Patent ID: 8881020
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for multi-modal communication via a communication controller operating in a computer network architecture, said controller associated with a user and responsive to the user's preference for a modality-specific user interface for communications, comprising: receiving from a first user from a first modality-specific user interface adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the first modality across a computer network, a first communication in a first modality, the first communication directed at a second user, wherein the first modality comprises email; upon receiving the first communication in the first modality from the first modality-specific user interface across the computer network, converting the first communication into a second modality adapted to transmit and receive communications only in the second modality based on a preference set by the second user, wherein the second modality comprises chat or short message service (SMS); and upon converting the first communication into the second modality, providing the first communication to a second modality-specific user interface across the computer network, the first modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the first modality but not capable of presenting communications in the second modality and the second modality-specific user interface capable of presenting communications in the second modality but not capable of presenting communications in the first modality, wherein an incoming communication into the second modality-specific user interface is converted into the second modality of chat when the second user is online and into the other second modality of SMS when the second user is offline, wherein the incoming communication is converted to provide for the ability of the second-modality user interface to present the communication to the second user so that the first communication from the first modality-specific user interface appears to originate in the second modality and the first modality-specific user interface presents a second communication originating from the second user from the second modality-specific user interface in response to the first communication, wherein the second communication is converted to provide for the ability of the first modality-specific interface to present the second communication so that the second communication appears to the first user to originate in the first modality.