Video call handling

• US 9,559,869 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehin, Afshin Frederick, Venza, Valentina, Howard, Suzanne Gibbs, van der Flier, Astrid, Oberwelz, Elger, Zambetti, Nicholas, Tane, Jesse, Gosling, Katrin B., Stafford, Coe Leta Rayne, Heaton, Martin Nicholas John, Adams, Matthew Robert, Riering-Czekalla, Peter, Switky, Andrew Paul, Gibson, Michael, Cerami, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, YOGESHKUMAR G
• Application Number:
  US12/981,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20110273526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 725/78, 725/80, 725/81
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Solutions for facilitating enhanced video calling functionality. Embodiments include functionality for handling video calling through a communications hub. According to some embodiments, the communications hub is a user supersystem having multiple clients, each with an integrated camera and display, capable of seamlessly handing off video call functionality among the clients. Other embodiments integrate other functionality of the communications hub (e.g., web browsing, multimedia, etc.) into the video call environment.

Claims

1. A communication system for facilitating enhanced communications, the system comprising:

a first computing device, at a subscriber premises and in communication with a service provider network and a local network, the first computing device participating in an external original voice call for a user of the first computing device over an external session initiation protocol (“

SIP”

) session, via the service provider network, with an external communication device outside the communication system; and

a second computing device, at the subscriber premises and in communication at least with the local network, the second computing device is configured to join the external original voice call between the first computing device and the external communication device via an internal SIP session with the first computing device over the local network;

wherein;

when the second computing device joins the particular external voice call, the first computing device, the second computing device, and the external communication device are participating in the external original voice call;

the first computing device is configured to provide communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device by bridging the internal SIP session with the external SIP such that the first computing device, the second computing device, and the external communication device are all participating in the external original voice call;

the first computing device that provides communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device leaves the voice call;

the second computing device automatically establishes a second external SIP session that is independent of and separate from the first external SIP session with the external communication device, such that the external original voice call continues between the second computing device and the external communication device, without continued participation of the first computing device that provided communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device; and

the first external SIP session between the first computing device and the external communication device terminates once the second external SIP session has been established between the second computing device and the external communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second computing devices are part of a supersystem for providing interactive communications services within the local network, the supersystem comprising:

a tablet system, comprising a first client subsystem of the local network and a first user interface module configured to provide interactivity with first communications services provided by the first client subsystem;

a handset system, comprising a second client subsystem of the local network and a second user interface module configured to provide interactivity with second communications services provided by the second client subsystem; and

a base station system, comprising;

a first interface subsystem configured to communicatively and removably couple the base station with the tablet system;

a second interface subsystem configured to communicatively and removably couple the base station with the handset system; and

a communications subsystem configured to communicatively couple the base station with the local area network such that at least a portion of the first and second communications services are provided via the base station.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communications subsystem provides communication connectivity between the first computing device and the service provider network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the tablet system comprises the first computing device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the handset system comprises the second computing device.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the handset system is a first handset system comprising the first computing device, and wherein the system further comprises a second handset device comprising the second computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the external communication session comprises a video call.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first computing device comprises a first camera and a first display screen;

the second computing device comprises a second camera and a second display screen;

the first display screen comprises a primary display area and a second display area, the primary display area displaying video received from the external communication device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the secondary display area displays video captured by the second camera and transmitted from the second computing device to the first computing device over the internal connection.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first computing device is configured to transmit, over the external communication session, video captured by the first camera.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second computing device is configured to capture video with the second camera and request transmission of the captured video to the external communication device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the service provider network comprises a gateway device providing connectivity between the communication system and the external communication device, the external communication session comprising a communication session between the first computing device and the gateway device; and

upon the second communication device requesting transmission of the captured video to the external communication device, the communication system is configured to terminate the communication session between the first computing device and the gateway device and establish a new communication session between the second computing device and the gateway device, such that the second computing device provides communication connectivity between the first computing device and the external communication device, through the gateway device, without terminating a connection between the gateway device and the external communication device.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:

receive user input indicating that the contents of the second display area should be displayed to a user of the external communication device; and

based on the user input, transmit the contents of the second display area as video for reception by the external communication device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second display area displays an application executing on the first computing device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first display screen is a touchscreen, and wherein the user input comprises dragging the contents of the second display area to the first display area.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the external communication session comprises a voice call, and wherein the first communication device is in voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) communication with a gateway device at the service provider network over the external session initiation protocol (“

SIP”

) session.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the external communication device comprises a plain old telephone system (“

POTS”

) telephone, and wherein the gateway device at the service provider network comprises a VoIP-to-POTS gateway.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice call comprises a video call.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computing device leaves the voice call through a SIP bye message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first computing device does not terminate the external communication session upon receipt of the SIP bye message from the second computing device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the internal SIP session is a first internal SIP session;

the communication system further comprises a third computing device configured to join the voice call through a second internal SIP session with the second computing device; and

the second computing device is configured to provide communication connectivity between the third computing device and the external communication device by bridging the first internal SIP session of the second device and the second internal SIP session of the third device.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable media having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by one or more computing devices to perform one or more operations for facilitating enhanced communications, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions for establishing, for a user of a first computing device, an original voice call over an external session initiation protocol (“

SIP”

) session between the first computing device, participating in the voice call, at a subscriber premises and an external communication device over a service provider network;

instructions for establishing an internal SIP session, over a local network, between a second computing device at the subscriber premises and the first communication device;

instructions for providing communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device through the first computing device, by bridging the internal SIP session with the external SIP session, to enable the second computing device to join the original voice call between the first computing device and the external communication device, wherein when the second computing device joins the particular external voice call, the first computing device, the second computing device, and the external communication device are participating in the external original voice call;

instructions for the first computing device that provides communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device to leave the voice call;

instructions for the second computing device to automatically establish a second external SIP session that is independent of and separate from the first external SIP session with the external communication device, such that the original voice call continues between the second computing device and the external communication device, without continued participation of the first computing device that provided communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication; and

instructions to terminate the first external SIP session between the first computing device and the external communication device once the second external SIP session has been established between the second computing device and the external communication device.

23. A method of facilitating enhanced communications, the method comprising:

establishing, for a user of a first computing device, an original voice call over an external session initiation protocol (“

SIP”

) session between the first computing device, participating in the voice call, at a subscriber premises and an external communication device over a service provider network;

establishing an internal SIP session, over a local network, between a second computing device at the subscriber premises and the first communication device;

providing communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device through the first computing device, by bridging the internal SIP session with the external SIP session at the first computing device, to enable the second computing device to join the voice call, wherein when the second computing device joins the particular external voice call, the first computing device, the second computing device, and the external communication device are participating in the external original voice call;

the first communication device that provides communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication device leaving the call;

automatically establishing a second external SIP session that is independent of and separate from the first external SIP session between the second computing device and the external communication device, such that the voice call continues between the second computing device and the external communication device, without continued participation of the first computing device that provided communication connectivity between the second computing device and the external communication; and

terminating the first external SIP session between the first computing device and the external communication device once the second external SIP session has been established between the second computing device and the external communication device.