Method and apparatus for sharing a communication among wireless devices

• US 9,143,912 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Leppanen, Kari Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US13/681,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/55 involving three or more devices, e.g. group pairing
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for enabling a communication intended for a device to be automatically conveyed to a group of other devices within proximity of the device. A method may include determining at least one communication directed to at least one device and one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device. The method also comprises causing a conveying of the at least one communication to at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine at least one communication directed to at least one device;

determine one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device;

cause, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to the one or more other devices; and

cause, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices,

wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established by a user of the at least one device, and

wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more of call characteristics, timing requirements, location information, and priority settings.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include an identifier of the at least one device, a user associated with the at least one device, a communication account associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include a request for authentication information,

wherein the authentication information is provided by the at least one of the one or more other devices to cause, at least in part, an initiation of (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication;

(b) a presentation of additional information;

or (c) a combination thereof.

4. An apparatus of claim 3, wherein the additional information includes at least in part, an originator of the at least one communication, metadata associated with the at least one communication, or a combination thereof.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication, (b) the transmission of the at least one notification, or (c) a combination thereof via peer-to-peer networking, ad-hoc mesh networking, or a combination thereof.

6. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine at least another communication directed to the least one of the one or more other devices while the at least one of the one or more other devices is engaged in at least one communication; and

cause, at least in part, a transmission of at least another notification of the at least another communication to other ones of the one or more other devices.

7. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication is a voice call, the method further comprising:

cause, at least in part, the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication via a Voice Over Internet Protocol session.

8. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the proximity based, at least in part, on a number of hops in an ad-hoc mesh network, a range of wireless communication radio, a predetermined bounded area, or a combination thereof.

9. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication include, at least in part, a voice call, a video call, a messaging session, a multimedia session, a data feed, or a combination thereof.

10. A method comprising:

determining at least one communication directed to at least one device;

determining one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device;

causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to the one or more other devices; and

causing, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices,

wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established by a user of the at least one device, and

wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more of call characteristics, timing requirements, location information, and priority settings.

11. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include an identifier of the at least one device, a user associated with the at least one device, a communication account associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof.

12. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include a request for authentication information,

wherein the authentication information is provided by the at least one of the one or more other devices to cause, at least in part, an initiation of (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication;

(b) a presentation of additional information;

or (c) a combination thereof.

13. A method of claim 12, wherein the additional information includes at least in part, an originator of the at least one communication, metadata associated with the at least one communication, or a combination thereof.

14. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication, (b) the transmission of the at least one notification, or (c) a combination thereof via peer-to-peer networking, ad-hoc mesh networking, or a combination thereof.

15. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining at least another communication directed to the least one of the one or more other devices while the at least one of the one or more other devices is engaged in at least one communication; and

causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least another notification of the at least another communication to other ones of the one or more other devices.

16. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication via a Voice Over Internet Protocol session.

17. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the proximity based, at least in part, on a number of hops in an ad-hoc mesh network, a range of wireless communication radio, a predetermined bounded area, or a combination thereof.

18. A method of claim 10, wherein the at least one communication include, at least in part, a voice call, a video call, a messaging session, a multimedia session, a data feed, or a combination thereof.

19. A computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the steps of:

determining at least one communication directed to at least one device;

determining one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device;

causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to the one or more other devices; and

causing, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices,

wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established by a user of the at least one device, and

wherein the one or more conditions comprise one or more of call characteristics, timing requirements, location information, and priority settings.

20. A computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include an identifier of the at least one device, a user associated with the at least one device, a communication account associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof.