Sending user device status information

• US 9,326,112 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gudlavenkatasiva, Bhaskar R., Sivakkolundhu, Premanand, Hughes, George L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAPA, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US13/627,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20140087700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/405, 455/415, 455/352, 455418-419, 379 3201- 35, 37920702-20705, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A network device receives a message that identifies a relationship between a first user device and a second user device, the relationship permitting status information of the first user device to be sent to the second user device when the first user device is communicating with a third user device. The network device receives the status information relating to a communication involving the first user device. The network device determines to send the status information to the second user device, based on the information identifying the relationship stored by the network device; and the network device sends the status information for presentation on the second user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device and from a first user device, registration information identifying a second user device and a relationship between the first user device and the second user device, the registration information including information identifying an application being utilized by the second user device during a communication between the first user device and a third user device, the first user device selecting the second user device from one or more user devices, and the relationship permitting first status information of the first user device to be sent to the second user device when the first user device is communicating with the third user device, the first status information including;

information indicating that there is the communication between the first user device and the third user device, and information identifying the third user device;

storing, by the network device, the registration information;

receiving, by the network device, the first status information relating to the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determining, by the network device, that the second user device is utilizing the application during the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determining, by the network device and based on the stored registration information and the first status information, to provide the first status information to the second user device, without establishing a connection between the first user device and the second user device and without the second user device communicating with the first user device, based on the communication between the first user device and the third user device and based on the second user device attempting to communicate with the first user device; and

providing, by the network device and based on determining to provide the first status information to the second user device, the first status information to the second user device, via the application being utilized by the second user device during the communication between the first user device and the third user device, the application displaying the first status information to a user of the second user device and to other users, using different user devices, that are permitted to view the application being utilized by the second user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, based on providing the first status information to the second user device, a selection of a prompt associated with the first status information; and

providing, based on receiving the selection of the prompt, a time-delayed voice recording of the communication to the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional information that identifies a second relationship between the first user device and a fourth user device,

the second relationship permitting second status information of the first user device to be sent to the fourth user device when the first user device is communicating with the third user device and the fourth user device is using a particular application;

storing the additional information identifying the second relationship;

determining, based on the stored additional information identifying the second relationship, to send the second status information to the fourth user device; and

sending, based on determining to send the second status information, the second status information to the fourth user device for display within the particular application.

4. The method of claim 1, where

the first user device is associated with a first account, and

the second user device is associated with a second account,

the first account being different than the second account.

5. The method of claim 1, where the first status information further includes an identifier for the first user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification to remove the stored registration information;

removing, based on receiving the notification, the stored registration information; and

discontinuing, based on removing the stored registration information, to provide the first status information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information to change the relationship, between the first user device and the second user device, to a new relationship, the new relationship being between the first user device and a fourth user device, the fourth user device being different than the second user device; and

providing, based on receiving the information to change the relationship, the first status information to the fourth user device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of one or more network devices, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from a first user device, registration information identifying a second user device and a relationship between the first user device and the second user device, the registration information including information identifying an application being utilized by the second user device during a communication between the first user device and a third user device, the first user device selecting the second user device from one or more user devices, and the relationship permitting first status information of the first user device to be sent to the second user device when the first user device is communicating with the third user device, the first status information including;

information indicating that there is the communication between the first user device and the third user device, and information identifying the third user device;

receive the first status information relating to the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determine that the second user device is utilizing the application during the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determine, based on the registration information identifying the relationship and the first status information, to provide the first status information to the second user device based on the communication between the first user device and the third user device, based on the second user device attempting to communicate with the first user device, without establishing a connection between the first user device and the second user device, and without the second user device communicating with the first user device; and

provide, based on determining to provide the first status information to the second user device, the first status information to the second user device, via the application being utilized by the second user device during the communication between the first user device and the third user device, the application displaying the first status information to a user of the second user device and to other users, using different user devices, that are permitted to view the application being utilized by the second user device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions to determine to provide the first status information include:

one or more instructions to determine to provide, to the second user device, identification information for the first user device and identification information for the third user device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to receive additional information indicating that the first status information is to be provided to a client device, the client device being different than the second user device; and

one or more instructions to provide, based on receiving the additional information, the first status information to the client device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to receive information identifying a second relationship between the first user device and a particular application, the second relationship permitting second status information of the first user device to be provided to the particular application when the first user device is communicating with the third user device and when the particular application is being used by a fourth user device;

one or more instructions to determine, based on the information identifying the second relationship, to provide the second status information to the fourth user device; and

one or more instructions to provide the second status information to the fourth user device when the fourth user device is using the particular application.

