International Business Machines Corporation

Renee Marie Kovales

Robert J Sundstrom

Diane Phylis Pozefsky

J Smith Doss

Edith H Stern

Barry Edward Willner

David Mark Ogle

James M Mathewson, Ii

Paul W Haverstock

Geoffrey David Alexander

John Raithel Hind

Haim Schneider

Mary A Curran

Andrew N Capella

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by providing bookmarks for voice mail messages in order to facilitate improved navigation thereof. A bookmark is preferably conveyed by the caller leaving a voice mail message to indicate information such as a change in the topic of the message, or a particular important passage within the message, or perhaps to identify some information for special treatment (such as a telephone number and time of day at which the call can be returned). Once the message has been bookmarked, the listener can navigate the message more efficiently (for example, by listening to a few seconds of each topic and then skipping to the next topic, or by listening only to the special information) and can also perform actions on parts of the voice mail message (such as forwarding only a selected segment to a third party, while keeping the remainder of the message confidential). Optionally, audio cues may be rendered with the voice mail message as it is played to the listener, where audio cues are sounds that are either 'incorporated in' with the audio rendering as a separate (background) audio stream or inserted in-line within the message. (For example, audio cues may change to signify that the bookmarked topics of the message change, or many announce the type of bookmark associated with an upcoming audio message segment).

Recording and receiving voice mail with freeform bookmarks

Techniques are disclosed for keeping calendars up-to-date, whereby a person's working hours, events, and actual availability are accurately reflected. In response to user-generated input and/or application-generated input, working hours can be updated and calendar events can be added to, deleted from, or changed on the user's calendar. This makes it easy for users to keep calendars (including working hours) up-to-date and helps both people and applications that use calendar data. Profiles are preferably used to specify working hours, and a particular user may have one or more profiles available (including a default profile); the user can then easily select from among these profiles to update the working hours for a date/day, or a range of dates/days. Preferences may be associated with the profiles, providing a convenient way of isolating information that applies only to a particular set of working hours.

Keeping working hours and calendar entries up-to-date

Keeping working hours and calendar entries up-to date

A first data store is provided for storing individual subscriptions, including match criteria and an action specification. A second data store is also provided for storing group subscriptions, including a use counter and a list of pointers to the individual subscriptions. When a new individual subscription is submitted, it is registered/stored in the individual subscription data store. Upon registration, its criteria are checked against the criteria of existing subscriptions in the group subscription data store. If there is a match, a use counter corresponding to the matching group subscription is incremented, and a pointer is added to a list of pointers to associate the matching group subscription with the individual subscription. If there is not a match, a new group subscription is added to the group subscription data store, and the group subscription is registered with the pub/sub engine. A use counter corresponding to the group subscription is incremented, and a pointer is added to a list of pointers.

Method, system, and program product for providing automatic group subscriptions

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by selectably mixing one or more sound files with a telephone caller's voice message, either as background for that message or embedded within the message. Or, the mixing may occur within a telephone conversation between parties. The disclosed techniques enable alleviating some of the problems that result from distance communication (as contrasted to face-to-face communication). In particular, context information (such as emotional context) can be provided through appropriate use of background sound and/or embedded audio files. The disclosed techniques may also make communication through voice mail exchange more enjoyable and/or increase its productivity.

Selectable audio and mixed background sound for voice messaging system

Techniques are disclosed for scheduling meetings by exploiting information of the type used with electronic calendars. By leveraging advanced calendaring system information and using location, other context information such as corporate policy, legal constraints, and technology constraints, and/or user-specific preferences to provide a complete picture of a person's availability, the functionality (and therefore the value) of scheduling systems in increased, resulting in an ability to schedule meetings with more accuracy and less rework. Various allowable participation types for meeting invitees may be specified, and each invitee's availability is determined accordingly. Location-sensitive travel times (including optional user-specific travel time adjustments) are used in preferred embodiments when in-person participation is required.

Intelligent free-time search

Techniques are disclosed for performing free-time searches that exploit information of the type used with electronic calendars. By leveraging advanced calendaring system information and using location, other context information such as corporate policy, legal constraints, and technology constraints, and user-specific preferences to provide a complete picture of a person's availability, the functionality (and therefore the value) of scheduling systems in increased, resulting in an ability to schedule meetings with more accuracy and less rework. Various allowable participation types for meeting invitees may be specified, and each invitee's availability is determined accordingly. Location-sensitive travel times (including optional user-specific travel time adjustments) are used in preferred embodiments when in-person participation is required.

Techniques are disclosed for detecting and resolving conflicts in context information from various sources. That information may be used to automatically update one or more context sources and/or to validate or invalidate (until further notice or for a period of time) input from one or more context sources. Or, the updates can be made in response to the user's instructions. Rules are used in preferred embodiments to dictate the conflict resolution approach for individual users. Updating the context source is particularly useful when the source is an electronic calendar. Updates that may be made to the calendar include adding, deleting, or changing scheduled events and/or working hours. Invalidating data from a context source is particularly useful for lost, forgotten, misplaced, or loaned devices. Marking data from a context source as valid is preferably done when harmony among several context sources is detected. Context suppliers may be notified of errors or discrepancies in their context data.

Context conflict resolution and automatic context source maintenance

Techniques are disclosed for predicting and adjusting future working hours and calendar events for users of electronic calendars. Predictions may be made based on historical calendar data (e.g., a user's scheduled working hours/events and that user's actual working hours/events); based on updates to working hours or events; and/or based on external information. Rules are used in preferred embodiments to indicate the actions that should be taken when a particular condition occurs.

Predicting and adjusting users' working hours and electronic calendar events

A method, system, and product are disclosed for providing calendar-enhanced awareness/presence information for instant messaging systems and electronic status boards. This invention automates status transitions, enhances and automates status messages, and automates and extends the IM 'who can see me' function. Additionally, this invention extends awareness to dimensions other than IM status, to include availability in-person, via telephone, via wireless device or wireless messaging device (e.g., pager).

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Renee Marie Kovales