User application initiated telephony

• US 8,634,878 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Sarkissian, Frederick, Siegel, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US13/044,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/569.1, 370/277
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Systems and methods for initiating telephony calls are presented. In one example, a user selection of a desired application item is received at a computing device and a dial number associated with the desired application item is transmitted from the computing device to a wireless headset. The dial number is received at the wireless headset and a call is responsively initiated by transmitting the dial number from the wireless headset to a mobile phone device.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a mobile phone call comprising:

receiving a user selection of a desired application item at a computing device;

transmitting a dial number associated with the desired application item from the computing device to a wireless headset utilizing a first wireless link; and

receiving the dial number at the wireless headset and responsively initiating a call comprising transmitting the dial number from the wireless headset to a mobile phone device utilizing a second wireless link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a user selection of a desired application item at a computing device comprises receiving the user selection within a user application running on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user application comprises an email application and the user selection comprises selecting a received email.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a user selection of a desired application item comprises:

receiving a first user selection of a displayed application item associated with a desired contact entity;

retrieving and displaying one or more contact numbers associated with the desired contact entity; and

receiving a second user selection of a desired contact number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the displayed application item is an email and retrieving one or more contact numbers comprises retrieving data from a contacts folder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing an audio communication channel between the wireless headset and the mobile phone device;

transmitting from the wireless headset to the computing device over the first wireless link messaging data indicating the user has established the audio communication channel; and

reporting an associated presence state to a presence server utilizing the computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the associated presence state is on-a-mobile-phone-call, on-a-call, busy, or unavailable.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein establishing an audio communication channel between the mobile phone device and the wireless headset comprises conducting a mobile phone call.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein establishing an audio communication channel between the mobile phone device and the wireless headset comprises initiating an outgoing call from the mobile phone device.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

terminating the audio communication channel between the mobile phone device and the wireless headset;

transmitting from the wireless headset to the computing device messaging indicating the user has terminated a call;

translating the messaging to a presence state indicating the user is available; and

reporting the presence state indicating the user is available to the presence server.

11. A method for initiating a mobile phone call utilizing a wireless headset comprising:

receiving a dial number at a wireless headset from a computing device transmitted over a first wireless link, the dial number transmitted from the computing device responsive to a user action at the computing device; and

transmitting an outbound call command to a mobile phone device from the wireless headset over a second wireless link, the outbound call command comprising the dial number and configured to initiate a call by the mobile phone device to the dial number.

12. The method of claim 11, where the user action at the computing device comprises selection of a displayed application item associated with a desired contact entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed application item is a received email and the dial number is retrieved from a contacts folder.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a call status message from the wireless headset to the computing device, wherein the call status message is configured to be utilized by the computing device to report an associated presence state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the associated presence state is on-a-mobile phone call, busy, or unavailable during a call.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the associated presence state is available upon termination of a call.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the call status message is dependent upon an audio communication channel status between the wireless headset and the mobile phone device.

18. A system for initiating a mobile phone call comprising:

a computing device adapted to receive a user selection of a desired application item and transmit an associated dial number over a first wireless link;

a wireless headset adapted to receive the associated dial number from the computing device via the first wireless link, the wireless headset further adapted to initiate an outbound call by transmitting the associated dial number over a second wireless link;

a mobile phone device adapted to receive the associated dial number over the second wireless link, make the outbound call, and conduct the outbound call utilizing the wireless headset.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein receiving a user selection of a desired application item comprises receiving the user selection within a non-telephony application running on the computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the non-telephony application comprises an email application and the user selection comprises selecting a received email.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is further adapted to retrieve one or more dial numbers responsive to the user selection of a desired application item, the computing device further adapted to receive a user selection of a dial number.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless headset is further adapted to transmit a call status message to the computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to report a user presence state responsive to the call status message.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the call status message is dependent upon an audio communication channel status between the wireless headset and the mobile phone device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the wireless headset is wirelessly paired with the computing device and the mobile phone device utilizing a wireless communications protocol.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the wireless communications protocol utilizes Bluetooth.