Multiple voice communication sessions through a client device

• US 8,589,566 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nonend Inventions, N.V.
• Original Assignee: Nonend Inventions, N.V.
• Inventors: van Oldenborgh, Marc, Gnjrrep, Martijn
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US12/831,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709204-205, 709/231, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods and client devices are provided for supporting a plurality of separate voice communication sessions. According to an exemplary method, a first voice communication session is initiated from the first client device to a second client device. The first client receives a request for establishing a second voice communication session from a third client device, and then establishes the second voice communication session from the third client device to a fourth client device. The second voice communications session may be established through the first client device and may include streaming communication between the third client device and the fourth client device. The second voice communication session continues through the first communications device, even after the first voice communication session has been terminated.

Claims

1. A method for supporting a plurality of separate voice communication sessions on a first client device, the method comprising:

initiating a first voice communication session from the first client device to a second client device;

receiving at the first client device from a third client device a request for establishing a second voice communication session;

establishing, through the first client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to a fourth client device, wherein the second voice communication session comprises streaming communication between the third client device and the fourth client device; and

continuing, through the first client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to the fourth client device, even after the first voice communication session has been terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the client devices is a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising searching for a particular client device within a vicinity of the first client device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising searching for client devices within a vicinity of a routing transmitter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the routing transmitter is a mobile carrier tower.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client device is a personal computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client device is a mobile phone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice communication sessions are in a digital form.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the first client device and a user of the second client device, and the second voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the third client device and a user of the fourth client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming communications comprise at least one of streaming audio communications or streaming video communications.

11. A client device configured to support a plurality of separate voice communication sessions, the client device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory programmed with instructions for;

initiating a first voice communication session from the client device to a second client device;

receiving at the client device from a third client device a request for establishing a second voice communication session;

establishing, through the client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to a fourth client device, wherein the second voice communication session comprises streaming communication between the third client device and the fourth client device; and

continuing, through the client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to the fourth client device, even after the first voice communication session has been terminated.

12. The client device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the client devices is a wireless device.

13. The client device of claim 12, wherein the memory is further programmed for searching for a particular client device within a vicinity of the client device.

14. The client device of claim 12, wherein the memory is further programmed searching for client devices within a vicinity of a routing transmitter.

15. The client device of claim 14, wherein the routing transmitter is a mobile carrier tower.

16. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device is a personal computer.

17. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device is a mobile phone.

18. The client device of claim 11, wherein the voice communication sessions are in a digital form.

19. The client device of claim 11, wherein the first voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the first client device and a user of the second client device, and the second voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the third client device and a user of the fourth client device.

20. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for supporting a plurality of separate voice communication sessions on a device, the computer executable instructions including instructions for:

initiating a first voice communication session from a first client device to a second client device;

receiving at the first client device from a third client device a request for establishing a second voice communication session;

establishing, through the first client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to a fourth client device, wherein the second voice communication session comprising streaming communications between the third client device and the fourth client device; and

continuing, through the first client device, the second voice communication session from the third client device to the fourth client device, even after the first voice communication session has been terminated.

21. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein at least one of the client devices is a wireless device.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising searching for a particular client device within a vicinity of the first client device.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising searching for client devices within a vicinity of a routing transmitter.

24. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the routing transmitter is a mobile carrier tower.

25. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first client device is a personal computer.

26. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first client device is a mobile phone.

27. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the voice communication sessions are in a digital form.

28. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the first client device and a user of the second client device, and the second voice communication session facilitates a conversation between a user of the third client device and a user of the fourth client device.