User interface for phone call routing among devices

• US 9,967,401 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Coffman, Patrick L., Rauenbuehler, Keith Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoque, Nafiz E
• Application Number:
  US14/503,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• 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

Abstract

The invention is directed to a first electronic device. The first electronic device receives a phone call that was routed to the first electronic device by a call-routing service. While receiving the call, the first electronic device receives a request to route the phone call to a second electronic device. In response to receiving the request to route the phone call to the second electronic device, in accordance with a determination that a first routing criteria have been met, the first electronic device sends a request to the call-routing service to route the phone call to the second electronic device instead of routing the phone call to the first electronic device. In accordance with a determination that a second routing criteria have been met, the first electronic device causes call data associated with the call to be routed through the first electronic device to the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

generate for presentation on a display a user interface including a user interface object indicating that a phone call has been routed to a second electronic device;

while the user interface is presented on the display, receive a request to route the phone call to the first electronic device;

in response to the request, request call data associated with the phone call, wherein the instructions to cause the first electronic device to request the call data includes instructions to cause the call data to be routed through the second electronic device to the first electronic device, wherein the call data includes audio content of the call; and

after requesting the call data, present the phone call at the first electronic device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

after requesting the call data, instruct the second electronic device to stop playing audio associated with the phone call.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, while the phone call is presented at the first electronic device, the phone call is not presented at the second electronic device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions to cause the first electronic device to request the call data includes instructions to cause the device to:

send a request to a routing service to reroute the phone call from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

receive, from the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

receive, from a device coordination server that is in communication with the first electronic device and the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generate for presentation on the display an affordance for transferring the phone call back to the second electronic device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

detect selection of the affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the affordance, cause the phone call to be routed back to the second electronic device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the first electronic device to:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generate for presentation on the display an identifier of the second electronic device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are both associated with the same user identity.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are connected to the same network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is discoverable from the first electronic device using short-range communication radio.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed on a lock screen of the first electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed as a notification at the first electronic device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed in a phone call user interface on the first electronic device.

16. A method comprising:

at a first electronic device with one or more processors and memory;

generating for presentation on a display a user interface including a user interface object indicating that a phone call has been routed to a second electronic device;

while the user interface is presented on the display, receiving a request to route the phone call to the first electronic device;

in response to the request, requesting call data associated with the phone call, wherein requesting the call data includes causing the call data to be routed through the second electronic device to the first electronic device, wherein the call data includes audio content of the call; and

after requesting the call data, presenting the phone call at the first electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after requesting the call data, instructing the second electronic device to stop playing audio associated with the phone call.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, while the phone call is presented at the first electronic device, the phone call is not presented at the second electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein requesting the call data includes:

sending a request to a routing service to reroute the phone call from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from a device coordination server that is in communication with the first electronic device and the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generating for presentation on the display an affordance for transferring the phone call back to the second electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting selection of the affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the affordance, causing the phone call to be routed back to the second electronic device.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generating for presentation on the display an identifier of the second electronic device.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are both associated with the same user identity.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are connected to the same network.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is discoverable from the first electronic device using short-range communication radio.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed on a lock screen of the first electronic device.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed as a notification at the first electronic device.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed in a phone call user interface on the first electronic device.

31. A first electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the display and the memory, the processor configured to;

generate for presentation on the display a user interface including a user interface object indicating that a phone call has been routed to a second electronic device;

while the user interface is presented on the display, receive a request to route the phone call to the first electronic device;

in response to the request, request call data associated with the phone call, wherein requesting the call data includes causing the call data to be routed through the second electronic device to the first electronic device, wherein the call data includes audio content of the call; and

after requesting the call data, present the phone call at the first electronic device.

32. The electronic device of claim 31, the processor configured to:

after requesting the call data, instruct the second electronic device to stop playing audio associated with the phone call.

33. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein, while the phone call is presented at the first electronic device, the phone call is not presented at the second electronic device.

34. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein requesting the call data includes:

sending a request to a routing service to reroute the phone call from the second electronic device to the first electronic device.

35. The electronic device of claim 31, the processor configured to:

receive, from the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

36. The electronic device of claim 31, the processor configured to:

receive, from a device coordination server that is in communication with the first electronic device and the second electronic device, information that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on the information.

37. The electronic device of claim 31, the processor configured to:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generate for presentation on the display an affordance for transferring the phone call back to the second electronic device.

38. The electronic device of claim 37, the processor configured to:

detect selection of the affordance; and

in response to detecting selection of the affordance, cause the phone call to be routed back to the second electronic device.

39. The electronic device of claim 31, the processor configured to:

while presenting the phone call at the first electronic device, generate for presentation on the display an identifier of the second electronic device.

40. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are both associated with the same user identity.

41. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the first and second electronic devices are connected to the same network.

42. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object is generated in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is discoverable from the first electronic device using short-range communication radio.

43. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed on a lock screen of the first electronic device.

44. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed as a notification at the first electronic device.

45. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the user interface object indicating that the phone call has been routed to the second electronic device is displayed in a phone call user interface on the first electronic device.