FACILITATING MOBILE PHONE CONVERSATIONS

• US 20160050714A1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhide, Manish, Gupta, Ajay Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,504,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for managing termination of a telephone call. A contemplated method includes: detecting a request by a first party to terminate a telephone call between the first party and a second party; detecting whether the second party is still speaking after detecting the request to terminate the call; and automatically forestalling termination of the call if the second party is still speaking, via affording the first party an opportunity to continue the call, via at least one of: sending a confirmation request to the first party, and sending an audio signal to the first party. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

conducting a telephone call between a first party and a second party, via at least one mobile telephone;

detecting a request by the first party to terminate the call via detecting, at connection management software, a signal from an on-screen call disconnect button;

detecting whether the second party is still speaking after detecting the request to terminate the call, via receiving an input voice signal at a voice detector;

receiving signals from the voice detector and connection management software at a controller, and thereupon using the controller to;

disconnect the call if no voice signal is detected; and

otherwise afford continuation of the call if no disconnect signal is detected, via obtaining confirmation from the first party to continue the call.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising terminating the call if the second party is no longer speaking.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining confirmation comprises sending a confirmation request to the first party.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising terminating the call upon confirmation from the first party in response to the confirmation request.

5. The method according to claim 3, comprising continuing the call if the first party does not provide confirmation in response to the confirmation request.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining confirmation comprises conveying to the first party that the second party is still speaking, and requesting confirmation of the first party that the call is to be terminated.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said obtaining confirmation comprises transforming the appearance of the on-screen button in a manner that indicates that the second party is still speaking.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining confirmation comprises sending an audio signal to the first party if the second party is still speaking.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said obtaining confirmation comprises sending a confirmation request to the first party.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising terminating the call upon confirmation from the first party in response to the confirmation request.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

terminating the call if the second party is no longer speaking;

sending a confirmation request to the first party, and thereupon;

terminating the call upon confirmation from the first party in response to the confirmation request;

or

continuing the call if the first party does not provide confirmation in response to the confirmation request.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the call disconnect button comprises an on-screen button; and

said obtaining confirmation comprises conveying to the first party that the second party is still speaking, and requesting confirmation from the first party that the call is to be terminated.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to conduct a telephone call between a first party and a second party, via at least one mobile telephone;

computer readable program code configured to detect a request by the first party to terminate the call via detecting, at connection management software, a signal from an on-screen call disconnect button;

computer readable program code configured to detect whether the second party is still speaking after detecting the request to terminate the call, via receiving an input voice signal at a voice detector;

computer readable program code configured to receive signals from the voice detector and connection management software at a controller, and thereupon using the controller to;

disconnect the call if no voice signal is detected; and

otherwise afford continuation of the call if no disconnect signal is detected, via obtaining confirmation from the first party to continue the call.

14. A computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to conduct a telephone call between a first party and a second party, via at least one mobile telephone;

computer readable program code configured to detect a request by the first party to terminate the call via detecting, at connection management software, a signal from an on-screen call disconnect button;

computer readable program code configured to detect whether the second party is still speaking after detecting the request to terminate the call, via receiving an input voice signal at a voice detector;

computer readable program code configured to receive signals from the voice detector and connection management software at a controller, and thereupon using the controller to;

disconnect the call if no voice signal is detected; and

otherwise afford continuation of the call if no disconnect signal is detected, via obtaining confirmation from the first party to continue the call.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, comprising computer readable program code configured to terminate the call if the second party is no longer speaking.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the obtaining confirmation comprises sending a confirmation request to the first party.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, comprising computer readable program code configured to terminate the call upon confirmation from the first party in response to the confirmation request.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, comprising computer readable program code configured to continue the call if the first party does not provide confirmation in response to the confirmation request.

19. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the obtaining confirmation comprises conveying to the first party that the second party is still speaking, and requesting confirmation of the first party that the call is to be terminated.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the obtaining confirmation comprises transforming the appearance of the on-screen button in a manner that indicates that the second party is still speaking.