Network handling of multi-party multi-modality communication

• US 20130078972A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: John D. Rinaldo Jr, Mark A. Malamud, Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Royce A. Levien
• Inventors: LEVIEN, ROYCE A., LORD, ROBERT W., RINALDO, JOHN D. Jr., MALAMUD, MARK A., LORD, RICHARD T.
• Application Number:
  US13/374,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• 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 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for handling multi-party multi-modality communication by a network communication device. By way of example but not limitation, a network communication device may monitor multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, with at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices. A network communication device may conduct one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities. A network communication device may route communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses.

Claims

1. A method for handling multi-party multi-modality communication, the method being at least partially implemented by a network communication device, the method comprising:

monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices;

conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities; and

routing communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities comprises:

conducting the one or more conversion analyses to determine if at least some communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows is to be converted from corresponding to one type of user interaction communication modality to corresponding to another type of user interaction communication modality.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one type of user interaction communication modality comprises a communication modality selected from a group of communication modalities comprising:

voice communication, textual communication, or video communication;

wherein the other type of user interaction communication modality comprises a communication modality selected from a group of communication modalities comprising;

voice communication, textual communication, or video communication; and

wherein the one type of user interaction communication modality differs from the other type of user interaction communication modality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one respective communication modality comprises at least one type of user interaction between a respective user and the respective communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

receiving, from the respective communication device during the multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one message indicating that a respective user of the respective communication device is changing the at least one respective communication modality to a different user interaction communication modality.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities comprises:

conducting at least one new conversion analysis responsive to the at least one message indicating that the respective user of the respective communication device is changing the at least one respective communication modality to the different user interaction communication modality.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending one or more messages to at least the multiple communication devices other than the respective communication device, the one or more messages to provide notification that at least one communication modality of the multi-party multi-modality communication has changed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

automatically activating a change to the at least one respective communication modality corresponding to the respective communication device to a different user interaction communication modality based at least partially on one or more parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple communication devices comprise at least a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses comprises:

effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices comprises:

performing the one or more conversions of the communication data for the at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices comprises:

sending the communication data for the at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows to at least one other network communication device that is to perform the one or more conversions of the communication data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices comprises:

sending at least one message to a particular communication device of the multiple communication devices, the particular communication device associated with the at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows, the at least one message to request the particular communication device to perform the one or more conversions of the communication data for the at least one communication flow after accepting user input for at least a portion of the communication data but prior to sending the at least a portion of the communication data to the network communication device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices comprises:

sending at least one message to a particular communication device of the multiple communication devices, the particular communication device associated with the at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows, the at least one message to request the particular communication device to perform the one or more conversions of the communication data for the at least one communication flow after receiving at least a portion of the communication data from the network communication device but prior to presenting the at least a portion of the communication data as user output of the particular communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

associating at least one user input interaction communication modality with the respective communication device of the multiple communication devices.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

associating at least one user output interaction communication modality with the respective communication device of the multiple communication devices.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities comprises:

analyzing a particular communication flow of the multiple communication flows based at least partially on an originating communication device or a terminating communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the analyzing a particular communication flow of the multiple communication flows based at least partially on an originating communication device or a terminating communication device comprises:

performing a comparison that includes a user interaction communication modality associated with the originating communication device and a user interaction communication modality associated with the terminating communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the routing communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses comprises:

if the user interaction communication modality associated with the originating communication device differs from the user interaction communication modality associated with the terminating communication device, effectuating one or more conversions of communication data for the particular communication flow of the multiple communication flows, the particular communication flow associated with the originating communication device and with the terminating communication device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the analyzing a particular communication flow of the multiple communication flows based at least partially on an originating communication device or a terminating communication device comprises:

performing a comparison that includes a user input interaction communication modality associated with the originating communication device and a user output interaction communication modality associated with the terminating communication device.

21. A network communication device for handling multi-party multi-modality communication, the network communication device comprising:

circuitry for monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices;

circuitry for conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities; and

circuitry for routing communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses.

22. The network communication device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry for conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities comprises:

circuitry for conducting the one or more conversion analyses to determine if at least some communication data for at least one communication flow of the multiple communication flows is to be converted from corresponding to one type of user interaction communication modality to corresponding to another type of user interaction communication modality.

23. The network communication device of claim 22, wherein the one type of user interaction communication modality comprises a communication modality selected from a group of communication modalities comprising:

voice communication, textual communication, or video communication;

wherein the other type of user interaction communication modality comprises a communication modality selected from a group of communication modalities comprising;

voice communication, textual communication, or video communication; and

wherein the one type of user interaction communication modality differs from the other type of user interaction communication modality.

24. The network communication device of claim 21, wherein the at least one respective communication modality comprises at least one type of user interaction between a respective user and the respective communication device.

25. The network communication device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry for monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

circuitry for receiving, from the respective communication device during the multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one message indicating that a respective user of the respective communication device is changing the at least one respective communication modality to a different user interaction communication modality.

26. The network communication device of claim 25, wherein the circuitry for conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities comprises:

circuitry for conducting at least one new conversion analysis responsive to the at least one message indicating that the respective user of the respective communication device is changing the at least one respective communication modality to the different user interaction communication modality.

27. The network communication device of claim 25, further comprising:

circuitry for sending one or more messages to at least the multiple communication devices other than the respective communication device, the one or more messages to provide notification that at least one communication modality of the multi-party multi-modality communication has changed.

28. The network communication device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry for monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices comprises:

circuitry for automatically activating a change to the at least one respective communication modality corresponding to the respective communication device to a different user interaction communication modality based at least partially on one or more parameters.

29. The network communication device of claim 21, wherein the multiple communication devices comprise at least a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device.

30-40. -40. (canceled)

41. An apparatus for handling multi-party multi-modality communication, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for monitoring multiple communication modalities corresponding to multiple communication devices that are participating in a multi-party multi-modality communication, at least one respective communication modality of the multiple communication modalities corresponding to a respective communication device of the multiple communication devices;

circuitry for conducting one or more conversion analyses with regard to multiple communication flows that are associated with the multiple communication devices based, at least partly, on the multiple communication modalities; and

circuitry for routing communication data for the multiple communication flows based, at least partly, on the one or more conversion analyses.

42-60. -60. (canceled)