Connecting communication-network end-users based on current network connectivity

• US 8,737,260 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W., Mikan, Jeffrey, Stankey, John Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANTON, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US12/466,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

One embodiment of the disclosed technology involves determining a preferred communication connection between two parties that are communication-network end-users, at least one of which parties has access to at least two networks. A database contains information on the current connectivity of the two parties and a preferred communication connection is determined based on information from the database. The preferred connection may be used to exchange multimedia content that can be transmitted in real time, or, based on the connectivity information, can be sent to a multimedia relay from which it will be obtained by the recipient when the recipient has appropriate connectivity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

over a first network, obtaining, from a computer database having information on parallel network connectivity of at least two end-user devices to a plurality of communication networks, the information describing the parallel network connectivity of a first end-user device to at least two communication networks of the plurality of communication networks and the information describing a current network connectivity of a second end-user device to at least one communication network of the plurality of communication networks;

determining by a processor and memory, based on the information, a preferred connection for communicating between the at least two end-user devices;

receiving content from the first end-user device for delivery to the second end-user device;

determining the second end-user device lacks the current network connectivity to the plurality of communications networks;

retrieving a social network of the second end-user device in response to the current network connectivity lacking;

routing the content for interim storage at a member device of the social network;

detecting the current network connectivity of the second end-user device to the at least one communication network of the plurality of communication networks; and

sending the content from the member device to the second end-user device responsive to detection of the current network connectivity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred connection is selected from among at least two currently possible connections between the two end-user devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising establishing a communication connection between the two end-user devices using the preferred connection when the current network connectivity is determined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred connection is over a single network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred connection is over more than one network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred connection includes a connection to a multimedia relay.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the information describing the current network connectivity of the second end-user device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the member device of the social network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the content to the member device of the social network for the interim storage.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending the content from the member device to the second end-user device when the current network connectivity is detected.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a cellular network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a packet network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the preferred connection is made over a WiFi network.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the second end-user device of the interim storage of the content.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first end-user device desires to connect to the second end-user device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first end-user device desires to exchange multimedia content with the second end-user device.

18. A method, comprising:

retrieving information from a computer database describing network connectivity of at least two end-user devices to a plurality of communication networks;

receiving content from a first end-user device for delivery to a second end-user device;

determining the second end-user device lacks the network connectivity to any one of the plurality of communications networks;

retrieving a social network in response to the second end-user device lacking the network connectivity;

routing the content for interim storage at a member device of the social network;

detecting the network connectivity of the second end-user device to the any one of the plurality of communication networks; and

sending the content from the member device to the second end-user device in response to detection of the network connectivity.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method of communicating between end-user devices of communication networks, the method comprising:

over a wireless network, obtaining a request from a first end-user device to transmit content to a second end-user device;

storing in a database data describing parallel network connectivity to at least two communications networks for member devices of a social network;

receiving the content from the first end-user device for delivery to the second end-user device;

querying the database for the data describing the parallel network connectivity of the second end-user device;

determining the second end-user device lacks connectivity to any network of the plurality of communications networks;

querying the database for a member device from the social network;

forwarding the content for interim storage to the member device when the second end-user device lacks the connectivity;

detecting the connectivity of the second end-user device to at least one network of the plurality of communication networks; and

sending the content from the member device to the second end-user device when the connectivity is detected.

20. A memory storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

obtaining, from a wireless network, a request from a first end-user device to transmit content to a second end-user device;

retrieving information describing network connectivity of the second end-user device to a communication network;

receiving the content from the first end-user device;

determining the second end-user device currently lacks the network connectivity to the communication network;

retrieving a social network associated with the second end-user device;

routing the content for interim storage at a member device of the social network in response to the second end-user device lacking the network connectivity;

determining the network connectivity of the second end-user device to the communication network; and

sending the content from the member device to the second end-user device in response to determination of the network connectivity.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

obtaining a request from a first end-user device to transmit content to a second end-user device;

retrieving information describing network connectivity of the second end-user device to a communication network;

receiving the content from the first end-user device;

determining the second end-user device lacks the network connectivity to the communication network;

retrieving a social network associated with the second end-user device; and

sending the content to a member device of the social network for interim storage in response to the second end-user device lacking the network connectivity.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a request from a first end-user device to transmit multimedia content to a second end-user device;

storing parallel network connectivity to at least two communications networks for member devices of a social network;

receiving the multimedia content from the first end-user device for delivery to the second end-user device;

querying for the parallel network connectivity of the second end-user device;

determining the second end-user device lacks connectivity to any network of the plurality of communications networks;

retrieving a social network associated with the second end-user device;

forwarding the multimedia content for interim storage to a member device of the social network in response to the second end-user device lacking the connectivity;

detecting the connectivity of the second end-user device to any one of the plurality of communication networks; and

instructing the member device to send the multimedia content to the second end-user device in response to the connectivity is detected.