Adaptive communication handling

Abstract

A method can include accessing, from memory, sensor data in response to detecting an incoming communication to a given communication endpoint, the sensor data representing at least one of a condition of the given communication endpoint or a condition of an operating environment associated with the given communication endpoint. The method can also include applying a profile to the sensor data to determine whether to extend or truncate a duration that the incoming communication at the given communication endpoint. The profile may be learned based on the sensor data associated with one or more previous incoming communication being answered or not answered. The method further includes adapting the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint based on the applied profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 accessing, from memory, sensor data in response to detecting an incoming communication to a given communication endpoint, the sensor data representing at least one of a condition of the given communication endpoint or a condition of an operating environment associated with the given communication endpoint;   applying a profile to the sensor data to determine whether to extend or truncate a duration that the incoming communication at the given communication endpoint, the profile being learned based on the sensor data associated with one or more previous incoming communication being answered or not answered; and   adapting the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint based on the applied profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing pre-alert sensor data in the memory prior to receiving the incoming communication to provide state information for the given communication endpoint before generating an alert at the given communication endpoint for the incoming communication, the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint being adapted based on the pre-alert sensor data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 analyzing the sensor data to determine an endpoint condition corresponding to at least one of a willingness or availability of a user to answer the incoming communication at the given communication endpoint; and   adapting the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint based on the endpoint condition.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising storing intra-alert sensor data in the memory in response to the incoming communication to provide state information for the given communication endpoint while alerting the user of the incoming communication, wherein the endpoint condition is determined based on a difference between the pre-alert sensor data and the intra-alert sensor data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising redirecting the incoming communication from another communication endpoint back to the given communication endpoint in response to determining the endpoint condition specifies a behavior consistent with answering the incoming communication at the given communication endpoint before the incoming communication is answered and connected at the other communication endpoint. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 storing the profile that represents sensor data acquired during behavior associated with answering a plurality of incoming communications at the given communication endpoint; and   applying the stored profile to the sensor data stored in response to the incoming communication to determine the endpoint condition.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing intra-alert sensor data in the memory to provide state information for the given communication endpoint while alerting a user of the incoming communication at the given communication endpoint, the intra-alert sensor data including a record for at least one previous incoming communication, wherein the endpoint condition is determined based on based on a difference between the intra-alert sensor data that is obtained during the incoming communication and the intra-alert sensor data for the at least one previous incoming communication. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the profile is an endpoint-specific profile that depends on which sensors are active at each of a plurality of endpoints associated with a user to which the incoming communication is intended. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of receiving the sensor data from at least one sensor that is integral within the given communication endpoint and receiving the sensor data from at least one other sensor via a communications link, the at least one other sensor being external to the given communication endpoint. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 connecting the given communication endpoint with the incoming communication if the incoming communication is answered in response to a user input before the duration expires; and   redirecting the incoming communication to another endpoint in response to the duration expiring before the incoming communication is answered at the given communication endpoint.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending a message to a calling party to indicate that the incoming communication is being adapted or that answering is currently restricted, the message being the same or different based on how the incoming communication is initiated. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 offering the incoming communication simultaneously to multiple endpoints; and   applying the profile and adapting the duration that the incoming communication is being offered at each of the multiple endpoints.   
     
     
         13 . A communications system, comprising:
 at least one sensor to provide sensor data representing at least one of a condition of a given communication endpoint to which an incoming communication is directed or a condition of an environment associated with the given communication endpoint while the incoming communication is being offered at the given communication endpoint;   an adaption engine to apply a profile to the sensor data to determine whether to extend or truncate a duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint, the profile being learned based on sensor data values associated with a previous incoming communication being answered or not answered; and   call control to adapt the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint based on the applied profile.   
     
     
         14 . The communication system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an analyzer to analyze the sensor data and determine endpoint condition data representing an extent to which a user is trying to answer the incoming communication being offered at the given communication endpoint; and   the call control further to adapt the duration that the incoming communication is offered at the given communication endpoint based on the endpoint condition data.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor data comprises:
 pre-alert sensor data captured from the at least one sensor before generating an alert at the given communication endpoint in response to the incoming communication, the pre-alert sensor data representing sensor state information for the given communication endpoint before generating the alert; and   intra-alert sensor data captured from the at least one sensor while generating the alert in response to the incoming communication,   wherein the analyzer determines the endpoint condition data based on a comparison between the pre-alert sensor data and the intra-alert sensor data.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the call control is further to connect the given communication endpoint with the incoming communication if the incoming communication is answered, in response to a user input, before the duration expires, and
 wherein the call control redirects the incoming communication to another endpoint in response to the duration expiring before the incoming communication is answered at the given communication endpoint.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor data comprises intra-alert sensor data captured in response to the incoming communication, the intra-alert sensor data including a record for at least one previous incoming communication and a current incoming communication, wherein the analyzer determines the endpoint condition data based on based on a comparison of the intra-alert sensor data that is obtained during the current incoming communication and the intra-alert sensor data for at least one previous incoming communication. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the call control extends the duration in response to determining that the endpoint condition data indicates that the user is trying to answer the incoming communication being offered at the given communication endpoint, and
 wherein the call control truncates the duration if the endpoint condition data indicates that the user has refused to answer the incoming communication.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising an endpoint resource to send a message to a calling party to indicate that the incoming communication is being adapted or that answering is currently restricted, the message being the same or different based on how the incoming communication is initiated. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising call logic to offer the incoming communication simultaneously to multiple endpoints, the call control to adapt the duration that the incoming communication is offered at each of the multiple endpoints.