Call management between multiple user devices

• US 9,848,079 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rauenbuehler, Keith W., Fraioli, Nicholas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US15/170,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A connection manager manages connections for associated user devices by determining whether an incoming connection has been answered at a user device, and if so then generating and transmitting silencing commands to associated user devices using first and second wireless communication modes, with one mode being faster. Connections can comprise phone calls, and modes can comprise push and Bluetooth® messaging. The connection manager can instruct device outputs to provide connection alerts, limited to visual alerts when an associated user device is active, listen for associated user device communications, and instruct device outputs to stop providing alerts when a silencing command is received. Further, a connection manager can receive a signal regarding a headset status, route an outside connection from a phone to the headset when the headset is active or to another device when the headset is not active, detect a change in headset status, and reroute the connection accordingly.

Claims

1. A user device configured to manage outside connections, the user device comprising:

a processor configured to implement a connection manager, wherein the connection manager is configured to;

receive an incoming connection alert associated with an incoming connection;

determine when the incoming connection is answered at one of a set of one or more associated user devices, wherein each associated user device in the set of one or more associated user devices and the user device are registered at an accessible server with a common user account;

generate a silencing command based on the determination; and

transmit the silencing command to the set of one or more associated user devices using a first mode of communication, the silencing command causing the set of one or more associated user devices to stop providing alerts for the incoming connection.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the first mode of communication includes wireless personal area network (WPAN) broadcast communication.

3. The user device of claim 1, wherein the first mode of communication comprises a Bluetooth alert or a Bluetooth advertisement.

4. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user device transmits the silencing command by at least broadcasting the silencing command to the set of one or more associated user devices.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is further configured to transmit the silencing command to the set of one or more associated user devices using a second mode of communication that is different from the first mode of communication.

6. The user device of claim 5, wherein the second mode of communication has a transmittal time for communicating the silencing command from the user device to the set of one or more associated user devices that is longer than the first mode of communication.

7. The user device of claim 5, wherein the second mode of communication comprises a push message sent to the set of one or more associated user devices via the accessible server with which the user device and the set of one or more associated user devices are registered with the common user account.

8. The user device of claim 1, wherein the silencing command is included in a call answer notification.

9. The user device of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is further configured to transmit to the set of one or more associated user devices a call answer notification that indicates that the incoming connection has been answered.

10. The user device of claim 1, wherein the connection manager is further configured to receive a call answer notification from one of the set of one or more associated user devices.

11. The user device of claim 1, wherein the silencing command instructs separate corresponding connection managers located on each associated user device of the set of one or more associated user devices to stop providing incoming connection alerts about the incoming connection.

12. A method performed by a connection manager on a user device for transmitting a silencing command, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming connection alert associated with an incoming connection;

determining when the incoming connection is answered at one of a set of one or more associated user devices, wherein each associated user device in the set of one or more associated user devices and the user device are registered at an accessible server with a common user account;

generating the silencing command based on the determination; and

broadcasting the silencing command to the set of one or more associated user devices using a wireless personal area network (WPAN) wireless communication protocol, the silencing command causing the set of one or more associated user devices to stop providing alerts for the incoming connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the WPAN wireless communication protocol includes broadcast wireless communication having a range less than a predefined value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the silencing command from the user device to the set of one or more associated user devices via the accessible server using a push message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein communication of the push message from the user device to the set of one or more associated user devices via the accessible server has a transmittal time that is longer than communication of the silencing command via the WPAN wireless communication protocol.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the silencing command is included in a call answer notification.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises transmitting to the set of one or more associated user devices a call answer notification that indicates that the incoming connection has been answered.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises receiving a call answer notification from one of the set of one or more associated user devices.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the silencing command instructs separate corresponding connection managers located on each associated user device of the set of one or more associated user devices to stop providing incoming call alerts about the incoming connection.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a user device, cause the user device to implement a connection manager configured to transmit a silencing command by carrying out operations that include:

receiving an incoming connection alert associated with an incoming connection;

determining when the incoming connection is answered at one of a set of one or more associated user devices, wherein each associated user device in the set of one or more associated user devices and the user device are registered at an accessible server with a common user account;

generating the silencing command based on the determination; and

transmitting the silencing command to the set of one or more associated user devices using a first mode of communication and using a second mode of communication, wherein;

the first mode of communication comprises a direct wireless personal area network (WPAN) connection between the user device and the set of one or more associated user devices; and

the second mode of communication comprises a push message sent indirectly to the set of one or more associated user devices via the accessible server having a transmittal time for communication of the silencing command from the user device to the set of one or more associated user devices that is longer than the first mode of communication.