GROUP COMMUNICATION FORWARDING TO A SECONDARY SERVICE

• US 20180103359A1
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Published: 04/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Labs
• Original Assignee: Orion Labs
• Inventors: Albrecht, Greg, Juhlin, Ellen
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/357 Autocues for dialog assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for a voice communication service to forward communications to a secondary service. In one implementation, a method of operating a group communication service that facilitates voice communications for a group of end user devices includes exchanging voice communications between the group of end user devices, wherein the group of end user devices comprises a first end user device and at least one secondary end user device. The method further provides identifying, in a voice communication from the first end user device, a use of a key phrase and, in response to identifying the key phrase, forwarding at least a portion of the voice communication to a second service.

Claims

1. A method of operating a group communication service that facilitates voice communications between a group of end user devices, the group of end user devices comprising a first end user device and at least one secondary end user device, the method comprising:

exchanging voice communications for the group of end user devices;

identifying, in a voice communication from the first end user device, a use of a key phrase; and

in response to identifying the key phrase, forwarding at least a portion of the voice communication to a second service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice communications comprise push-to-talk communications.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each end user device in the group of end user devices is wirelessly coupled to a cooperating device capable of receiving and playing the voice communications.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to identifying the key phrase, preventing the voice communication from being forwarded to the at least one secondary communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying whether the key phrase indicates a request for a group profile associated with the second service or a user profile associated with the second service, wherein the group profile is associated with the group of end user devices, wherein the user profile is associated with a user of the first end user device, and wherein forwarding at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service comprises one of:

if the key phrase indicates a request for the group profile, transferring at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with an identifier for the group profile;

or

if the key phrase indicates a request for the user profile, transferring at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with an identifier for the user profile.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

if the key phrase indicates a request for the group profile, transferring the voice communication to the at least one secondary end user device.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an audio response from the secondary service; and

transferring the audio response to the first end user device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service comprises:

identifying a user identifier associated with the first end user based on the key phrase; and

forwarding at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with the user identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the group of end user devices comprise a group of wireless communication devices.

10. A computing apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media to facilitate voice communications between a group of end user devices that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

exchange voice communications for the group of end user devices, wherein the group of end user devices comprises a first end user device and at least one secondary end user device;

identify, in a voice communication from the first end user device, a use of a key phrase; and

in response to identifying the key phrase, forward at least a portion of the voice communication to a second service.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the voice communications comprise push-to-talk communications.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein each end user device in the group of end user devices is wirelessly coupled to a cooperating device capable of receiving and playing the voice communications.

13. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to, in response to identifying the key phrase, prevent the voice communication from being forwarded to the at least one secondary communication device.

14. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to identify whether the key phrase indicates a request for a group profile associated with the second service or a user profile associated with the second service, wherein the group profile is associated with the group of end user devices, wherein the user profile is associated with a user of the first end user device, and wherein the program instructions to forward at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service direct the processing system to:

if the key phrase indicates a request for the group profile, transfer at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with an identifier for the group profile;

or

if the key phrase indicates a request for the user profile, transfer at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with an identifier for the user profile.

15. The computing apparatus of claim 14 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to, if the key phrase indicates a request for the group profile, transfer the voice communication to the at least one secondary end user device.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to receive an audio response from the secondary service, and transfer the audio response to the first end user device.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the program instructions to forward at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service direct the processing system to identify a user identifier associated with the first end user based on the key phrase, and forward at least the portion of the voice communication to the second service with the user identifier.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 10 wherein the group of end user devices comprise a group of wireless communication devices.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media to facilitate voice communications between a group of end user devices that, when read and executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

exchange voice communications for the group of end user devices, wherein the group of end user devices comprises a first end user device and at least one secondary end user device;

identify, in a voice communication from the first end user device, a use of a key phrase; and

in response to identifying the key phrase, forward at least a portion of the voice communication to a second service.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each end user device in the group of end user devices is wirelessly coupled to a cooperating device capable of receiving and playing the voice communications.