Systems and methods for granting feature control based on user location

• US 8,625,468 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Kesselring, Ana, Krahn, Renee F., Chriss, William Howard, Abramson, Sandra R., Mendiratta, Harsh V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Blanche
• Application Number:
  US13/037,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/419, 455/436, 455/440, 370/259
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A communication system comprises a plurality of communication devices and a feature control module. The plurality of communication devices reside at a plurality of locations associated with a user and are operatively associated with a communication network. The feature control module is configured to identify a location of the user, identify at least one of the communication devices at the plurality of locations, and grant feature control for a communication session to at least one communication device based on the identification of the location of the user.

Claims

1. A method of operating a feature control module among a plurality of communication devices associated with a user, comprising:

detecting a presence of a secondary device associated with the user to determine a location of the secondary device, wherein the location of the secondary device indicates a location of the user to the feature control module and the secondary device is not one of the plurality of communication devices;

identifying at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user;

granting feature control for a communication session to the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user; and

if the feature control was previously granted to communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user currently not in proximity to the location of the user, withdrawing the previously granted feature control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to initiate the communication session and directing the request to initiate the communication session to the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the secondary device moves to a different location, wherein the different location of the secondary device indicates a different location of the user to the feature control module;

identifying communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the different location of the user; and

responsive to the different location of the user granting feature control to the communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the different location of the user and withdrawing feature control from communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user not in proximity to the different location of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the secondary device includes detecting short range wireless signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary device comprises a credential associated with the user, wherein detecting the credential is performed by at least one sensor at a known location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the credential includes a badge and the at least one sensor includes a badge reader.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input via the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user to determine the location of the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving input via the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices includes receiving input corresponding to actuation of a button on the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a presence of a secondary device includes detecting activity on the secondary device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting activity on the secondary device includes detecting typing on a computing device associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising analyzing a calendar associated with the user to determine the location of the user, identifying a location for an appointment in the calendar during a time of the communication session, and identifying communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user at the location of the appointment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising performing speech analytics to confirm an identity of the user to determine the location of the user.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed perform a method for operating a feature control module among a plurality of communication devices associated with a user, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a presence of a secondary device associated with the user to determine a location of the secondary device, wherein the location of the secondary device indicates a location of the user to the feature control module and and the secondary device is not one of the plurality of communication devices;

identifying at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user; and

granting feature control for a communication session to at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user; and

if the feature control was previously granted to communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user currently not in proximity to the location of the user, withdrawing the previously granted feature control.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein detecting a presence of a secondary device comprises detecting an activity on the secondary device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for performing voice analytics to confirm an identity of the user to determine the location of the user.

16. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices at a plurality of locations associated with a user and operatively associated with a communication network; and

a feature control module configured to detect a presence of a secondary device associated with the user to determine a location of the secondary device, wherein the location of the secondary device indicates a location of the user from among the plurality of locations, wherein the secondary device is not one of the plurality of communication devices, identify at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user, grant feature control for a communication session to the at least one communication device of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user in proximity to the location of the user, and, if the feature control was previously granted to communication devices of the plurality of communication devices associated with the user currently not in proximity to the location of the user, withdrawing the previously granted feature control.