Systems and methods for file sharing through mobile devices

• US 20080096544A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael, Tuthill, Carolyn, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed which relate to the sending and receiving of multimedia files between two devices while connected through a voice call. These devices are free to send any type of file through a direct connection without the need to hang up and call back just to see if the file was sent successfully. These methods work for a plurality of cellular and computer devices connected through a cellular network or other Internet Service Provider.

Claims

1. A network system for sharing files, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices, where at least two of the devices are engaged in voice communication;

a direct data connection between the engaged communication devices over an IP network; and

a plurality of units capable of acting as gateways between the communication devices and an IP network;

wherein the units initiate, maintain, and terminate the data connection while engaged in voice communication.

2. The network system in claim 1, wherein the two devices are cellular telephones, computers, PDA'"'"'s, or any combination of two devices.

3. The network system in claim 2, wherein the cellular telephone connects through a GSM, CDMA, or TDMA network.

4. The network system in claim 2, wherein the computers and PDA'"'"'s connect via Wi-Fi, WiMax, Cable modem, DSL modem, phone line modem, or any equivalent packet-based network.

5. The network system in claim 1, wherein the IP addresses are allocated from an IP Multimedia Subsystem.

6. The network system in claim 1, wherein the IP addresses are allocated by an Internet Service Provider.

7. The network system in claim 1, wherein the direct connection request is sent using a Session Initiation Protocol.

8. The network system in claim 1, wherein the data connection established between IP addresses uses a Packet Delivery Protocol (PDP).

9. The data connection in claim 8, wherein the PDP connection uses a primary connection to send and receive a plurality of file requests and a secondary connection to send and receive a plurality of files.

10. The network system of claim 1, wherein the data connection established between IP addresses uses the Realtime Transfer Protocol (RTP).

11. The network system of claim 1, wherein the file elected to send can be a multimedia file of any type.

12. The file in claim 11, wherein the multimedia file can be a picture, sound, video, or song.

13. A method of sharing files comprising the steps of:

establishing a voice connection between a set of two devices connected to the internet;

receiving an IP address to both devices;

requesting a direct connection from one device and accepting the request with the other device;

establishing a data connection from the IP address of one device to the IP address of the second device; and

electing to send a file through the data connection;

wherein the data connection is established while the devices maintain the voice connection.

14. The method in claim 13, wherein the two devices are cellular telephones, computers, PDA'"'"'s, or any combination of two devices.

15. The method in claim 14, wherein the computers and PDA'"'"'s connect via Wi-Fi, WiMax, Cable modem, DSL modem, phone line modem, or any equivalent packet-based network.

16. The method in claim 13, wherein the data connection established between IP addresses uses a Packet Delivery Protocol (PDP).

17. The data connection in claim 16, wherein the PDP connection uses a primary connection to send and receive a plurality of file requests and a secondary connection to send and receive a plurality of files.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the file elected to send can be a multimedia file of any type.

19. The file in claim 18, wherein the multimedia file can be a picture, sound, video, or song.

20. A method of sharing files comprising the steps of:

establishing a voice connection between a set of two devices having either IMS or SIP capabilites;

receiving an IP address to both devices;

requesting a direct connection from one device and accepting the request with the other device;

establishing a data connection from the IP address of one device to the IP address of the second device; and

electing to send a file through the data connection;

wherein the data connection is established while the devices maintain the voice connection.