Method and apparatus for migrating active communication session between terminals

• US 10,064,031 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Marco, Zhang, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Kai
• Application Number:
  US15/666,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1327 Release and resetting of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for migrating between terminals. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network proxy having a controller that manages a communications interface in a communication system. The controller can be programmed to receive a request to migrate a first terminal to a third terminal while active communications are taking place on a first voice channel connecting the first terminal to a second terminal, establish a second voice channel with the third terminal, connect the first and second voice channels, and terminate without action of an end user of the first terminal a connection between the first terminal and the first voice channel. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a request transmitted from a first end user device to migrate active communications with a second end user device from the first end user device to a third end user device while the active communications are taking place on a first channel connecting the first end user device to the second end user device;

initiating, by the processing system, a network origination call to the third end user device via a second channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating, by the processing system, a connection of the first channel and the second channel by way of a communications bridge;

contemporaneous with a detection at the third end user device of an acceptance of the network origination call, automatically terminating, by the processing system, a connection between the first end user device and the first channel, thereby releasing the first channel connecting the first end user device and the second end user device; and

transmitting, by the processing system, a notification to the third end user device indicating that the third end user device can engage in communications with the second end user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel connecting the first end user device to the second end user device comprises a voice channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted automatically by the first end user device responsive to detection of the third end user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes an identifier of the third end user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end user device obtains an identifier of the third end user device via short-range communications via a radio frequency identification device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications between the second end user device and the third end user device are engaged in via the second channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second channel connecting the second end user device to the third end user device comprises a second voice channel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing system, a conferencing request transmitted from a fourth end user device to connect the fourth end user device to the second channel; and

establishing, by the processing system, a third channel with the fourth end user device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising facilitating, by the processing system, a connection of the second channel and the third channel, wherein the connection of the second channel and the third channel is performed while active communications are taking place on the second channel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the conferencing request conforms to a protocol comprising signaling system 7, session initiation protocol, H.323, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by a processing system, a signal to the third end user device indicating that the third end user device can engage in communications with the second end user device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal comprises an audible signal, a text signal, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the processing system, a notice to a user of the first channel regarding detection of one of the first end user device by the third end user device or the third end user device by the first end user device.

14. A machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving a request transmitted from a first end user device to migrate active communications with a second end user device from the first end user device to a third end user device while the active communications are taking place on a first channel connecting the first end user device to the second end user device;

initiating a network origination call to the third end user device via a second channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating a connection of the first channel and the second channel by way of a communications bridge;

terminating a connection between the first end user device and the first channel, thereby releasing the first channel connecting the first end user device and the second end user device; and

transmitting a notification to the third end user device indicating that the third end user device can engage in communications with the second end user device.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the connection between the first end user device and the first channel is automatically terminated contemporaneous with a detection at the third end user device of an acceptance of the network origination call.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise providing a notice to a user of the first channel regarding detection of one of the first end user device by the third end user device or the third end user device by the first end user device.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a conferencing request transmitted from a fourth end user device to connect the fourth end user device to the second channel;

establishing a third channel with the fourth end user device; and

facilitating a connection of the second channel and the third channel, wherein the connection of the second channel and the third channel is performed while active communications are taking place on the second channel.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first channel connecting the first end user device to the second end user device comprises a first voice channel, and wherein the second channel connecting the second end user device to the third end user device comprises a second voice channel.

19. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a request transmitted from a first end user device to migrate active communications, at a first channel, with a second end user device from the first end user device to a third end user device;

initiating a network origination call to the third end user device via a second channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating a connection of the first channel and the second channel by way of a communications bridge;

terminating a connection between the first end user device and the first channel, thereby releasing the first channel connecting the first end user device and the second end user device; and

transmitting a notification to the third end user device indicating that the third end user device can engage in communications with the second end user device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the request is received from the first end user device while the active communications are taking place on the first channel connecting the first end user device to the second end user device.