at least one particular task.
The call processing module MTA processes a call coming from the caller's
communicating device DCa whenever the call did not go through. For example, the
call processing module MTA is triggered after the called user's mobile terminal TM
has rung a given number of times, or whenever the mobile terminal does not have
network coverage or is switched off.
The call processing module MTA has the functionality of transferring a call
to a communication device DCt of a third-party user close to the called user,
according to the principle described below, by working with the filter module FIL and
the selection module SEL.
The filter module FIL has the functionality of verifying a call's level of
urgency, and ensuring that the service offered by the communication server is not
being misused.
For example, the filter module FIL transfers the call to the call center so
that the person can talk with the calling user and determine the call's level of
urgency.
According to another example, the filter module FIL offers a voice server
functionality inviting the calling user to select or specify the call's level of urgency.
In one variant, the filter module FIL may conduct an automatic analysis of
the caller's voice and ask a series of questions in order to deduce the call's level of
urgency, for example by using a decision tree.
Optionally, in order to limit the use of the service delivered by the call
server, the call may be charged based on the degree of urgency, or a user who is
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close to the called user and to whom the call is routed may provide an opinion about
the call's degree of urgency.
The call's level of urgency may be determined based on a predefined
urgency scale, and optionally may be divided into two categories: a first category
exclusively for extremely urgent calls, those which are "life and death", and a
second category for other urgent calls, those which are "very urgent" or "personal",
etc.
According to one embodiment, the: user may be invited by a voice server
to select the call's level of urgency. Next, that level is assessed by the system
through a series of questions, and optionally a voice analysis, before the selection
module SEL determines a list of third-party users who may be placed in contact with
the calling user depending on the call's level of urgency. The list of third-party users
for a "just urgent" call may be more restrictive than a list of third-party users for an
"extremely urgent" call, with the latter potentially including people who do not know
the called user.
The selection module SEL selects a third-party user may be placed in
contact with the calling user in order for the third-party user to be able to contact the
called user.
The selection module SEL works with the filter module FIL and the call
processing module MTA to adopt the call's level of urgency as input data, queries
the location module LOC to learn the positions of users who may potentially be
placed in contact with the calling user, and queries the preference management
module GES to learn the social relationship between the called user and third-party
users who may potentially be placed in contact with the calling user as well as the
preferences of the user and third-party users.
The selection module SEL produces a list of people who are geographically
close to the called user and his preferences match the call's level of urgency.
For example, priority may be given to people who know the called user,
who are geographically close to the called user, and who agree in their preferences
to be placed in contact with a calling user with a low level of call urgency.
8
The location module LOC monitors the geographic positions of the called
user and third-party users. The location module LOC determines the geographic
position of users with a given precision.
For example, a user's location may be determined via GPS ("Global
Positioning System") data retrieved from the called user's mobile terminal or the
communicating device DCt of the third-party user, including a GPS positioning
system.
According to another example, a user's location may additionally be
determined by means of presence data related to the user's calendar. For example,
the called user may have filled out a calendar indicating that he or she is at the
dentist during a given time.
The location module LOC thereby saves geolocation data Dg related to the
called user and related to third-party users who may potentially be placed in contact
with the calling user. The geolocation data Dg may comprise the last known
geographic position of the called user and of each of the third-party users who may
potentially be placed in contact with the calling user, as well as their habitual
movements.
The preference management module GES enables users to specify their
preferences with respect to how they may be contacted and by whom.
With respect to the called user, the user informs the third-party users
whom he or she may be contacted by whenever he or she cannot be reached via
his or her mobile terminal, depending on the call's level of urgency.
The third-party users maybe classified into categories such as "family",
"friends", "others" via a social network. In that case, the called user may, for each
category of social relationship, assign a minimum level of urgency for a call in order
for the call to be routed to a third-party user classified within the category. For
example, a user classified in the "family" category may be selected for routing the
call regardless of the call's level of urgency, while a third-party user classified in the
"others" category may be selected for routing the call only for the call's highest level
of urgency.
With respect to a third-party user, that user informs the potential called
users for whom the third-party user agrees to be called in order to contact the called
user, depending on the call's level of urgency.
