Consolidating multi-party communications

• US 8,868,650 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Reeves, Raymond Emilio, Wick, Ryan Alan, Xue, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hitesh
• Application Number:
  US12/834,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 370/260, 348/14.01, 455/216, 455/463
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Methods, devices, and products facilitate consolidating multi-user communications by redirecting calls to a multi-user device, with which multiple users can interact. A multi-user device monitors the density of users and devices within a specified distance of the multi-user device. Based at least in part on the proximity of a user, the multi-user device can designate a preferred device associated with the user and inform a multi-user-device server of the preference. The multi-user-device server provides a conference server with instructions that include contact information for the preferred devices to be used by the conference server when initiating a multi-user communication session.

Claims

1. A Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of consolidating a multi-party communication, the method comprising:

receiving conference-contact information from a multi-user device associated with a first user, the first user also associated with a separate single user communication device, said conference-contact information including an indication of whether a first user is within a predetermined physical proximity of the multi-user device;

storing said conference-contact information in a status record corresponding to the multi-user device;

receiving a conference notification from a conference server, said notification comprising a request from a second user to set up a conference between the first user, the second user, and a third user;

determining, based at least in part upon said conference-contact information, that the multi-user device is a default preferred device associated with the first user by evaluating priority rules that specify which of two or more of the user'"'"'s devices is preferred in different conditions, and wherein the multi-user device is the default preferred device according to the priority rules when the first user is within a predetermined physical proximity of the multi-user device, wherein the default preferred device is a device on which the first user should be contacted;

receiving an indication from the multi-user device that the first user will not communicate on the multi-user device during the conference;

upon receiving the indication, receiving one or more user preferences from the first user indicating that the separate single user communication device is a preferred device for use during the conference; and

providing the conference server with a setup instruction comprising a setup contact identifier that identifies the separate single user communication device as the preferred device for use during the conference.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said conference-contact information further includes an indication of a preferred default device associated with the first user.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving updated conference-contact information from the multi-user device; and

replacing the stored conference-contact information with said updated conference-contact information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the conference server establishes a conference between the first user, the second user, and the third user.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the third user participates in the conference by way of said default preferred device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein the conference includes a video-conference.

7. A multi-user communications computing device that facilitates consolidation of multi-party communications, the multi-user communications computing device comprising:

a processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to execute;

a user-proximity detection component that determines whether a first user is within a specified distance of said multi-user device and that generates user-proximity information associated with the first user, wherein said user-proximity information includes an indication of whether the first user is within a predetermined distance of said multi-user device, and wherein the first user is associated with at least one communication device in addition to the multi-user device;

a preference manager that receives said user-proximity information from the user-proximity detection component and determines a default device associated with the first user by evaluating priority rules that specify which of two or more of the user'"'"'s devices is preferred in different conditions, and wherein the multi-user device is determined to be the default device according to the priority rules, wherein the first user is allowed to update the default device to a preferred device, wherein the preferred device is a device on which the first user is to be contacted for a conference;

a reporter that provides a multi-user-device server with conference-contact information associated with the first user, wherein the conference-contact information identifies the preferred device associated with the first user; and

a conference interface component configured to receive a conference notification from a conference server, said notification comprising a request from a second user to set up a conference between the first user, the second user, and a third user, wherein, when the first user has updated the default device to a preferred device, the conference server is notified of the preferred device for the first user prior to connecting a conference communication between the first user, the second user and the third user.

8. The multi-user communications computing device of claim 7, wherein the proximity detector detects whether a mobile device associated with the first user is within a predetermined distance of said multi-user device.

9. The multi-user communications computing device of claim 7, wherein the proximity detector records sound and provides the recorded sound to the proximity-analysis engine, wherein the proximity-analysis engine determines whether a voice associated with the first user is included within the recorded sound.

10. The multi-user communications computing communications computing device of claim 7, wherein the proximity detector receives authentication credentials from the first user.