Switching user devices in a packet-based network
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a first user device configured to communicate with a second user device, the first and second user devices being installed with a respective instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network;
wherein each of the instances of the communication client application is associated with a same user identifier, a first of said instances of the communication client application is associated with a first sub-identifier, and a second of said instances is associated with a second sub-identifier; and
the instance of the communication client application on the first device is configured to;
during an ongoing call between the first user device and a remote user device conducted over a first network connection established based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, establish a second network connection over the packet-based network by sharing said user identifier and the second sub-identifier with the remote user device; and
switch the call to the second network connection based on information mapping the first user device and the second user device to sub identifiers contained in a look-up table accessible to the first user device and the second user device such that the call, after being switched, continues via the second user device.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system comprising: a first user device and at least a second user device for a same user, at least one of the first and second user devices being a household media appliance, and each being installed with a respective instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network. Each instance is associated with a same user identifier identifying the same user, a first of the instances is associated with a first subidentifier, and a second of the instances is associated with a second subidentifier. The instances are configured so as, during an ongoing call conducted over a first network connection established based on the user identifier and the first sub-identifier, after the call has been answered, to establish a second network connection based on the user identifier and the second sub-identifier and to switch the call to the second network connection.
58 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
a first user device configured to communicate with a second user device, the first and second user devices being installed with a respective instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network; wherein each of the instances of the communication client application is associated with a same user identifier, a first of said instances of the communication client application is associated with a first sub-identifier, and a second of said instances is associated with a second sub-identifier; and the instance of the communication client application on the first device is configured to; during an ongoing call between the first user device and a remote user device conducted over a first network connection established based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, establish a second network connection over the packet-based network by sharing said user identifier and the second sub-identifier with the remote user device; and switch the call to the second network connection based on information mapping the first user device and the second user device to sub identifiers contained in a look-up table accessible to the first user device and the second user device such that the call, after being switched, continues via the second user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17)
-
-
13. A first user device installed with a first instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network, communicable with a second user device installed with a second instance of the communication client application, the first user device being configured to:
-
access a storage apparatus that maps user identifiers to network addresses locating user devices within the packet-based network, wherein each of the instances of the communication client application enable login at a same time using a same user identifier, the storage apparatus mapping a combination of said user identifier and a first sub-identifier to an address of the first user device, and a combination of said user identifier and a second sub-identifier to an address of the second user device; and during an answered call between the first user device and a remote user device conducted over a first network connection of the packet-based network established based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, negotiate, via the first instance of the communication client application, with the second instance of the communication client application to switch the call to a second network connection established over the packet-based network based on said user identifier and the second sub-identifier, the first and second network connections used to switch the call over the packet-based network between the first and second instances of the communication client application that each enable login using the same user identifier.
-
-
14. A method of operating a first user device and a second user device, the method comprising:
-
installing the first user device and the second user device with a respective instance of a same Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network using a same user identifier; enabling each of the instances of the same VoIP client application to login with the same user identifier; associating a first of said instances of the same VoIP client application with a first sub-identifier, and associating a second of said instances of the same VoIP client application with a second sub-identifier; during an ongoing call between the first user device and a remote user device conducted over a first network connection established over the packet-based network based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, establishing a second network connection over the packet-based network between the second user device and the remote user device based on said user identifier and the second sub-identifier; and with each of the instances of the same VoIP client application logged in using the same user identifier, switching the call to the second network connection based, at least in part, on a look-up table that includes data associating the first and second instances of the same VoIP client application and their respective sub-identifiers, the look-up table being available for use by each of the instances of the same VoIP client application and the remote user device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
-
15. A program product embodied on a computer readable memory, comprising a first instance of a communication client application for conducting voice or video calls over a packet-based network when executed on a first user device, communicable with a second user device installed with a second instance of the communication client application, the first instance of the communication client application being configured to:
-
access a storage apparatus that maps user identifiers to network addresses locating user devices within the packet-based network, wherein each of the instances of the communication client application is associated with a same user identifier, the storage apparatus mapping a combination of said user identifier and a first sub-identifier to an address of the first user device, and a combination of said user identifier and a second sub-identifier to an address of the second user device; during an ongoing call between the first user device and a remote user device conducted over a first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network connection established based on said user identifier and the first sub-identifier, negotiate with the second instance of the communication client application and the remote user device to switch the call to a second VoIP network connection established over the packet-based network; and switch the call to the second VoIP network connection established over the packet-based network based, at least in part, on the negotiation between the first instance of the communication client application, the second instance of the communication client application, and the remote user device.
-
Specification