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Furthermore, the policies for bringing a third-party user in contact with the
calling user depend on the social relationship between the third-party user and the
called user. For example, a third-party user may agree to be placed in contact with
a calling user only if the called user is a friend or family member. Furthermore, any
third-party user may agree to be placed in contact with a calling user if the call's
level of urgency is high.
The preference management module GES saves users' preferences, as a
potential called user and a potential third-party user, and compares the called user's
preferences and third-party users' preferences in order to define a group Gp of
third-party users who may be placed in contact with a calling user based on the
call's level of urgency.
For example, a user's preferences may be entered by the user via a web
interface.
With reference to Figure 2, a method for contacting a call user who cannot
be reached by means of his or her mobile terminal according to one embodiment of
the invention comprises steps E1 to E5.
Beforehand, the called user connects to a web interface to inform the thirdparty
users whom he or she may be contacted by whenever he or she cannot be
reached via his or her mobile terminal, based on the social relationship between the
called user and each third-party user and based on the call's level of urgency.
Furthermore, at least some of said third-party users connect to a web
interface in order to inform potential called users for whom each third-party user has
agreed to be called in order to contact the called user, based on the social
relationship between the third-party user and each called user and based on the
call's level of urgency.
The communication server SC retrieves said information provided to the
web interface in order to define and associate a group Gp of third-party users to the
called user, the group's third-party users potentially being placed in contact with a
calling user based on the social relationship between the third-party user and each
called user and based on the call's level of urgency. For example, the group of thirdparty
users is saved as a match with an identifier of the called user, and each thirdparty
user is saved as a match with a call number of at least one communicating
device DCt.
10
In step E1, a calling user calls the called user but cannot reach him or her.
For example, after the called user's mobile terminal TM has rung a given number of
times, the communication server SC is triggered by a home location register HLR
which is included in the telecommunication network RT and which comprises the
called user's profile information, particularly the services which that user has
subscribed to, and the calling user's communicating device DCa is placed in contact
with the communication server SC.
In step E2, the filter module FIL determines the call's level of urgency. For
example, the filter module FIL transfers the call to a voice server that has a system
for assessing the call's level of urgency, inviting the calling user to select the call's
level of urgency, which is evaluated by the system through a set of questions, and
optionally a voice analysis. The call's level of urgency may be transmitted to the
communication server, for example in the form of a text message.
The call processing module MTA retrieves the call's level of urgency
determined by the filter module FIL and transmits it to the selection module SEL.
The call processing module MTA also transmits an identifier Id of the called
user to the selection module SEL. The identifier Id is, for example, the call number
of the called user.
In step E3, the selection module SEL queries the management module
GES in order to retrieve the group Gp of third-party users associated with the called
user, by means of the identifier Id of the called user.
The selection module SEL produces an initial list Li of third-party users
belonging to the group Gp based on the call's level of urgency. The policies for
bringing a third-party user in contact with the calling user depend on the social
relationship between the third-party user and the called user. For example, a thirdparty
user may agree to be placed in contact with a calling user only if the called
user is a friend or family member. Furthermore, any third-party user may agree to
be placed in contact with a calling user if the call's level of urgency is high.
Thus, only third-party users who had agreed to be placed in contact with a
calling user for the determined level of urgency belong to the initial list Li.
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In step E4, the selection module SEL queries the location module LOC to
learn the positions of the third-party users on the initial list Li. In particular, the
selection module SEL retrieves geolocation data Dg related to the called user and
related to the third-party users, comprising for example the last known geographic
position of the called user and of each of the third-party users.
The selection module SEL produces a final list Lf of third-party users from
the initial list Li based on the retrieved geolocation data Dg.
For example, the final list Lf contains an ordered enumeration of the thirdparty
users geographically closest to the called user. The final list Lf eliminates, for
example, the initial list of third-party users who are geographically too far from the
called user, beyond a predefined threshold distance.
In one variant, the order of steps E3 and E4 is reversed. Thus, it is possible
to first select the third-party users who are geographically closest to the called user
(E4) and then to verify which of those third-party users agree to be placed in contact
with the called user based on the call's level of urgency.
