Constraint based communication sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10652286-B1
Application number	US-201615374907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus that enable constraint based communications between two or more devices. For example, a first user of a first device may submit a communication request to establish a communication session with a second user and provide a constraint for that communication session, such as a time-limit (e.g., limit the communication session to five minutes). In such an example, if the second user accepts the communication request with the constraint, a communication session is established and the system monitors the communication session to determine when a condition corresponding to the constraint has been satisfied. When the condition is satisfied, the communication session is terminated by the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, at a communication service and from a first device associated with a first user, a communication request, wherein the communication service is remote from the first device;
processing, at the communication service, the communication request to determine at least:
a second device associated with a second user to be included in a communication session with the first device, wherein the communication service is remote from the second device; and
a constraint for the communication session, the constraint indicating a time duration for the communication session;
sending, from the communication service, an invitation to the second device, the invitation including an indication of a source of the communication request and an indication of the constraint;
causing, with the communication service, a communication session between the first device and the second device to be established;
sending, from the communication service and to at least one of the first device, the second device, or a third device that is different than the first device and the second device and not included in the communication session, a notification corresponding to the constraint indicating an amount of time remaining in the communication session between the first device and the second device;
determining, at the communication service, that a duration of the communication session satisfies the time duration; and
in response to determining that the time duration has been satisfied, terminating, by the communication service, the communication session between the first device and the second device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from at least one of the first device, the second device, or the third device, and during the communication session, a constraint modification request, the constraint modification request indicating a second time duration for the communication session;
determining, based at least in part on a source of the constraint modification request, that the constraint is to be modified; and
modifying the constraint based at least in part on the second time duration.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein modifying the constraint includes one or more of:
adding the second time duration to the time duration;
deducting the second time duration from the time duration;
replacing the time duration with the second time duration; or
adding a difference between the time duration and the second time duration to the time duration.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, during the communication session, a constraint modification request, the constraint modification request indicating a second time duration for the communication session;
determining, based at least in part on a source of the constraint modification request, that the constraint modification request was not received from a device associated with a constraint owner;
sending to the device associated with the constraint owner, the constraint modification request;
receiving from the device associated with the constraint owner, a constraint modification request acceptance; and
modifying the constraint to include the second time duration.

5. A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, at a communication service and from a first device associated with a first user, a communication request for a communication session and a constraint for the communication session, the constraint indicating a time duration for the communication session, wherein the communication service is remote from the first device;
send, from the communication service, an invitation to a second device associated with a second user, the invitation including an indication of a source of the communication request and an indication of the constraint, wherein the communication service is remote from the second device;
cause, with the communication service, the communication session to be established between the first device and the second device;
determine, at the communication service, that a condition related to the constraint has been satisfied;
send, from the communication service and to at least one of the first device, the second device, or a third device that is different than the first device and the second device and not included in the communication session, a notification corresponding to the constraint;
determine, at the communication service, that a duration of the communication session satisfies the time duration; and
in response to the determination that the duration has been satisfied, terminating, by the communication service, the communication session between the first device and the second device.

6. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the notification causes the first device, the second device, or the third device to generate an output corresponding to the notification.

7. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
cause a post communication action to be performed.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the post communication action is at least one of establishing a second communication session, sending a text message, sending a voice message, sending a video message, creating a meeting request, receiving a text message, receiving a voice message, receiving a video message, storing a text message, storing a voice message, storing a video message, storing a recording of the communication session, generating an action, purchasing an item, calendaring an event, incrementing a communication session count, or sending content to a third device.

9. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
determine, at the communication service, a message to include in the notification sent to at least one of the first device or the second device, wherein the message is determined based at least in part on one or more of the communication session, a user input, a user profile, or a post communication action.

10. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
send, during the communication session and from the communication service, a second notification corresponding to the constraint to at least one of the first device or the second device.

11. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to at least:
send, during the communication session and from the communication service, a second notification indicating that the constraint may be modified during the communication session.

12. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the communication request is determined based at least in part on verbal information received by the first device.

13. The computing system of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions that cause the one or more processors to send to at least one of the first device, the second device, or the third device, the notification, further cause the one or more processors to at least:
send, from the communication service and to the first device, a first notification corresponding to the constraint; and
send, from the communication service and to the second device, a second notification corresponding to the constraint, wherein the second notificat

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• George Michael Martin
• Renz Maria Christine
• Bezos Jeffrey P
• Hart Gregory Michael
• Prasad Rohit
• Oliver Brian
• Park Jae Pum

Classifications

• H04L67/303

  Terminal profiles · CPC title

• H04L65/1069 Primary

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L67/143

  Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04L51/10

  Multimedia information · CPC title