Method and apparatus for integrating wearable devices within a SIP infrastructure

• US 20060026288A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar, Acharya, Arup, Berger, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a session initiation protocol (SIP) infrastructure containing various user devices and the use of this infrastructure to conduct media exchange sessions among the various user devices. Included in the user devices are wearable devices, for example pendants and wrist watches, that provide readily available and accessible devices for use in controlling the media exchange sessions. SIP permits the separation of the control aspects of a session from the actual media exchange aspects to facilitate the use of wearable devices having limited processing resources as control devices. The actual media exchange is directed to user devices suitable for sending, receiving and displaying the exchanged media.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a media exchange session between a first user and one or more second users, the method comprising:

identifying a portable control device located proximate the first user;

controlling the media exchange session using the portable control device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable control device comprises a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, a watch, a pendant, a bracelet, a badge, a necklace, a ring, an armband or eye glasses.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange comprises using session initial protocol to control the media exchange session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session comprises:

identifying a first media device located proximate the first user, the first media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying media exchanged during the media exchange session;

identifying a second media device located proximate the second user, the second media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchanged during the media exchange session; and

establishing a media exchange path between the first media device and the second media device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session further comprises:

maintaining control of the media exchange session with the portable control device;

identifying an alternate media device located proximate the first user, the alternate media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchange during the media exchange session; and

transferring the media exchange path from the first media device and the alternate media device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session comprises:

establishing control over the media exchange session, the media exchange session comprising a media exchange path between a first media device located proximate the first user and a second media device located proximate the second user;

identifying an alternate media device located proximate the first user, the alternate media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchanged during the media exchange session; and

transferring the media exchange path from the first media device and the alternate media device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying the alternate media device comprises identifying a portable media device.

8. The method of clam 1, further comprising:

receiving an invitation on the portable control device from the second user to join the media exchange session; and

processing the invitation by selecting one of a plurality of pre-defined action items stored and displayed on the portable control device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predefined processes comprise identifying a device proximate the first user to participate in the media exchange session, holding the invitation for a specified period of time or transferring the invitation to another device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the media exchange session comprises an interactive text messaging exchange and the step of processing the invitation comprises:

selecting a pre-defined action for joining the interactive text messaging exchange;

using the portable control device as a first media device to exchange text messages; and

exchanging the text messages between the first media device and a second media device located proximate the second user.

11. A computer readable medium containing a computer executable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for conducting a media exchange session between a first user and one or more second users, the method comprising:

identifying a portable control device located proximate the first user;

controlling the media exchange session using the portable control device.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the portable control device comprises a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, a watch, a pendant, a bracelet, a badge, a necklace, a ring, an armband or eye glasses.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange comprises using session initial protocol to control the media exchange session.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session comprises:

identifying a first media device located proximate the first user, the first media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying media exchanged during the media exchange session;

identifying a second media device located proximate the second user, the second media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchanged during the media exchange session; and

establishing a media exchange path between the first media device and the second media device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session further comprises:

maintaining control of the media exchange session with the portable control device;

identifying an alternate media device located proximate the first user, the alternate media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchange during the media exchange session; and

transferring the media exchange path from the first media device and the alternate media device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the media exchange session comprises:

establishing control over the media exchange session, the media exchange session comprising a media exchange path between a first media device located proximate the first user and a second media device located proximate the second user;

identifying an alternate media device located proximate the first user, the alternate media device capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchanged during the media exchange session; and

transferring the media exchange path from the first media device and the alternate media device.

17. The computer readable medium of clam 11, further comprising:

receiving an invitation on the portable control device from the second user to join the media exchange session; and

processing the invitation by selecting one of a plurality of pre-defined action items stored and displayed on the portable control device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the media exchange session comprises an interactive text messaging exchange and the step of processing the invitation comprises:

selecting a pre-defined action for joining the interactive text messaging exchange;

using the portable control device as a first media device to exchange text messages; and

exchanging the text messages between the first media device and a second media device located proximate the second user.

19. A system for use in conducting a media exchange session between a first user and one or more second users, the system comprising:

a portable control device disposed at the first user and capable of controlling the media exchange session;

a first media device disposed proximate the first user and capable of sending, receiving and displaying media exchanged during the media exchange session;

a second media device disposed proximate the second user and capable of sending, receiving and displaying the media exchanged during the media exchange session; and

at least one proxy server in communication with the portable control device, the first media device and the second media device and capable of facilitating control of the media exchange session.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the proxy server is a session initiation protocol proxy server.