In 2009 most location patents were about GPS.
We took a different route: use the badge-swipe data enterprises already had, infer where someone probably is, and route calls accordingly — no tracking, no battery drain, no extra hardware.
Patent US8635366B2 was born.
Fifteen years and 64 forward citations later (including Cisco, Microsoft, Avaya, RingCentral, Mitel), it feels worth revisiting.
Click here to open patent link
More than a decade ago, while leading a team at IBM, I co-authored and successfully prosecuted U.S. Patent 8,635,366 — “Communication Routing” — a foundational invention in context-aware communication systems.
The goal was simple yet visionary: connect people through the right device at the right time — without GPS or invasive tracking.
Back then, GPS was expensive, unreliable indoors, and privacy concerns were rising. Our patented method used existing enterprise access control data (badge swipes) to infer location and route calls — a low-cost, privacy-first alternative that predated modern AI presence systems by nearly a decade.
Key Innovation (Claim 1): “Routing communication to an individual by identifying current location from access control information.” This was a new paradigm for location inference without geolocation hardware.
Why It Still Matters in 2025
Despite billions invested in collaboration tools, the core problem remains unsolved: systems still don’t truly know where you are or how best to reach you.
Today, most platforms default to “ring everything” — creating noise, not clarity.
But what if communication could be predictive, adaptive, and human-centered?
With cloud, AI, and behavioral signals now mature, we can reimagine my original patent as an AI-driven presence engine — one that learns from patterns while preserving privacy.
Smarter Device Routing Through AI (Next-Gen Vision)
Context SignalIntelligent ActionActive laptop on corporate Wi-Fi→ Ring desktop app firstCommute pattern (mobile + Bluetooth)→ Route to phone, suppress desktopCalendar focus block→ Auto-deflect or notify laterBadge swipe at cafeteria→ Update IM status: “In cafeteria — back at 1 PM”
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This isn’t science fiction — it’s the natural evolution of my 2009 patent, now supercharged with AI.
Proven Impact: Cited by 64 Patents
My invention has been cited 64 times — including by Cisco, Microsoft, Avaya, RingCentral, and Mitel — in systems for:
Location-based call routing (Cisco)
Presence aggregation (Microsoft)
Dynamic device selection (Avaya)
Click here for full citation list
This sustained influence proves the patent’s role as a foundational building block in enterprise unified communications.
Looking Ahead: From Patent to Platform
What began as a GPS alternative is now a blueprint for AI-native communication.
Today, I’m exploring how generative AI + privacy-preserving inference can power the next leap:
“Presence that predicts, protects, and personalizes — without ever tracking.”
Let’s Build the Future of Communication
How would you design an intelligent routing system today?
Should AI infer availability from calendar + badge + typing patterns?
How do we balance prediction with privacy?
Can we make “do not disturb” truly intelligent?
Drop your thoughts below — I read every comment.
Originally shared on LinkedIn and Medium.
Patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8635366B2
64-citation CSV: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8635366B2#patentCitations
Curious how you’d extend this idea with today’s telemetry + ML? Let’s talk in the comments.
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