12. A system comprising:

one or more network devices to;

receive, from a first user device, registration information identifying a second user device and a relationship between the first user device and the second user device, the registration information including information identifying an application being utilized by the second user device during a communication between the first user device and a third user device, the first user device selecting the second user device from one or more user devices, and the relationship permitting first status information of the first user device to be sent to the second user device when the first user device is communicating with the third user device, the first status information including;

information indicating that there is the communication between the first user device and the third user device, and information identifying the third user device;

store the registration information;

receive the first status information relating to the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determine that the second user device is utilizing the application during the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

determine, based on the stored registration information and the first status information, to provide the first status information to the second user device based on the communication between the first user device and the third user device, based on the second user device attempting to communicate with the first user device, without establishing a connection between the first user device and the second user device, and without the second user device communicating with the first user device; and

provide, based on determining to provide the first status information to the second user device, the first status information to the second user device, via the application being utilized by the second user device during the communication between the first user device and the third user device, the application displaying the first status information to a user of the second user device and to other users, using different user devices, that are permitted to view the application being utilized by the second user device.

13. The system of claim 12, where, when receiving the registration information, the one or more network devices are to:

receive information identifying a time period during which the first status information is to be provided to the second user device, and where, when providing the first status information to the second user device, the one or more network devices are to;

provide the first status information to the second user device only during the time period.

14. The system of claim 12, where, when receiving the registration information, the one or more network devices are to:

receive information identifying an a particular application that, when being used by a fourth user device, permits the first status information to be sent to the fourth user device, and where, when sending the first status information to the second user device, the one or more network devices are to;

send the first status information to the fourth user device when the fourth user device is using the particular application.

15. The system of claim 12, where, when receiving the registration information, the one or more network devices are to:

receive information identifying a time period during which the first status information is not to be provided to the second user device, and where, when providing the first status information to the second user device, the one or more network devices are to;

prevent the first status information from being provided to the second user device during the time period.

16. The system of claim 12, where the one or more network devices are further to:

receive additional information identifying a second relationship between the first user device and a client device, the second relationship permitting second status information, regarding the first user device, to be sent to the client device when the first user device is communicating with the third user device;

store the additional information identifying the second relationship;

determine, based on the stored additional information identifying the second relationship, to send the second status information to the client device; and

send, based on determining to send the second status information, the second status information to the client device.

17. The system of claim 12, where the one or more network devices are further to:

receive information associated with a request to associate a time period during which the first status information is permitted to be provided to the second user device; and

provide, based on the received information associated with the request to associate the time period, the first status information to the second user device only during the time period.

18. The system of claim 12, where the one or more network devices are further to:

receive additional information identifying a second relationship between the first user device and a fourth user device, the second relationship permitting a time-delayed voice recording to be sent to the fourth user device, the time-delayed voice recording being based on the communication between the first user device and the third user device;

store the additional information identifying the second relationship;

determine, based on the stored additional information identifying the second relationship, to send the time-delayed voice recording to the fourth user device; and

cause, based on determining to send the time-delayed voice recording, the time-delayed voice recording to be sent to the fourth user device.

19. The system of claim 18, where the one or more network devices are further to:

transcode the time-delayed voice recording to permit the time-delayed voice recording to be audible.

20. The system of claim 18, where, when receiving the additional information identifying the second relationship, the one or more network devices are to:

receive information identifying that the fourth user device is to only receive the time-delayed voice recording when the time-delayed voice recording is associated with a first type of communication; and

where, when causing the time-delayed voice recording to be sent to the fourth user device, the one or more network devices are to;

cause only the time-delayed voice recording associated with the first type of communication to be sent to the fourth user device.