Presence based telephony call signaling

• US 8,428,053 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Kannappan, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, DUC T
• Application Number:
  US12/393,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20100215170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers

Abstract

Methods and systems for presence based telephony call signaling are presented. An incoming call is received at a computer, where the computer includes a computer loudspeaker and computer display. A headset donned state or a headset doffed state is identified for a wireless headset, where the wireless headset includes a headset speaker and headset output user interface. A proximity between the wireless headset and the computer is determined. An incoming call notification is output to the headset speaker, the headset output user interface, the computer loudspeaker, or the computer display responsive to identifying the headset donned state or headset doffed state and determining the headset proximity.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage memory storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for VoIP telephony call notification comprising:

receiving an incoming call at a VoIP telephony application in operation at a computer, the computer comprising a computer loudspeaker and a computer display;

identifying a headset donned state or a headset doffed state for a wireless headset associated with the computer, the wireless headset comprising a headset speaker and a headset output user interface;

determining a proximity between the wireless headset and the computer;

outputting a first incoming call notification to the computer loudspeaker or the computer display responsive to identifying a headset doffed state and determining the proximity to be within a pre-determined range;

outputting a second incoming call notification to the headset speaker responsive to identifying a headset donned state and determining the proximity to be within a pre-determined range; and

outputting a third incoming call notification to the headset output user interface responsive to identifying a headset doffed state and determining the proximity to be outside a pre-determined range.

2. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, the method further comprising pausing a current audio playback at the computer loudspeaker prior to outputting the first incoming call notification to the computer loudspeaker.

3. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, wherein the headset output user interface comprises an LED, a vibrate motor, or an interface adapted to signal a vibrate motor coupled to the wireless headset.

4. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, the method further comprising displaying caller identification information on the headset output user interface responsive to identifying a headset doffed state, wherein the headset output user interface comprises a LCD display.

5. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, wherein outputting a first incoming call notification to the computer loudspeaker further comprises adjusting a volume level of the computer loudspeaker prior to outputting the first incoming call notification.

6. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, wherein identifying a headset donned state or a headset doffed state for a wireless headset associated with the computer and determining a proximity between the wireless headset and the computer comprises querying a presence server.

7. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, wherein outputting a first incoming call notification to the computer loudspeaker responsive to identifying a headset doffed state and determining the proximity to be within a pre-determined range comprises outputting a spoken caller identification information.

8. The computer readable storage memory of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity between the wireless headset and the computer comprises utilizing received signal strength indication, radio frequency identification, Bluetooth, or infrared range finding.

9. A system for VoIP telephony call notification comprising:

a wireless headset comprising;

a headset wireless transceiver;

a donned or doffed detector;

a headset speaker; and

a headset output user interface comprising a visual indicator or a vibrate indicator; and

a computer comprising;

a network interface;

a computer wireless transceiver operable to communicate with the headset wireless transceiver;

a computer loudspeaker;

a computer display;

a processor; and

a memory storing a;

a VoIP softphone application comprising instructions which when executed by the processor cause the computer to receive an incoming call on the network interface;

headset proximity detection application comprising instructions which when executed by the processor cause the computer to identify a headset proximity of the wireless headset in relation to the computer;

a user call notification application comprising instructions which when executed by the processor cause the computer to output an incoming call notification to the headset output user interface responsive to identifying a headset doffed state and determining the proximity to be outside a pre-determined range.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the visual indicator is a LCD display device or LED device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vibrate indicator is a vibrate motor integrated with the wireless headset.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the headset wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the headset proximity is a near state or a far state.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the donned or doffed detector is selected from the group consisting of:

a thermal or infrared sensor, skin resistivity sensor, capacitive touch sensor, inductive proximity sensor, magnetic sensor, piezoelectric-based sensor, and motion detector.

15. A computer readable storage memory storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for telephony call notification comprising:

receiving an incoming call at a telephony application in operation at a computer, the computer comprising a computer loudspeaker and a computer display;

identifying a headset donned state or a headset doffed state for a wireless headset associated with the computer, the wireless headset comprising a headset speaker and headset output user interface;

determining a headset proximity between the wireless headset and the computer; and

outputting an incoming call notification to the headset output user interface responsive to identifying a headset doffed state and determining the proximity to be outside a pre-determined range.

16. The computer readable storage memory of claim 15, wherein the headset output user interface comprises an LED, a vibrate motor, or an interface adapted to signal a vibrate motor coupled to the wireless headset.

17. The computer readable storage memory claim 15, the method further comprising displaying caller identification information on the headset output user interface responsive to identifying a headset doffed state, wherein the headset output user interface comprises a LCD display.

18. The computer readable storage memory of claim 15, wherein identifying a headset donned state or a headset doffed state for a wireless headset associated with the computer and determining a proximity between the wireless headset and the computer comprises querying a presence server.

19. The computer readable storage memory of claim 15, the method further comprising pausing a current audio playback at the computer loudspeaker or the headset speaker prior to outputting the incoming call notification to the computer loudspeaker or the headset speaker.

20. The computer readable storage memory of claim 15, the method further comprising adjusting a volume level of the computer loudspeaker prior to outputting the incoming call notification.