Method and apparatus for migrating active communication session between terminals

• US 9,756,137 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Marco, Zhang, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KAI J
• Application Number:
  US15/358,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1327 Release and resetting of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for migrating between terminals. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network proxy having a controller that manages a communications interface in a communication system. The controller can be programmed to receive a request to migrate a first terminal to a third terminal while active communications are taking place on a first voice channel connecting the first terminal to a second terminal, establish a second voice channel with the third terminal, connect the first and second voice channels, and terminate without action of an end user of the first terminal a connection between the first terminal and the first voice channel. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a request transmitted from one of a first terminal or a third terminal to migrate active communications with a second terminal from the first terminal to the third terminal while active communications are taking place on a first voice channel connecting the first terminal to the second terminal,

wherein the request is generated automatically at the one of the first terminal or the third terminal responsive to detection by the first terminal or the third terminal,

wherein the request includes an identifier of the third terminal,

wherein the first terminal obtains the identifier from the third terminal using short-range communications via a first radio frequency identification device at the first terminal and a second radio frequency identification device at the third terminal,

wherein which one of the first terminal or the third terminal transmits the request is determined by a predefined procedure;

initiating a network origination call to the third terminal via a second voice channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating a connection of the first voice channel and the second voice channel by way of a communications bridge; and

contemporaneous with a detection at the third terminal of an acceptance of the network origination call, automatically terminating a connection between the first terminal and the first voice channel, thereby releasing the first voice channel connecting the first terminal and the second terminal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a conferencing request transmitted from a fourth terminal to connect the fourth terminal to the second voice channel;

establishing a third voice channel with the fourth terminal; and

facilitating a connection of the second and third voice channels,

wherein the connection of the second and third voice channels is performed while active communications are taking place on the second voice channel.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the conferencing request includes an identifier of the fourth terminal.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the conferencing request from one among the second terminal, the third terminal or the fourth terminal.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the conferencing request conforms to a protocol selected from the group consisting of signaling system 7, session initiation protocol, H.323, and combinations thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a signal to the third terminal indicating that the third terminal can engage in communications with the second terminal.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the signal comprises an audible signal, a text signal, or a combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing a notice to a user of the first voice channel regarding detection, by one of the first terminal or the third terminal, of the other of the first terminal or the third terminal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises a network proxy operating as an internet protocol multimedia subsystem.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal comprises a plain old telephone service communication device, a voice over internet protocol communication device, or a wireless communication device.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving a request transmitted from one of a first terminal or a third terminal to migrate active communications with a second terminal from the first terminal to the third terminal while active communications are taking place on a first voice channel connecting the first terminal to the second terminal,

wherein the request is generated automatically at the one of the first terminal or the third terminal responsive to detection by the first terminal or the third terminal,

wherein the request includes an identifier of the third terminal,

wherein the first terminal obtains the identifier from the third terminal using short-range communications via a first radio frequency identification device at the first terminal and a second radio frequency identification device at the third terminal,

wherein which one of the first terminal or the third terminal transmits the request is determined by a predefined procedure comprising short-range communication between the first terminal and the third terminal;

initiating a network origination call to the third terminal via a second voice channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating a connection of the first voice channel and the second voice channel by way of a communications bridge; and

contemporaneous with a detection at the third terminal of an acceptance of the network origination call, automatically terminating a connection between the first terminal and the first voice channel, thereby releasing the first voice channel connecting the first terminal and the second terminal.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a signal to the third terminal indicating that the third terminal can engage in communications with the second terminal.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the signal comprises an audible signal, a text signal, or a combination thereof.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise providing a notice to a user of the first voice channel regarding detection, by one of the first terminal or the third terminal, of the other of the first terminal or the third terminal.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the processing system comprises a network proxy operating as an internet protocol multimedia subsystem.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a request transmitted from one of a first terminal or a third terminal to migrate active communications with a second terminal from the first terminal to the third terminal while active communications are taking place on a first voice channel connecting the first terminal to the second terminal,

wherein the request is generated automatically at the one of the first terminal or the third terminal responsive to detection by the first terminal or the third terminal,

wherein the request includes an identifier of the third terminal,

wherein the first terminal obtains the identifier from the third terminal using short-range communications via a first radio frequency identification device at the first terminal and a second radio frequency identification device at the third terminal,

wherein which one of the first terminal or the third terminal transmits the request is determined by a predefined procedure;

initiating, by the processing system, a network origination call to the third terminal via a second voice channel responsive to the receiving of the request;

facilitating, by the processing system, a connection of the first voice channel and the second voice channel by way of a communications bridge;

contemporaneous with a detection at the third terminal of an acceptance of the network origination call, automatically terminating, by the processing system, a connection between the first terminal and the first voice channel, thereby releasing the first voice channel connecting the first terminal and the second terminal; and

transmitting, by the processing system, a signal to the third terminal indicating that the third terminal can engage in communications with the second terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal comprises an audible signal, a text signal, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing, by the processing system, a notice to a user of the first voice channel regarding detection, by one of the first terminal or the third terminal, of the other of the first terminal or the third terminal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the processing system comprises a network proxy operating as an internet protocol multimedia subsystem.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the predefined procedure comprises short-range communication between the first terminal and the third terminal.