LAUNCHING SOFTWARE ROUTINES IN RESPONSE TO MESSAGES RELATING TO COMMUNICATIONS SESSIONS

摘要

A communications system (10) includes a network (12) coupled to various network elements. The network elements include user systems (18, 24) that contain protocol-aware applications (28, 34) that are aware of the protocol used to establish streaming-type communications (e.g., audio, video, or multimedia) or text-based communications over the network (12). The protocol used for such communications may include the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), H.323, or other protocols. Each of the user systems (18, 24) includes a rules engine (30, 36) that is capable of collecting information from a SIP message and comparing the information to criteria or rules that have been entered by a user. When a match occurs, one or more target applications (32, 38) or other software routines are launched to perform predetermined tasks. The launched applications (32, 38) or other software routines may include a web browser, for example.