System and method for dynamically re-directing communications sessions based on location-enhanced information

Abstract

System and method for dynamically reconfiguring communications session routing in a communications system, each communications session being destined for a particular entity and being associated with at least one predefined route. Location information indicative of a current location for the particular entity is obtained and applied, in combination with at least one other type of information affecting routing of communications sessions to the particular entity, to a predefined set of conditional routing rules associated with the particular entity. This rules-based processing generates a routing result, on the basis of which the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is dynamically updated. The at least one other type of information affecting routing of communications sessions to the particular entity may include presence information, location-enhanced presence information, entity profile information and administrative information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for dynamically redirecting communications sessions based on location-enhanced information, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a locator unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an example of a table of associations for John Smith, based on the different types of location-sensing technologies and locatable entities shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the simplified functionality of a multimedia communications system, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts an example of a location-enhanced data structure generated by the session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the data flow within the session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting the event-driven operation performed by the processor of the session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of data within a location-enhanced presence engine, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a system for dynamically redirecting communications sessions based on location-enhanced information, in accordance with a variant example of implementation of the present invention;

FIGS. 11 to 14 illustrate examples of different scenarios affecting routing of communications sessions to a particular clinician within a multimedia healthcare communications network, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention;

FIGS. 15 to 18 illustrate different scenarios in which the session routing table of a particular clinician of the hospital is modified within the multimedia healthcare communications network as a result of session redirection commands received from the session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention; and

FIGS. 19 to 21 illustrate different scenarios in which the presence indicator for a particular entity has been updated within the multimedia healthcare communications network, as a result of received location-enhanced information from the session redirection unit, in accordance with a non-limiting example of implementation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for re-routing communications sessions destined for a particular entity in a communications system, each communications session being associated with at least one predefined route, said method comprising: a) obtaining location information indicative of a current location of the particular entity;b) obtaining presence information indicative of a current activity status of the particular entity;c) dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity on a basis of a combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity includes applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to a set of predetermined rules associated with the particular entity.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said communications system provides for different types of communications sessions, said step of applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to said set of predetermined rules resulting in a different route reconfiguration for each different type of communications session destined for the particular entity.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of generating location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity on a basis of said location information and said presence information.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein said dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is performed on a basis of said generated location-enhanced presence information.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity includes applying said generated location-enhanced presence information to said set of predefined rules.

7. A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of obtaining additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity is performed on a basis of said additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity includes applying said additional routing-related information to said set of predefined rules.

10. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity is selected from the group consisting of user profile information and administrative information.

11. A system for reconfiguring communications session routing in a communications system, each communications session being destined for a particular entity and being associated with at least one predefined route, said system comprising: a) a locator unit operative to collect location information from a plurality of sources and to determine a current location of the particular entity;b) a presence detection unit operative to determine a current activity status of the particular entity within the communications system;c) a session redirection unit in communication with both said locator unit and said presence detection unit, said session redirection unit operative to dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity on a basis of a combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity.

12. A system as defined in claim 11, wherein said session redirection unit includes a processor operative to dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to a set of predetermined rules associated with the particular entity.

13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said communications system provides for different types of communications sessions, said processor operative to determine a different route reconfiguration for each different type of communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to said set of predetermined rules associated with the particular entity.

14. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said processor is operative to obtain location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity, said dynamic updating of the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity being performed on a basis of said location-enhanced presence information.

15. A system as defined in claim 14, wherein said processor dynamically updates the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said location-enhanced presence information to said set of predefined rules.

16. A system as defined in claim 14, wherein said session redirection unit is further operative to generate said location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity on a basis of said location information and said presence information.

17. A system as defined in claim 14, further including a location-enhanced presence engine operative to generate said location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity on a basis of said location information and said presence information.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein said location-enhanced presence engine is a component of said session redirection unit.

19. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein said location-enhanced presence engine is coupled to said session redirection unit and is operative to transmit said generated location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity to said session redirection unit.

20. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said processor is operative to obtain additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity, said dynamic updating of the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity being performed on a basis of said additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity.

