Establishing communications sessions

• US 8,340,649 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Scahill, Francis J, Ringland, Simon P A
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/885,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,493 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335, 370/310, 370/230, 379/142.01, 379/188, 379/189, 379/211.01, 379/201.01, 455/445, 455/466, 455/412, 455/415, 455/8, 455/433, 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/404.2, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method of establishing a communications session in a communications system is disclosed. The communications system comprises a caller terminal (103), a mobile terminal (101) associated with the caller terminal (103), a callee terminal (115) associated with a callee and session initiation means (111,113). It has become common yet frustrating for users to have to maintain contact lists on a multiplicity of communications devices (e.g. the caller terminal and the mobile terminal). The method comprises: (i) identifying the callee using the mobile telephone (101); (ii) responsive to identification of said callee, transferring data identifying the callee from the mobile terminal (101) to the session initiation means (111,113); and (iii) in dependence on the transferred data, operating the session initiation means (111,113) to establish a communications session between the caller terminal (103) and the callee terminal (115).

Claims

1. A method of establishing a communications session in a communications system, said communications system comprising a first caller terminal, a further caller terminal, a mobile terminal associated with said first caller terminal and with said further caller terminal, a callee terminal associated with a callee, and session initiation means, said method comprising:

(i) associating said first caller terminal with said mobile terminal by storing, in a network based registration database, a first mapping between data identifying said mobile terminal and data identifying said first caller terminal;

(ii) associating said further caller terminal with said mobile terminal by storing, in a network based registration database, a further mapping between data identifying said mobile terminal and data identifying said further caller terminal;

(iii) identifying said callee using said mobile terminal;

(iv) responsive to identification of said callee, transferring data identifying said callee from said mobile terminal to said session initiation means; and

(v) in dependence on said transferred data, operating said session initiation means to establish a communications session between a selected caller terminal being said first caller terminal or said further caller terminal selected in dependence on the location of said mobile terminal, and said callee terminal, by establishing a first leg of said communications session with said selected caller terminal, establishing a second leg of said communications session with said callee terminal, and connecting said first and second legs together.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said session initiation means is local to said first caller terminal and/or said further caller terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said session initiation means is remote to said first caller terminal and/or said further caller terminal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said transferring step comprises transferring said data to said session initiation means initially via a wireless network.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said transferring step comprises:

transferring said data from said mobile terminal to said session initiation means via an intermediate device local to said mobile terminal and connected to an internet, wherein

said data is transferred via a wireless network between said mobile terminal and said intermediate device and via said internet between said intermediate device and said session initiation means.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

associating a further caller terminal with said mobile terminal, said further caller terminal itself being associated with different identification data to said caller terminal;

operating said session initiation means to establish a communications session between one of said caller terminals and said callee terminal in dependence on the location of said mobile terminal.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said further caller terminal is at a location remote to said caller terminal.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein data relating to said first caller terminal and/or said further caller terminal is additionally transferred in said transferring step.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first caller terminal and/or said further caller terminal comprises a home caller terminal, wherein said communications system further comprises a visitor caller terminal, wherein said transferring step further comprises transferring data identifying said visitor caller terminal from said mobile terminal to said session initiation means, wherein said operating step comprises operating said session initiation means to establish said communications session between said visitor caller terminal and said callee terminal, and wherein billing for said communications session is applied to an account associated with said home caller terminal.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said further caller terminal is at a location remote to said first caller terminal.

11. A communication session initiation apparatus for establishing a communications session in a communications system, said communications system comprising a first caller terminal, a further caller terminal, and characterized in that it further comprises a mobile terminal associated with said first caller terminal and said further caller terminal, and a callee terminal associated with a callee, said apparatus comprising:

a data receiver arranged in operation to receive from said mobile terminal, data relating to said callee; and

a session establishment server arranged to be responsive to said received data, and in operation to establish a communications session in dependence on said received data, between said first caller terminal or said further caller terminal selected in dependence on location of said mobile terminal, and said callee terminal, by establishing a first leg of said communications session with said selected caller terminal, establishing a second leg of said communications session with said callee terminal, and connecting said first and second legs together.

12. The communication session initiation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

data from said mobile terminal is received by said session establishment server via an intermediate device local to said mobile terminal and connected to an internet, wherein

said data is transferred via a wireless network between said mobile terminal and said intermediate device and via said internet between said intermediate device and said session establishment server.

13. The communication session initiation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

a further caller terminal is associated with said mobile terminal, said further caller terminal itself being associated with different identification data to said caller terminal;

said session establishment server is operated to establish a communications session between one of said caller terminals and said callee terminal in dependence on the location of said mobile terminal.

14. The communication session initiation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said first caller terminal and/or further caller terminal comprises a home caller terminal, said communications system further comprises a visitor caller terminal, wherein

data identifying said visitor caller terminal is transferred from said mobile terminal to said session establishment server, wherein

said session establishment server is operated to establish said communications session between said visitor caller terminal and said callee terminal, and wherein

billing for said communications session is applied to an account associated with said home caller terminal.