Method, device and system for establishing communications with multiple communication devices

• US 20040203977A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• 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 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

A method, device and system for establishing communications with multiple communication devices are disclosed. The method includes selecting a multiparty call group from a storage device or forming a multiparty call group. The multiparty call group may include contact information for each communication device in the multiparty call group. The method may also includes establishing communications with each communication device in the multiparty call group.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communications with multiple communication devices, comprising:

selecting a multiparty call group from a storage device or forming a multiparty call group, wherein the multiparty call group includes contact information for each communication device in the multiparty call group; and

establishing communications with each communication device in the multiparty call group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communications with each communication device comprises establishing a conference call.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the conference call comprises serially dialing a phone number for each communication device of the multiparty call group in response to a user selecting a multiparty call feature.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the conference call comprises transmitting the contact information for each communication device of the multiparty call group to a mobile switching center, wherein the mobile switching center establishes the conference call with each communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communications with each communication device comprises transmitting a voice message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the voice message comprises:

storing the voice message in a mobile station; and

transmitting the voice message to each communication device of the multiparty call group from the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the voice message comprises:

storing the voice message in a storage device associated with a mobile switching center; and

distributing the voice message from the mobile switching center to each communication device of the multiparty call group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communications with each communication device comprises:

entering a text message in a mobile station; and

transmitting the text message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the text message comprises sending the text message to a short message center for distribution to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the text message comprises sending the text message via an Internet connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the text message comprises:

storing the text message in a mobile station; and

transmitting the text message from the mobile station to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a multiparty call group comprises one of entering a multiparty call group identifier or scrolling through a list of multiparty call groups.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a multiparty call group comprises selecting contact information stored in a communication device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a multiparty call group comprises entering contact information from a keypad or by voice recognition into a communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a multiparty call group comprises:

entering contact information for at least one multiparty call group member from a keypad or by voice recognition into a communication device; and

selecting contact information for at least one multiparty call group member from contact information stored in the communication device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the multiparty call group comprises:

entering contact information for each communication device in the multiparty call group;

entering an identifier associated with the multiparty call group; and

storing the multiparty call group and the associated identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the multiparty call group and associated identifier in a mobile station.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the multiparty call group and associated identifier in a storage device associated with a mobile switching center.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the multiparty call group and associated identifier in a subscriber identity module (SIM).

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a capability for editing the multiparty call group.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the capability for editing the multiparty call group comprises:

displaying contact information and an associated identifier for each communication device of the multiparty call group for selection by a user; and

deleting or editing the contact information and associated identifier selected by the user.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding contact information corresponding to at least one communication device outside of the multiparty call group for communication with the at least one communication device outside of the multiparty call group and the multiparty call group.

23. A method for establishing communications with multiple communication devices, comprising:

providing a multiparty call feature for selection by a user; and

presenting an option for the user to select any stored multiparty call group or to form a multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the multiparty call feature.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising forming the multiparty call group by at least one of selecting any stored contact information or entering contact information into a communication device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein presenting the option to the user to select any stored multiparty call group comprises prompting the user to enter an identifier associated with any stored multiparty call group.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein presenting the option to the user to select any stored multiparty call group comprises presenting a list of any stored multiparty call groups for selection by the user.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising permitting the user to communicate with any communication devices having contact information in the multiparty call group by establishing a conference call, transmitting a voice message or transmitting a text message.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising establishing a conference call between a mobile station and each communication device having contact information in the multiparty call group.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein establishing a conference call comprises serially dialing a phone number for each communication device in the multiparty call group by the mobile station.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein establishing a conference call comprises transmitting contact information for each communication device of the multiparty call group to a mobile switching center from the mobile station, wherein the mobile switching center establishes the conference call between the mobile station and each communication device in the multiparty call group.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting a voice message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein transmitting the voice message comprises:

storing the voice message in a storage device associated with the mobile station; and

transmitting the voice message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein transmitting the voice message comprises:

storing the voice message in a storage device associated with a mobile switching center; and

distributing the voice message from the mobile switching center to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting a text message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein transmitting the text message comprises:

entering the text message into the mobile station; and

transmitting the text message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein transmitting the text message comprises sending the message to a short message center.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein transmitting the text message comprises:

storing the text message in the mobile station; and

transmitting the text message from the mobile station to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising forming the multiparty call group by at least one of selecting any stored contact information or entering contact information into a communication device, wherein entering the contact information includes at least one of entering the contact information by a keypad or by voice recognition.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

permitting the user to enter an identifier associated with the multiparty call group; and

permitting the user to store the multiparty call group and the associated identifier.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the multiparty call group is stored in the mobile station.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the multiparty call group is stored in a storage device associated with a mobile switching center.