21. A system as defined in claim 20, wherein said processor is operative to dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said additional routing-related information to said set of predefined rules.

22. A system as defined in claim 20, wherein said additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity is selected from the group consisting of entity profile information and administrative information.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein said entity profile information includes a calendar, location visibility attributes and trigger descriptions associated with the particular entity.

24. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein said administrative information includes a shift schedule, an equipment schedule and trigger descriptions.

25. A system as defined in claim 11, wherein said communications system is a multimedia communications system.

26. A system as defined in claim 25, wherein said communications sessions are selected from the group consisting of voice sessions, data sessions, instant message sessions and video sessions.

27. A system as defined in claim 26, wherein said at least one predefined route is selected from the group consisting of voicemail, PDA, workstation and tablet.

28. A session redirection unit for reconfiguring communications session routing in a communications system, each communications session being destined for a particular entity and being associated with at least one predefined route, said session redirection unit operative to: a) obtain location information indicative of a current location of the particular entity;b) obtain presence information indicative of a current activity status of the particular entity within the communications system;c) dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity on a basis of a combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity.

29. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 28, wherein said session redirection unit includes a processor operative to dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to a set of predetermined rules associated with the particular entity.

30. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 29, wherein the communications system provides for different types of communications sessions, said processor operative to determine a different route reconfiguration for each different type of communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity to said set of predetermined rules associated with the particular entity.

31. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 29, wherein said processor is operative to obtain location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity, said dynamic updating of the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity being performed on a basis of said location-enhanced presence information.

32. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 31, wherein said processor dynamically updates the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said location-enhanced presence information to said set of predefined rules.

33. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 31, further operative to generate said location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity on a basis of said location information and said presence information.

34. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 29, wherein said processor is further operative to obtain additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity, said dynamic updating of the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity being performed on a basis of said additional routing-related information characterizing the particular entity.

35. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 34, wherein said processor is operative to dynamically update the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity by applying said additional routing-related information to said set of predefined rules.

36. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 30, wherein said session redirection unit includes a memory storing a data structure associated with the particular entity, said data structure containing an entity identifier, a current location indicator and a current presence status for the particular entity.

37. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 36, wherein said data structure further contains a current route table, said current route table mapping each different type of communications session destined for the particular entity to at least one respective route.

38. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 36, where said data structure further contains a current location-enhanced presence status for the particular entity.

39. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 36, wherein said data structure contains current and historical data associated with the particular entity.

40. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 36, wherein said processor is operative to update said data structure on a basis of said combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity.

41. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 30, wherein said processor generates output commands indicative of said determined route reconfigurations for the particular entity, said session redirection unit operative to transmit said output commands to the communications system for updating a session routing table of the communications system.

42. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 30, wherein said processor generates output commands indicative of said route reconfigurations for the particular entity, said session redirection unit operative to transmit said output commands to the communications system for modifying one or more features of the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity.

43. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 31, wherein said session redirection unit is in communication with a controller, said controller being operative to configure and control said session redirection unit.

44. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 43, wherein a first subset of said predetermined rules are defined to said session redirection unit by an administrator via said controller.

45. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 44, wherein a second subset of said predetermined rules are defined to said session redirection unit by the particular entity via said controller.

46. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 45, wherein said first and second subsets of said predetermined rules are defined at least in part on a basis of said location-enhanced presence information associated with the particular entity.

47. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 28, wherein said communications system is a multimedia communications system

48. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 47, wherein said communications sessions are selected from the group consisting of voice sessions, data sessions, instant message sessions and video sessions.

49. A session redirection unit as defined in claim 48, wherein said predefined route is selected from the group consisting of voicemail, PDA, workstation and tablet.

50. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program element for execution by a computing apparatus to reconfigure communications session routing in a communications system, each communications session being destined for a particular entity and being associated with at least one predefined route, said program element including: a) computer-readable program code for detecting receipt of location information indicative of a current location of the particular entity;b) computer-readable program code for detecting receipt of presence information indicative of a current activity status of the particular entity within the communications system;c) computer-readable program code for dynamically updating the at least one predefined route associated with each communications session destined for the particular entity on a basis of a combination of said current location and said current activity status of the particular entity.