Patent ID: 8295206

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a data data-processing system: a) at least one first rule for determining a first availability of a user for participating via a first medium in a communication session of interest, wherein the at least one first rule is based on a number of communication sessions already occurring in which the user is involved via the first medium; b) a first indication comprising how many communication sessions the user is involved in via the first medium; c) at least one second rule for determining a second availability of the user for participating via a second medium in the communication session of interest, wherein the at least one second rule is based on the number of communication sessions already occurring in which the user is involved via the second medium; and d) a second indication comprising how many communication sessions the user is involved in via the second medium; determining, by the data-processing system: a) the first availability based on the at least one first rule and the first indication; and b) the second availability based on the at least one second rule and the second indication; selecting, by the data-processing system, a preferred medium for the communication session of interest from among the first medium and the second medium based on the first availability and the second availability, when the user is involved in at least one communication session via at least one of the first medium and the second medium; and transmitting, by the data-processing system to a call-processing server, a signal that indicates the preferred medium.