Techniques for enhanced call routing for groups

• US 9,894,211 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Relay Inc. (Publicis Groupe SA)
• Original Assignee: Republic Wireless, Inc. (Publicis Groupe SA)
• Inventors: Smith, Brandon, Cook, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agosta, Steve
• Application Number:
  US15/641,399
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/28 Services making use of subscriber schedule information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to techniques for enhanced call routing for groups. Some embodiments are particularly directed to a connection manager that can identify one or more secondary telephony endpoints to invite to join a call based on one or more routing policies. One or more embodiments described herein may include a connection manager that provides customizable extension capabilities to a wireless cellular phone. The systems, devices, and methods described herein may be embodied in and performed by communication devices, telecommunications servers, and other devices, and software instructions executed by some or all of such devices.

Claims

1. A mobile device telephony endpoint (TE) apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

logic, at least a portion of which is implemented in circuitry coupled to the memory, the logic to;

receive an indication of an incoming call from an origination telephony endpoint (OTE);

identify a unique identifier associated with the OTE;

based on the unique identifier associated with the OTE for the incoming call, determine one or more secondary telephony endpoints (STEs) that the TE can invite to join the call;

provide an option to the user of the TE to invite at least one of the one or more of the STEs to join the call;

determine which STEs are selected to join the call;

determine a current context for the selected STEs;

use the current context to determine whether to invite the one or more STEs to join the call, the current context comprising one of whether the time of the incoming call is determined to be not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call or whether the STE is determined to be at location not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call; and

send an invitation to the selected STEs to join the call, the invitation comprising one of a text message identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call or a pop-up notification identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic to provide the option to invite at least one of the one or more STEs to join the call is an icon on a touchscreen GUI of the TE.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the unique identifier associated with the OTE comprising a telephone number.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the OTE telephone number associated with a unique identifier of the STEs.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the unique identifier of the STEs is a telephone number.

6. A computer-implemented method embodied in a mobile device telephony endpoint (TE), comprising:

receiving an indication of an incoming call from an origination telephony endpoint (OTE);

identifying a unique identifier associated with the OTE;

based on the unique identifier associated with the OTE for the incoming call, determining one or more secondary telephony endpoints (STEs) that the TE can invite to join the call;

providing an option to the user of the TE to invite at least one of the one or more of the STEs to join the call;

determine which STEs are selected to join the call;

determining a current context for the selected STEs;

using the current context to determine whether to invite the one or more STEs to join the call, the current context comprising one of whether the time of the incoming call is determined to be not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call or whether the STE is determined to be at location not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call; and

sending an invitation to the selected STEs to join the call, the invitation comprising one of a text message identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call or a pop-up notification identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing an icon on a touchscreen GUI of the TE to invite at least one of the one or more STEs to join the call.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, the unique identifier associated with the OTE comprising a telephone number.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, the OTE telephone number associated with a unique identifier of the STEs.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier of the STEs is a telephone number.

11. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, in response to being executed by a processor circuit embodied in a mobile device telephony endpoint, cause the processor circuit to:

receive an indication of an incoming call from an origination telephony endpoint (OTE);

identify a unique identifier associated with the OTE;

based on the unique identifier associated with the OTE for the incoming call, determine one or more secondary telephony endpoints (STEs) that the TE can invite to join the call;

provide an option to the user of the TE to invite at least one of the one or more of the STEs to join the call;

determine which STEs are selected to join the call;

determine a current context for the selected STEs;

use the current context to determine whether to invite the one or more STEs to join the call, the current context comprising one of whether the time of the incoming call is determined to be not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call or whether the STE is determined to be at location not suitable for that STE to join the incoming call; and

send an invitation to the selected STEs to join the call, the invitation comprising one of a text message identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call or a pop-up notification identifying the calling and called parties and containing a link to join the call.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, comprising instructions that, in response to being executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to:

provide an icon on a touchscreen GUI of the TE to invite at least one of the one or more STEs to join the call.