Method, apparatus and system for modulating an application based on proximity

• US 20090177764A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Peiffer, N. Thomas JR., Blatherwick, Peter, Gray, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for modulating an application associated with at least one of a first communication device and a second communication device is provided. Proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device is determined. The application associated with at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device is modulated based on the proximity.

Claims

1. A method of modulating an application associated with at least one of a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

determining proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device; and

modulating the application associated with at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device based on said proximity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device comprises at least one of determining if the first communication device and the second communication device have established a personal area network communications session and determining if the first communication device and the second communication device are able to establish a personal area network communications session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device comprises,

determining a first location, said first location comprising a location of the first communication device;

determining a second location, said second location comprising a location of the second communication device; and

determining if said first location and said second location are in proximity to each other.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining if said first location and said second location are in proximity to each other comprises:

determining a distance between said first location and said second location; and

comparing said distance to at least one threshold distance, said first location and said second location being in proximity if said distance is less than said at least one threshold distance or equal to said at least one threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises an application associated with establishing a communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device via a communications network remote from said first communication device and the second communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device comprises determining a level of proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modulating the application comprises selecting one of a plurality of modes of the application, each of said plurality of modes associated with a different level of proximity between the first communication device and said second communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of modes comprises a proximal mode and a non-proximal mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of modes comprises a co-located mode, at least one near-by mode and a non-proximal mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said modulating the application comprises at least one of:

enabling a first set of pre-defined features while the first communication device and the second communication device are proximal;

disabling a second set of pre-defined features while the first communication device and the second communication device are proximal;

removing a previously provisioned call back setting;

modulating an alert feature when establishing a communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device; and

automatically establishing a communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device when an attempt to establish said communication session occurs.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said modulating the application comprises transmitting an indication of at least one of said first location and said second location to at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device, such that a representation of said indication is output at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device, when attempting to establish a communication session between the first communication device and the second communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said indication comprises an identifier of a user associated with at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said indication further comprises a map depicting at least one of said first location and said second location.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of said determining said first location and determining said second location is based on at least one of link layer data, GPS data, RF triangulation data, user data, wireless access point data and location data stored in a database.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein determining if said first location and said second location are in proximity to each other comprises determining if said first location and said second location are co-located.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining if said first location and said second location are co-located comprises determining if said first location and said second location are co-located in at least one of the same physical domain, the same room, the same floor, the same building, the same civic address.

17. A computing device for modulating applications associated with at least one of a first communication device and a second communication device comprising,

a communications interface enabled for communication with the first communication device and the second communications device;

a processing unit in communication with the communications interface enabled for;

determining proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device; and

modulating the application associated with at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device based on said proximity.

18. The computing device of claim 17 further comprising at least one of a router and switch, each of said router and switch enabled for establishing a communication session between the first communications device and the second communications device.

19. A method of modulating an application associated with at least one of a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

determining a level of proximity between the first communication device and the second communication device;

modulating the application associated with at least one of the first communication device and the second communication device based on said level of proximity by selecting one of a plurality of modes of the application, each of said plurality of modes associated with a different level of proximity between the first communication device and said second communication device.