42. The method of claim 23, further comprising permitting the user to simultaneously communicate with each communication device in the multiparty call group and with at least one communication device not in the multiparty call group.

43. A device for establishing communications with multiple communication devices, comprising:

a multiparty call feature;

a display to present the multiparty call feature to a user for selection;

a storage device to store any multiparty call groups for selection by the user;

a transmitter to communicate with members of a multiparty call group.

44. The device of claim 43, further comprising at least one multiparty call group, wherein the multiparty call group is formed by at least one of selecting stored contact information or by entering contact information into the device.

45. The device of claim 44, further comprising a set of function buttons to form the at least one multiparty call group.

46. The device of claim 44, further comprising a keypad to enter contact information and identifiers to form the at least one multiparty call group.

47. The device of claim 43, wherein the storage device comprises a subscriber identity module to store the multiparty call groups.

48. The device of claim 43, wherein the multiparty call feature presents an option to the user to select a stored multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the multiparty call feature.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein the multiparty call feature prompts the user to enter an identifier associated with any stored multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the option.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein the multiparty call feature presents a list of any stored multiparty call groups for selection by the user in response to the user selecting the option.

51. The device of claim 43, wherein the multiparty call feature permits the user to communicate with the multiparty call group by at least one of establishing a conference call, transmitting a voice message or transmitting a text message.

52. The device of claim 51, wherein the device comprises a processor adapted to cause serial dialing of a phone number associated with each member of the multiparty call group to establish the conference call.

53. The device of claim 51, wherein the transmitter transmits contact information associated with each member of the multiparty call group to a mobile switching center, wherein the mobile switching center establishes the conference call.

54. A system for establishing communications with multiple communication devices, comprising:

at least one base station to communicate with at least one communication device;

a mobile switching center to communicate with the at least one base station; and

a multiparty call feature to permit a user of the at least one communication device to communicate with multiple other communication devices in a multiparty call group by selecting the multiparty call feature.

55. The system of claim 54, further comprising at least one multiparty call group, wherein the multiparty call group is formed by at least one of selecting contact information from a storage device or entering contact information into the at least one communication device by the user.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein the multiparty call feature presents an option to the user to select any stored multiparty call group or to form a multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the multiparty call feature.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the multiparty call feature prompts the user to enter an identifier associated with any stored multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the option.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the multiparty call feature presents a list of any stored multiparty call groups for selection by the user in response to the user selecting the option.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the multiparty call feature permits the user to communicate with each communication device in the multiparty call group by establishing a conference call, transmitting a voice message or transmitting a text message.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a processor adapted to cause serial dialing of a phone number associated with each communication device in the multiparty call group to establish the conference call.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a transmitter to transmit contact information for each communication device in the multiparty call group to the mobile switching center, wherein the mobile switching center establishes communication with each communication device in the multiparty call group.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the at least one communication device comprises:

a storage device to store the voice message; and

a transmitter to transmit the voice message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein the mobile switching center comprises a storage device to store the voice message and the mobile switching center transmits the voice message to each communication device in the multiparty call group.

64. The system of claim 59, wherein the at least one communication device comprises:

a keypad to enter the text message; and

a transmitter to communicate the text message.

65. The system of claim 59, further comprising a short message center to store the text message.

66. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising:

providing a multiparty call feature for selection by a user; and

presenting an option for the user to select any stored multiparty call group or to form a multiparty call group in response to the user selecting the multiparty call feature.

67. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 66, wherein presenting the option to the user to select any stored multiparty call group comprises prompting the user to enter an identifier associated with any stored multiparty call group.

68. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 66, wherein presenting the option to the user to select any stored multiparty call group comprises presenting a list of any stored multiparty call groups for selection by the user.

69. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 66, further comprising permitting the user to communicate with communication devices having contact information in the multiparty call group by establishing a conference call, transmitting a voice message or transmitting a text message.

70. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 69, wherein establishing a conference call comprises serially dialing a phone number for each communication device in the multiparty call group by a mobile station.

71. The computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 69, wherein establishing a conference call comprises transmitting contact information for each communication device in the multiparty call group to a mobile switching center from a mobile station, wherein the mobile switching center establishes the conference call between the mobile station and each communication device in the multiparty call group.