Communication systems and related methods for notifying devices having a plurality of unique identifiers about missed communications

• US 9,294,423 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorenson Ip Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sorenson Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Parent, Jesse, Walker, Merle L., Shields, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US13/837,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20140272814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8821, 455/414.1, 455/415
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for notifying a group of communication devices about a missed call are disclosed. Each communication device is associated with a group identifier that is shared with all the communication devices in a group. Each communication device is also associated with an individual identifier that is unique to that communication device. An unanswered communication to the group identifier is received on all the communication devices in the group. A first communication device transmits to a remote server an acknowledgement notification that the unanswered communication related to the group identifier has been acknowledged by the user. A clear indicator indicating that the unanswered communication has been acknowledged is transmitted from the remote server to all the devices in the group except the first communication device. Each of the communication devices receiving the clear indicator can then clear its indicator that notifies the user of a missed call.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a memory configured for storing computing instructions; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured for executing the computing instructions to;

associate a plurality of communication devices with each other in a user group such that each communication device of the plurality of communication devices is associated with;

a group unique identifier that is shared with the plurality of communication devices of the user group; and

an individual unique identifier that is unique to that communication device;

receive an acknowledgement notification from a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices indicating that the user has acknowledged a missed call notification related to an unanswered call routed to the group unique identifier on the plurality of communication devices; and

transmit a clear indicator to all the plurality of communication devices in the user group other than the first communication device, the clear indicator indicating that the missed call notification has been acknowledged and that the corresponding missed call notification on each communication device receiving the clear indicator is removed from display thereon responsive to receiving the clear indicator, wherein the clear indicator is transmitted in response to receiving the attention item query by the server, wherein the clear indicator is transmitted in response to receiving the attention item query by the server.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configuredto execute the computing instructions to transmit the clear indicator to the first communication device also.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store other information related to the unanswered call that is retrievable by any of the plurality of communication devices before and after the clear indicator is transmitted.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the other information includes an identification of a person, a calling communication device, or a combination thereof.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the unanswered call is a voice communication.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the unanswered call is a video communication.

7. A method for notifying a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

routing an unanswered call to a group unique identifier on a plurality of communication devices

wherein each communication device of the plurality of communication devices is associated with;

the group unique identifier that is shared with the plurality of communication devices of a user group; and

an individual unique identifier that is unique to that communication device;

receiving an acknowledgement notification at a remote server from a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices, the acknowledgement notification indicating that the unanswered call related to the group unique identifier has been acknowledged at the first communication device; and

transmitting a clear indicator from the remote server to at least all the plurality of communication devices in the user group other than the first communication device responsive to receiving the attention item query by the server, the clear indicator indicating that the unanswered call has been acknowledged and that a corresponding missed call notification displayed on each communication device receiving the clear indicator is removed from display thereon responsive to receiving the clear indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the clear indicator also includes transmitting the clear indicator to the first communication device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting an attention desired indicator to each communication device of the plurality from which an attention items query is received.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the clear indicator to each communication device of the plurality of communication devices from which a query is received.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the unanswered call is a voice communication or a video communication.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing other information related to the unanswered call that is retrievable by any of the plurality of communication device before and after the clear indicator is transmitted.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the other information includes an identification of a person, a calling communication device, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting a missed call notification to the user on one or of the plurality of communication devices indicating that the user has received the unanswered call to the group unique identifier.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating from one communication device of the plurality to the remote server responsive to being addressed with either of the group unique identifier assigned to the user group that the communication device belongs to and the individual unique identifier assigned to the one communication device.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising retrieving other information related to the unanswered call that is retrievable by any communication device of the plurality belonging to the user group before and after the clear indicator is transmitted.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the other information includes an identification of a person, a calling communication device, or a combination thereof.

18. A video relay service for facilitating communication sessions and providing interpretive services for hearing-impaired users, the video relay service comprising:

a call routing server configured to;

send a video call request to a first communication device responsive to the video call request being associated with a first individual unique identifier for the first communication device; and

send the video call request to the first communication device and at least one additional communication device responsive to the video call request being associated with a group unique identifier for the first communication device and the at least one additional communication device as part of an assigned group of communication devices; and

a profile server configured to;

receive an acknowledgement notification from the first communication device indicating that the user has acknowledged a missed call notification displayed on the first communication device related to an unanswered video call request sent to the assigned group of communication device associated with the group unique identifier; and

transmit a clear indicator to the at least one additional communication device responsive to receiving the acknowledgement notification from the first communication device responsive to receiving the attention item query by the server, the clear indicator indicating that the a corresponding missed call notification displayed on the at least one additional communication device related to the unanswered video call is removed from display thereon responsive to receiving the clear indicator.

19. The video relay service of claim 18, wherein the call routing server and the profile server are part of separate server hardware devices.

20. The video relay service of claim 18, wherein the call routing server and the profile server are integrated within a same server hardware device.

21. The video relay service of claim 18, wherein the profile server is configured to transmit the clear indicator to the at least one additional communication device further responsive to receiving the attention items query from a heartbeat of the at least one additional communication device requesting a list attention items for the at least one additional communication device to act upon.