MEDIA/VOICE BINDING PROTOCOL AND RELATED USER INTERFACES

• US 20120040644A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Naik, Devang K., Tiene, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• 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: H04L 65/4053 without floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/654 Pre, in or post-call message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

One or more media items can be bound to a voice call using a binding protocol. The binding protocol allows call participants to more easily transfer media items to other call participants using one or more user interfaces. A call participant can initiate a media transfer by selecting the media and a communication modality for transferring the media. The binding protocol can be active or lazy. In lazy binding, the call participant can select the desired media for transfer before the voice call is established, and subsequently mark the media for binding with the voice call. In active binding, the call participant can select and transfer the desired media item during the voice call, and the media item is automatically bound to the voice call. The media item can be transferred using a user-selected communication modality over an independent data communication channel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more hardware processors of a mobile device, comprising:

detecting an ongoing voice call;

automatically binding media to the voice call;

receiving a request to transfer media; and

transferring the media to a call participant based on the binding.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving first input selecting a media type; and

receiving second input selecting media of the media type.

3. The method of claim 1, where transferring the media further comprises:

receiving input selecting a communication modality; and

using the selected communication modality to transfer the media.

4. The method of claim 1, where transferring the media further comprises:

transferring the media over a secure data communications channel independent of the voice call channel.

5. The method of claim 1, where automatically binding media to the voice call, further comprises:

automatically determining a telephone number of the call participant from a call record or contact information; and

automatically using the telephone number to configure a multimedia messaging service to transfer the media to the call participant.

6. The method of claim 1, where automatically binding media to the voice call, further comprises:

automatically determining an email address of the call participant from a contact information; and

automatically using the email address to address an email to the call participant; and

automatically including the media as an attachment to the email.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding an additional call participant to the voice call;

receiving a request to transfer media; and

transferring the media to the call participant and the additional participant based on the binding.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing binding data on the mobile device or on a storage device of a network resource.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a voice or video mail message is being created for the call participant; and

automatically attaching media to the voice or video mail message based on the binding.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the media during the voice call.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating or updating a history of transferred media; and

associating the history with the binding.

12. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more hardware processors of a mobile device, comprising:

receiving input binding media with a voice call to be made;

detecting that the voice call is made; and

transferring the media to a call participant based on the binding.

13. The method of claim 12, where receiving input binding media with a voice call, further comprises:

receiving input associating one or more media items with contact information for the call participant to be called.

14. The method of claim 13, where the input is received from a user of the mobile device.

15. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more hardware processors of a mobile device, comprising:

detecting an ongoing voice call;

receiving media and an indicator that media is bound to the voice call; and

storing the media and indicator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically invoking an application on the mobile device for providing access to the media, where the application is selected based on the media type.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting an ongoing voice call;

automatically binding media to the voice call;

receiving a request to transfer media; and

transferring the media to a call participant based on the binding.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving first input selecting a media type; and

receiving second input selecting media of the media type.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where transferring the media to the call participant further comprises:

receiving input selecting a communication modality; and

using the selected communication modality to transfer the media.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where automatically binding media to the voice call, further comprises:

automatically determining a telephone number of the call participant from a call record or contact information; and

automatically using the telephone number to configure a multimedia messaging service to transfer the media to the call participant.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, where automatically binding the media to the voice call, further comprises:

automatically determining an email address of the call participant from a contact information; and

automatically using the email address to address an email to the call participant; and

automatically including the media as an attachment to the email.

22. The computer-storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

creating or updating a history of transferred media; and

associating the history with the binding.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving input binding media with a voice call to be made;

detecting that the voice call is made; and

transferring the media to a call participant based on the binding.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, where receiving input binding media with a potential call participant, further comprises:

receiving input associating one or more media items with contact information for the call participant.

25. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting an ongoing voice call;

receiving media and an indicator that media is bound to the voice call; and

storing the media and indicator.