METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING TRANSFER OF SESSIONS BETWEEN USER DEVICES

• US 20090210536A1
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Youngae, Allen, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1086 session scope modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating transfer of an active session from a first device to a second device associated with the same user. A network server is configured to enable the switching or swapping of an active session from one device to another device, where both devices are associated with a common user address. The switching or swapping is implemented with no or minimal effect on the active session or awareness of the remote party. The device switch may be performed in relation to any active session, including VoIP, video conferencing, or other media sessions.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating transfer of an existing session from a first user device to a second user device, wherein the existing session is established between the first user device and a remote party and wherein the existing session includes a first leg between the first user device and a server and a second leg between the server and the remote party, the server storing an association between a user address and both the first user device and the second user device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the second user device, a device switch message from the first user device, wherein the device switch message includes information identifying the existing session;

sending from the second user device to the server a session invitation message containing a reference to the existing session with an instruction to replace the first user device;

verifying from the stored association that the second user device is associated with the user address;

accepting the session invitation message from the second user device to establish a new session;

joining the new session with the second leg of the existing session to enable the exchange of media between the second user device and the remote party; and

terminating the first leg of the existing session.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the user address comprises a SIP URI, wherein the first user device has a first Globally Routable User Agent URI (GRUU) based on the SIP URI, and wherein the second user device has a second GRUU based on the SIP URI, and wherein the reference to the existing session comprises a dialog ID for the first leg of the existing session.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further including registering with one or more SIP registrars for GRUU information associated with the user address and receiving from the one or more SIP registrars at least one of the first GRUU and second GRUU.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein registering with one or more SIP registrars for GRUU information associated with the user address is performed by the first user device to obtain the second GRUU for the second user device, thereby enabling the first user device to address the device switch message to the second user device.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the device switch message comprises a SIP REFER message referencing the server, and wherein the session invitation message comprises a SIP INVITE message containing a Replaces header.

6. A server for facilitating transfer of an existing session from a first user device to a second user device, wherein the existing session is established between the first user device and a remote party and wherein the existing session includes a first leg between the first user device and the server and a second leg between the server and the remote party, wherein the first user device is configured to send a device switch message to the second user device, and wherein the device switch message includes information identifying the existing session, the server comprising:

an IP communications interface for sending and receiving IP-based communications over a network;

a user data entity containing user information including an association between a user address and both the first user device and the second user device; and

a control subsystem for controlling sessions, the control subsystem including a device swap component configured to

receive from the second user device a session invitation message containing a reference to the existing session with an instruction to replace the first user device,

verify from the stored association that the second user device is associated with the user address,

accept the session invitation message from the second user device to establish a new session,

join the new session with the second leg of the existing session to enable the exchange of media between the second user device and the remote party, and

terminate the first leg of the existing session.

7. The server claimed in claim 6, wherein the user address comprises a SIP URI, wherein the first user device has a first Globally Routable User Agent URI (GRUU) based on the SIP URI, and wherein the second user device has a second GRUU based on the SIP URI, and wherein the reference to the existing session comprises a dialog ID for the first leg of the existing session.

8. A system comprising the server claimed in claim 6, the first user device and the second user device, wherein the first user device is configured to send a device switch message to the second user device to initiate the transfer of the existing session, and wherein the device switch message includes information identifying the existing session.

9. The system claimed in claim 8, wherein the user address comprises a SIP URI, wherein the first user device has a first Globally Routable User Agent URI (GRUU) based on the SIP URI, and wherein the second user device has a second GRUU based on the SIP URI.

10. The system claimed in claim 9, wherein the first user device is configured to register with one or more SIP registrars for GRUU information associated with the user address and to receive from the one or more SIP registrars the second GRUU, thereby enabling the first user device to address the device switch message to the second user device.

11. The system claimed in claim 10, wherein the device switch message comprises a SIP REFER message referencing the server, and wherein the session invitation message comprises a SIP INVITE message containing a Replaces header.

12. A method of facilitating transfer of an existing session from a first user device to a second user device, wherein the existing session is established between the first user device and a remote party and wherein the existing session includes a first leg between the first user device and a server and a second leg between the server and the remote party, the server storing an association between a user address and both the first user device and the second user device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server, a device switch message from the second user device;

determining from the stored association that the second user device is associated with the user address;

identifying the existing session based on the association between the first user device and the user address;

establishing a new session with the second user device;

joining the new session with the second leg of the existing session to enable the exchange of media between the second user device and the remote party; and

terminating the first leg of the existing session.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the user address comprises a SIP URI, wherein the first user device has a first Globally Routable User Agent URI (GRUU) based on the SIP URI, and wherein the second user device has a second GRUU based on the SIP URI, and wherein the determining comprises determining the SIP URI from the second GRUU.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, further including a step of registering with one or more SIP registrars for GRUU information associated with the user address and receiving from the one or more SIP registrars at least one of the first GRUU and the second GRUU.

15. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein the device switch message comprises a SIP INVITE message containing a device swap indicator.

16. The method claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of establishing the new session comprises accepting the SIP INVITE message.

17. A server for facilitating transfer of an existing session from a first user device to a second user device, wherein the existing session is established between the first user device and a remote party and wherein the existing session includes a first leg between the first user device and the server and a second leg between the server and the remote party, the server comprising:

an IP communications interface for sending and receiving IP-based communications over a network;

a user data entity containing user information including an association between a user address and both the first user device and the second user device; and

a control subsystem for controlling sessions, the control subsystem including a device swap component configured to

receive from the second user device a device switch message,

determine from the stored association that the second user device is associated with the user address,

identify the existing session based upon the association between the first user device and the user address,

establish a new session with the second user device,

join the new session with the second leg of the existing session to enable the exchange of media between the second user device and the remote party, and

terminate the first leg of the existing session.

18. The server claimed in claim 17, wherein the user address comprises a SIP URI, wherein the first user device has a first Globally Routable User Agent URI (GRUU) based on the SIP URI, and wherein the second user device has a second GRUU based on the SIP URI.

19. The server claimed in claim 18, wherein the device swap component is configured to verify that the second user device is associated with the user address by determining the SIP URI from the second GRUU.

20. The server claimed in claim 18, wherein the control subsystem is configured to register with one or more SIP registrars for GRUU information associated with the user address and to receive from the one or more SIP registrars at least one of the first GRUU and second GRUU.

21. The server claimed in claim 17, wherein the device switch message comprises a SIP INVITE message containing a device swap indicator.