Collaboration agent

Abstract

A collaboration agent for facilitating real-time communications on behalf of a user. The collaboration agent includes a conference bridge that anchors calls to the conference bridge. The collaboration agent uses contextual information associated with the user to manage the real-time communications. The collaboration agent can communicate with other collaboration agents associated with other users.

1 . A collaboration agent associated with a user of a communication service, the collaboration agent comprising:
 a conference bridge;   a contextual information interface operable to receive contextual information associated with the user; and   a control system operable to:
 receive a request to establish a communications session with the user via the conference bridge; and 
 determine whether to establish the communications session based on the contextual information and at least one rule. 
   
     
     
         2 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the contextual information is at least one of:
 presence information of the user;   availability information of the user;   location information of the user;   calendar information of the user; and   profile information associated with a communications terminal of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a requester-dependent rule whereby the control system determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on the contextual information and an identity of a caller associated with the request to establish the communications session. 
     
     
         4 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a location-dependent rule whereby the control system determines whether to establish the communications session to a particular user communications terminal based at least in part on a current location of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rule comprises an availability-dependent rule whereby the control system determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on a current availability of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The collaboration agent of  claim 5 , wherein the control system is further operable to send projected availability information to a requestor of the requested communications session, the projected information conveying a projected availability time of the user determined from the contextual information. 
     
     
         7 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a time-of-day-dependent rule whereby the control system determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on a current time-of-day. 
     
     
         8 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rule requires user confirmation before establishing the communications session. 
     
     
         9 . The collaboration agent of  claim 8 , wherein the control system is operable to identify the requestor of the communications session to the user. 
     
     
         10 . The collaboration agent of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control system is further operable to establish the communications session via the conference bridge without interrupting a previously existing communications session connected to the user via the conference bridge; and   the conference bridge is operable to mix signals from the communications session and the previously existing communications session so that the user receives signals from both the communications session and the previously existing communications session, but any other participant in the previously existing communications session does not receive signals from the communications session and any other participant in the communications session does not receive signals from the previously existing communications session.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a collaboration agent associated with a user of a communication service, the collaboration agent comprising a conference bridge, the method comprising:
 receiving contextual information associated with the user; and   receiving a request to establish a communications session with the user via the conference bridge; and   determining whether to establish the communications session based on the contextual information and at least one rule.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the contextual information is at least one of:
 presence information of the user;   availability information of the user;   location information of the user;   calendar information of the user; and   profile information associated with a communications terminal of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a requester-dependent rule whereby the collaboration agent determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on the contextual information and an identity of a caller associated with the request to establish the communications session. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a location-dependent rule whereby the collaboration agent determines whether to establish the communications session to a particular user communications terminal based at least in part on a current location of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rule comprises an availability-dependent rule whereby the collaboration agent determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on a current availability of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising sending projected availability information to a requestor of the communications session, the projected information conveying a projected availability time of the user determined from the contextual information. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rule comprises a time-of-day-dependent rule whereby the collaboration agent determines whether to establish the communications session based at least in part on a current time-of-day. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one rule requires user confirmation before establishing the communications session. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising identifying the requestor of the communications session to the user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 establishing the communications session via the conference bridge without interrupting a previously existing communications session connected to the user via the conference bridge; and   mixing signals from the communications session and the previously existing communications session so that the user receives signals from both the communications session and the previously existing communications session, but any other participant in the previously existing communications session does not receive signals from the communications session and any other participant in the communications session does not receive signals from the previously existing communications session.