Method and system for associating concurrent telephone and data network sessions

• US 7,970,909 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stern, Benjamin J., Wilpon, Jay, Cox, Richard Vandervoort
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh; Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US11/473,355
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method and system for associating concurrent communication sessions. First and second communication sessions are established. The first and second communication session correspond to a common user account and are active concurrently. The first and second communication sessions are associated with each other to share data between the first and second communication sessions. The first and second communication sessions can be data network and telephone communication sessions established by a web server and a telephony network server, respectively. An application server can connect the web server and the telephony server to associate the data network and telephone communication sessions and share data between the data network and telephone network communication sessions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a first communication session corresponding to a user account using a first communication mode;

establishing a second communication session corresponding to the user account using a second communication mode; and

associating, by an application server, the first communication session and the second communication session with each other;

sharing data between the first communication session and the second communication session;

setting a first value of a first communication session status field corresponding to the user account as active when the first communication session is established;

setting a second value of a second communication session status field corresponding to the user account as active when the second communication session is established; and

monitoring the first communication session status field and the second communication session status field to detect whether the first value and the second value are both set to active;

wherein the associating the first communication session and the second communication session with each other comprises automatically associating the first communication session and the second communication session in response to detecting that the first value and the second value are both set to active.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first active communication session is a data network communication session and the second active communication session is a telephone communication session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating the first communication session and the second communication session with each other comprises:

associating the first communication session and the second communication session with each other in response to a user request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user request via the first communication session to share data with the second communication session;

supplying a temporary password to a user via the first communication session; and

receiving user input via the second communication session.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the associating the first communication session and the second communication session with each other comprises:

associating the first communication session and the second communication session when the user input received via the second communication session corresponds to the temporary password supplied via the first communication session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication session and the second communication session are concurrent.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication session comprises a data network communication session with a computer device and the second communication session comprises a telephone communication session with a telephone device, further comprising:

storing cookies containing information regarding the association between the data network communication session and the telephone communication session at the computer device; and

retrieving the cookies when a subsequent data network communication session is established with the computer device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information comprises a telephone number of the telephone device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a third party communication session with the first communication session and the second communication session; and

sharing data between the third party communication session and the first communication session and the second communication session.

10. A system comprising:

means for establishing a first communication session corresponding to a user account;

means for establishing a second communication session corresponding to the user account; and

an application server configured to associate the first communication session and the second communication session corresponding to the user account and to share data between the first and second communication sessions;

means for setting a first value of a first communication session status field corresponding to the user account as active when the first communication session is established; and

means for setting a second value of a second communication session status field corresponding to the user account as active when the second communication session is established;

wherein the application server is configured to monitor the first communication session status field and the second communication session status field to detect whether the first value and the second value are both set to active and automatically associate the first communication session and the second communication session in response to detecting that the first value and the second value are both set to active.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for establishing a first communication session comprises:

a web server to establish a web session corresponding to the user account via a data network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for establishing a second communication session comprises:

a telephony server to establish a telephone session corresponding to the user account via a telephone network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the application server connects the web server and the telephony server.

14. A system, comprising:

a web server configured to establish web communication sessions corresponding to user accounts via a data network;

a telephony server configured to establish telephone communication sessions corresponding to user accounts via a telephone network;

an application server configured to;

connect the web server and the telephony server for associating a web communication session and a telephone communication session corresponding to the same user account and for sharing data between the associated web and telephone communication sessions;

set a first value of a first communication session status field corresponding to a user account as active when the web communication session is established; and

set a second value of a second communication session status field corresponding to a user account as active when the telephone communication session is established; and

monitor the first communication session status field and the second communication session status field to detect whether the first value and the second value are both set to active and automatically associate the web communication session and the telephone communication session corresponding to the same user account when the first value and the second value are both set to active.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a database configured to store account information regarding a plurality of user accounts.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the account information comprises:

a web session status indicator for indicating whether a web communication session is active for a respective user account; and

a telephone session status indicator for indicating whether a telephone communication session is active for the respective user account.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the telephone network comprises one of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular network, and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network.