In step E5, the selection module SEL transmits the final list Lf to the call
processing module MTA which establishes a call between the calling user's
communicating device DCa and a communicating device DCt of the third-party user
who appears first in the final list.
The call processing module MTA thereby attempts to establish a call
between the calling user's communicating device DCa and each of the
communicating devices DCt of the third-party user which that third-party user has
declared.
If the third-party user cannot be reached, the call processing module MTA
establishes a call between the calling user's communicating device DCa and a
communicating device DCt of each of the third-party users who appear in order in
the final list.
The invention described here pertains to a method and server for
contacting a called user who cannot be reached via his or her mobile phone.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the steps of the inventive method
are determined by the instructions of a computer program incorporated into a
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server, such as the communication server SC. The program comprises program
instructions that, when said program is loaded and executed within the server, carry
out the steps of the inventive method.
Consequently, the invention also applies to a computer program,
particularly a computer program on or within an information medium, suitable to
implement the invention. This program may use any programming language, and be
in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code
and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other form desirable
for implementing the inventive method.
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I/We Claim:
1. A method for contacting a user who owns a mobile terminal (TM), who is
the recipient of a call from a calling user's communicating device (DCa) to the
mobile terminal and who cannot be reached by means of the mobile terminal over a
telecommunications network (RT), said method comprising the following steps in a
communication server (SC):
determining (E2) an urgency level of the call,
determining (E3, E4) a list (Lf) of third-party users who may be placed in
contact with the calling user, based on the social relationship between the called
user and each third-party user, geolocation data (Dg) related to the called user and
related to third-party users, and the call's level of urgency, and
establishing (E5) a call between the calling user and at least one third-party
user on the list.
2. A method according to claim 1, whereby the list (Lf) contains an ordered
enumeration of third-party users geographically closest to the called user.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, whereby the geolocation data (Dg)
comprises the last known geographic position of the called user end of each of the
third-party users.
4. A method according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, whereby the
geolocation data (Dg) related to the called user comprises presence data related to
the called user's calendar.
5. A method according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, whereby the
communication server (SC) has previously saved a group of (Gp) third-party users
who have agreed to be potentially called in order to contact the called user,
depending on the social relationship between the third-party user and the called
user.
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6. A method according to claim 5, whereby the communication server (SC)
determines said list (Lf) of third-party users by first producing an initial list (Li) from
users belonging to said group (Gp) based on the call's level of urgency, and by then
producing said list (Lf) based on geolocation data (Dg) related to the called user
and related to third-party users belonging to said initial list.
7. A method according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, whereby the call's level
of urgency is determined by transferring the call to a voice server that has a system
for evaluating the call's level of urgency.
8. A communication server (SC) for contacting a user who owns a mobile
terminal (TM), who is the recipient of a call from a calling user's communicating
device (DCa) to the mobile terminal and who cannot be reached by means of the
mobile terminal over a telecommunications network (RT), said communication
server (SC) comprising:
means (FIL) for determining a level of urgency of the call,
means (SEL) for determining a list (Lf) of third-party users who may be
placed in contact with the calling user, based on the social relationship between the
called user and each third-party user, geolocation data (Dg) related to the called
user and related to third-party users, and the call's level of urgency, and
means (MTA) for establishing a call between the call to user and at least
one third-party user on the list.
9. A computer program capable of being implemented in a server (SC) for
contacting a user who owns a mobile terminal (TM), who is the recipient of a call
from a calling user's communicating device (DCa) to the mobile terminal and who
cannot be reached by means of the mobile terminal over a telecommunications
network (RT), sent program comprising instructions which, when the program is
loaded and executed within said server, carry out the following steps:
determining (E2) an urgency level of the call,
determining (E3, E4) a list (Lf) of third-party users who may be placed in
contact with the calling user, based on the social relationship between the called
user and each third-party user, geolocation data (Dg) related to the called user and
related to third-party users, and the call's level of urgency, and
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establishing (E5) a call between the calling user and at least one third-party
user on the list.