Techniques for integrating instant messaging with telephonic communication

• US 20070050463A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Shaffer, Shmuel, Jennings, Cullen, Shaffer, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and techniques for escalating an instant messaging (IM) session between two or more users to an audio session so that a communication device (by one or more users) that will optimize the audio session is selectively and intelligently utilized. In one embodiment, if an IP (Internet Protocol) phone is connected to the computer on which an IM session is being escalated, the IP telephone may be used instead of the computer device'"'"'s own soft telephone so as to maximize audio clarity and quality. In another embodiment, a user'"'"'s cell phone may be utilized for a mobile user who is using a laptop that is not coupled to an IP telephone or who is communicating from a hotel room in which a telephone call is typically more expensive than a cell phone call. Numerous embodiments for optimizing such audio sessions are described herein.

Claims

1. A method for escalating an instant message (IM) session between a plurality of participants to an audio or audiovisual session between the plurality of participants, comprising:

(a) after an IM session is in progress between two or more participants, determining what communication devices are available for each participant; and

(b) after determining what communication devices are available for each participant, selecting an optimum communication device for each participant from the one or more communication devices that were determined to be available for the each participant; and

(c) after a request for an audio session is received from a selected one of the participants, starting an audio session between the participants using the selected optimum communication device for each participant.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting an optimized communication device includes considering one or more factors selected from a group consisting of audio quality of each communication device, proximity of each of the communication device to a one of the participants, bandwidth size that is available for the audio session, and associated toll of using each available communication device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining which communication devices are available for each participant is accomplished by obtaining a communication profile for each participant that specifies one or more phone numbers of their available communication devices and an indication of priority for using such available communication devices.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein a first computer device that is being used by the selected participant for the IM session is configured with the selected participant'"'"'s communication profile and also receives a communication profile from the other participants via their remote computer devices so that the communication profile of the selected participant is obtained from the first computer device and the communication profile of the other participants are obtained by being received into the first computer device from their remote computer devices.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the communication profile of each participant is created or modified by each participant.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the communication profile of each participant is stored on a remote server and each communication profile of each participant is obtained from the remote server.

7. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein, on a first computer device that is being used by the selected participant, the step of obtaining the communication profile of the selected participant includes discovering whether one or more communication devices are proximate to the selected user'"'"'s computer device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein discovering includes obtaining an association between the first computer device and an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone that is coupled to the first computer device.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein discovering includes exchanging wireless information between the first computer device and one or more communication devices that are proximate to the first computer (when present), wherein the wireless information from each discovered communication device is formed into a communication profile for such discovered communication device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using a Bluetooth protocol.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using radio frequency (RF) signals.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using infrared (IR) signals.

13. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein discovering includes determining that one or more communication devices share a same wireless access point as the first computer device.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein starting an audio session between the participants is accomplished by a call manager that initiates the audio session between the selected optimum communication devices of the participants.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) are only performed after a request for an audio session is received from a selected one of the participants

16. A computer system for escalating an instant message (IM) session between a plurality of participants to an audio or audiovisual session between the plurality of participants, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are configured for;

(a) after an IM session is in progress between two or more participants, determining what communication devices are available for each participant; and

(b) after determining what communication devices are available for each participant, selecting an optimum communication device for each participant from the one or more communication devices that were determined to be available for the each participant; and

(c) after a request for an audio session is received from a selected one of the participants, starting an audio session between the participants using the selected optimum communication device for each participant.

17. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein selecting an optimized communication device includes considering one or more factors selected from a group consisting of audio quality of each communication device, proximity of each of the communication device to a one of the participants, bandwidth size that is available for the audio session, and an associated toll of using each available communication device.

18. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein determining which communication devices are available for each participant is accomplished by obtaining a communication profile for each participant that specifies one or more phone numbers of their available communication devices and an indication of priority for using such available communication devices.

19. A computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein a first computer device that is being used by the selected participant for the IM session is configured with the selected participant'"'"'s communication profile and also receives a communication profile from the other participants via their remote computer devices so that the communication profile of the selected participant is obtained from the first computer device and the communication profile of the other participants are obtained by being received into the first computer device from their remote computer devices.

20. A computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein the communication profile of each participant is created or modified by each participant.

21. A computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein the communication profile of each participant is stored on a remote server and each communication profile of each participant is obtained from the remote server.

22. A computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein, on a first computer device that is being used by the selected participant, the step of obtaining the communication profile of the selected participant includes discovering whether one or more communication devices are proximate to the selected user'"'"'s computer device.

23. A computer system as recited in claim 22, wherein discovering includes obtaining an association between the first computer device and an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone that is coupled to the first computer device.

24. A computer system as recited in claim 22, wherein discovering includes exchanging wireless information between the first computer device and one or more communication devices that are proximate to the first computer (when present), wherein the wireless information from each discovered communication device is formed into a communication profile for such discovered communication device.

25. A computer system as recited in claim 24, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using a Bluetooth protocol.

26. A computer system as recited in claim 24, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using radio frequency (RF) signals.

27. A computer system as recited in claim 24, wherein exchanging wireless information is accomplished using infrared (IR) signals.

28. A computer system as recited in claim 22, wherein discovering includes determining that one or more communication devices share a same wireless access point as the first computer device.

29. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein starting an audio session between the participants is accomplished by a call manager that initiates the audio session between the selected optimum communication devices of the participants.

30. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein steps (a) and (b) are only performed after a request for an audio session is received from a selected one of the participants

31. An apparatus for escalating an instant message (IM) session between a plurality of participants to an audio or audiovisual session between the plurality of participants, comprising:

means for after an IM session is in progress between two or more participants, determining what communication devices are available for each participant; and

means for after determining what communication devices are available for each participant, selecting an optimum communication device for each participant from the one or more communication devices that were determined to be available for the each participant; and

means for after a request for an audio session is received from a selected one of the participants, starting an audio session between the participants using the selected optimum communication device for each participant.