METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR CAUSING A COMMUNICATION DEVICE TO JOIN A COMMUNICATION SESSION

• US 20100011108A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Arsenault, Jonathan Allan, Clark, David William, Wolf, Eric John, Dawson, Jeffrey William
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, there are provided a method, system and apparatus for joining a communication session. A method comprises receiving from a first communication device an indication of a desire of the first communication device to establish a communication session; the first communication device having been associated with a device group comprising the first communication device and at least one second communication device. The method further comprises determining if there exists an active communication session with the at least one second communication device. The method further comprises, responsive to existence of the active communication session, causing the first communication device to join the active communication session.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a network element comprising:

receiving from a first communication device an indication of a desire of said first communication device to establish a communication session;

identifying a device group associated with said first communication devices said device group comprising said first communication device and at least one second communication device;

responsive to said receiving and said identifying, determining if there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device; and

responsive to determining that there does exist an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device, causing said first communication device to join said active communication session.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing request from an other network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said first communication device.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a signalling message from said first communication device.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said active communication session is a specific active communication session, and wherein said determining comprises:

accessing a database mapping a network identifier of at least one subscribing communication device to an indication of the at least one subscribing communication device being engaged in an active communication session thereby to determine if any one of said at least one second communication device is engaged in said specific active communication session.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

transmitting a query to an other network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device;

receiving a response therefrom, the response being indicative of whether there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device.

6. The method defined in claim 1, said device group being associated with a device group identifier, wherein said determining comprises:

transmitting a query to a plurality of network elements, the query comprising said device group identifier;

receiving a response from at least a subset of said plurality of network elements, the response being indicative of whether there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device.

7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said causing said first communication device to join said active communication session comprises transmitting a command to an other network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device, the command being operable to trigger said network element to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session.

8. The method defined in claim 7, said active communication session having been established between said at least one second communication device and an other communication party, wherein said command is operable to cause said other network element to establish a three-way call between said at least one second communication device, said first communication device and said other communication party.

9. The method defined in claim 1, said active communication session having been established between said at least one second communication device and another communication party, wherein said causing said first communication device to join said active communication session comprises transmitting a command to said at least one second communication device, the command being operable to trigger said at least one second communication device to establish a three-way call between said at least one second communication device, said first communication device and said other communication party.

10. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said causing said first communication device to join said active communication session comprises triggering an other network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device to:

establish said communication session with said first communication device; and

bridge said communication session and said active communication session.

11. The method defined in claim 1, wherein said causing said first communication device to join said active communication session comprises:

establishing said communication session with said first communication device; and

bridging said communication session and said active communication session.

12. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising providing an alert to said at least one second communication device via said active communication session.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein said alert comprises at least one of a visual alert, an audio alert and a tactile alert.

14. The method defined in claim 12, further comprising soliciting from a participant of said active communication session via said active communication session an indication of permission for said first communication device to join said active communication session.

15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein said causing is executed only in response to receiving said indication of permission.

16. The method defined in claim 1, said at least one second communication device comprising a second communication device and a third communication device, wherein said determining comprises establishing that a first active communication session is in progress with said second communication device;

and wherein said determining further comprises establishing that a second active communication session is in progress with said third communication device; and

wherein the method further comprises;

soliciting from said first communication device an indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining.

17. The method defined in claim 16, further comprising receiving from said first communication device said indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining;

and wherein said causing comprises;

causing said first communication device to join one of said first and second active communication sessions in accordance with said indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining.

18. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that there does exist an active communication session and prior to said causing:

soliciting from said first communication device a disposition instruction, said disposition instruction indicative of how to handle said communication session.

19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein said disposition instruction is indicative of one of:

a first instruction to handle said communication session by causing said first communication device to join said active communication session; and

a second instruction to handle said communication session by causing said first communication device to establish a new communication session.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein said causing is executed only in response to receipt of said disposition instruction indicative of said first instruction.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving from a first communication device an indication of a desire of said first communication device to establish a communication session;

said first communication device being associated with a device group comprising said first communication device and at least one second communication device;

means for determining if there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device; and

means causing said first communication device to join said active communication session, said means for causing being responsive to determining that there does exist an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device.

22. A system comprising an application server operable:

to receive from a first communication device an indication of a desire of said first communication device to establish a communication session;

said first communication device being associated with a device group comprising said first communication device and at least one second communication device;

to determine if there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device; and

responsive to determining that there does exist an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device, to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session.

23. The system defined in claim 22, further comprising a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said first communication device;

wherein said network element and said application server are communicatively coupled.

24. The system defined in claim 22, further comprising a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said first communication device;

wherein said network element and said application server are implemented in a single computing apparatus.

25. The system defined in claim 22, wherein to receive said indication from said first communication device, the application server is operable to receive a processing request from a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said first communication device.

26. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising said network element;

and wherein said network element is operable;

to determine an off-hook condition at said first communication device;

to determine if said first communication device is a subscriber to a communication session joining feature; and

responsive to said first communication device being a subscriber, to transmit said indication to said application server.

27. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising said network element;

and wherein said network element is operable;

to determine an off-hook condition at said first communication device; and

based on said off-hook condition, to transmit said indication to said application server.

28. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising said network element;

and wherein said network element is operable;

to receive a communication request from said first communication device;

to determine if said first communication device is a subscriber to a communication session joining feature; and

responsive to said first communication device being a subscriber, to transmit said indication to said application server.

29. The system defined in claim 25, further comprising said network element;

and wherein said network element is operable;

to receive a communication request from said first communication device; and

responsive to said communication request, to transmit said indication to said application server.

30. The system defined in claim 22, wherein said active communication session is a specific active communication session, and wherein to determine if there exists an active communication session with said at least one second communication device, the application server is operable:

to access a database mapping a network identifier of at least one subscribing communication device to an indication of the at least one subscribing communication device being engaged in an active communication session thereby to determine if any one of said at least one second communication device is engaged in said specific active communication session.

31. The system defined in claim 22, wherein to determine if there exists an active communication session with said at least one second communication device, the application server is operable:

to transmit a query to a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device; and

to receive a response therefrom.

32. The system defined in claim 31, further comprising said network element, wherein said network element is operable to determine if there exists said active communication session with said at least one second communication device.

33. The system defined in claim 22, said device group being associated with a device group identifier, wherein to determine if there exists an active communication session with said at least one second communication device, the application server is operable:

to transmit a query to a plurality of network elements, the query comprising said device group identifier; and

to receive a response from at least a subset of said plurality of network elements.

34. The system defined in claim 22, wherein to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session, the application server is operable to transmit a command to a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device, the command being operable to trigger said network element to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session.

35. The system defined in claim 34, said active communication session having been established between said at least one second communication device and another communication party, wherein said command is operable to cause said network element to establish a three-way call between said first communication device, said at least one second communication device and said other communication party.

36. The system defined in claim 22, said active communication session having been established between said at least one second communication device and another communication party, wherein to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session, the application server is operable to transmit a command to said at least one second communication device, the command being operable to trigger said at least one second communication device to establish a three-way call between said at least one second communication device, said first communication device and said other communication party.

37. The system defined in claim 22, wherein to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session, the application server is operable:

to establish said communication session with said first communication device; and

to bridge said communication session and said active communication session.

38. The system defined in claim 22, further comprising a network element responsible for handling communication sessions on behalf of said at least one second communication device, wherein to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session, the application server is operable to trigger said network element to:

establish said communication session with said first communication device; and

bridge said communication session and said active communication session.

39. The system defined in claim 22, wherein the application server is operable to cause provision of an alert to said at least one second communication device via said active communication session.

40. The system defined in claim 39, wherein said alert comprises at least one of a visual alert, an audio alert and a tactile alert.

41. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the application server is further operable to cause solicitation from a participant of said active communication session via said active communication session an indication of permission for said first communication device to join said active communication session.

42. The system defined in claim 41, wherein a receipt of said indication of permission triggers the application server to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session.

43. The system defined in claim 22, said at least one second communication device comprising a second communication device and a third communication device, wherein the system further comprises said first communication device, said at least one second communication device and said third communication device;

and wherein if the application server determines that a first active communication session is in progress with said at least one second communication device and that a second active communication session is in progress with said third communication device, the application server is operable to;

solicit from said first communication device an indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining.

44. The system defined in claim 43, wherein the application server is further operable to receive from said first communication device said indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining;

and wherein to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session, the application server is operable to;

cause said first communication device to join one of said first and second active communication sessions in accordance with said indication of which one of said first and second active communication sessions said first communication device is desirous of joining.

45. The system defined in claim 22, further comprising a communication network intermediate between said application server and said first and said at least one second communication devices.

46. The system defined in claim 22, further comprising a first communication network intermediate between said application server and said first communication device and a second communication network intermediate between said application server and said at least one second communication device.

47. The system defined in claim 22, wherein the application server is further operable, responsive to a determination that there does exist an active communication session and prior to causing said first communication device to join said active communication session:

to solicit from said first communication device a disposition instruction, said disposition instruction indicative of how to handle said communication session.

48. The system defined in claim 47, wherein said disposition instruction is indicative of one of:

a first instruction to handle said communication session by causing said first communication device to join said active communication session;

a second instruction to handle said communication session by causing said first communication device to establish a new communication session.

49. The system defined in claim 48, wherein the application server is operable to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session only in response to receipt of said disposition instruction indicative of said first instruction.

50. (canceled)

51. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when executed by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus:

to receive from a first communication device an indication of a desire of said first communication device to establish a communication session;

said first communication device being associated with a device group comprising said first communication device and at least one second communication device;

to determine if there exists an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device; and

responsive to determining that there does exist an active communication session involving at least one of said at least one second communication device, to cause said first communication device to join said active communication session.

52. (canceled)