Multi-device call notification silencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10798239-B2
Application number	US-201916285136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2019
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A connection manager manages connections for associated user devices by determining whether an incoming connection has been answered at a user device, and if so then generating and transmitting silencing commands to associated user devices using first and second wireless communication modes, with one mode being faster. Connections can comprise phone calls, and modes can comprise push and Bluetooth® messaging. The connection manager can instruct device outputs to provide connection alerts, limited to visual alerts when an associated user device is active, listen for associated user device communications, and instruct device outputs to stop providing alerts when a silencing command is received. Further, a connection manager can receive a signal regarding a headset status, route an outside connection from a phone to the headset when the headset is active or to another device when the headset is not active, detect a change in headset status, and reroute the connection accordingly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing connections performed by a server, the method comprising:
by the server:
receiving, from an external network, a notification indicating an incoming connection for a set of two or more associated user devices adapted to answer the incoming connection;
sending, to the set of two or more associated user devices, a notification of the incoming connection;
listening for communication from the set of two or more associated user devices;
receiving, from a first user device of the set of two or more associated user devices, an indication answering the incoming connection;
relaying the incoming connection to the first user device responsive to receipt of the indication answering the incoming connection; and
sending, to each user device of the set of two or more associated user devices other than the first user device via a first mode of communication, a push message comprising an indication that the incoming connection was answered,
wherein:
each of the two or more associated user devices are associated with a common user account, and
the first user device sends to at least one other associated user device a silencing command via a second mode of communication.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the two or more associated user devices are registered with the common user account at the server.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered causes the two or more associated user devices to determine not to issue any further alerts for the incoming connection.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the push message includes an explicit silencing command.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered is interpreted as an implicit silencing command by the two or more associated user devices.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered informs the two or more associated user devices that the first user device answered the incoming connection.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the first mode of communication comprises a non-cellular wireless local area network; and
the second mode of communication comprises a non-cellular personal area network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
by the server:
establishing a connection with the external network for the incoming connection before relaying the incoming connection to the first user device.

9. An apparatus configurable for operation in a server, the apparatus comprising:
a processor communicatively coupled to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to perform actions including:
receiving, from an external network, a notification indicating an incoming connection for a set of two or more associated user devices adapted to answer the incoming connection;
sending, to the set of two or more associated user devices, a notification of the incoming connection;
listening for communication from the set of two or more associated user devices;
receiving, from a first user device of the set of two or more associated user devices, an indication answering the incoming connection;
relaying the incoming connection to the first user device responsive to receipt of the indication answering the incoming connection; and
sending, to each user device of the set of two or more associated user devices other than the first user device via a first mode of communication, a push message comprising an indication that the incoming connection was answered,
wherein:
each of the two or more associated user devices are associated with a common user account, and
the first user device sends to at least one other associated user device a silencing command via a second mode of communication.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the two or more associated user devices are registered with the common user account at the server.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered causes the two or more associated user devices to determine not to issue any further alerts for the incoming connection.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the push message includes an explicit silencing command.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered is interpreted as an implicit silencing command by the two or more associated user devices.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered informs the two or more associated user devices that the first user device answered the incoming connection.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the server to:
establish a connection with the external network for the incoming connection before relaying the incoming connection to the first user device.

16. A server for managing connections for a set of two or more associated user devices, the server comprising:
a transceiver for wireless configurable for communication with the set of two or more associated user devices; and
processing circuitry, including a processor and a memory storing instructions, communicatively coupled to the transceiver,
wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the server to perform actions including:
receiving, from an external network, a notification indicating an incoming connection for the set of two or more associated user devices adapted to answer the incoming connection;
sending, to the set of two or more associated user devices, a notification of the incoming connection;
listening for communication from the set of two or more associated user devices;
receiving, from a first user device of the set of two or more associated user devices, an indication answering the incoming connection;
relaying the incoming connection to the first user device responsive to receipt of the indication answering the incoming connection; and
sending, to each user device of the set of two or more associated user devices other than the first user device via a first mode of communication, a push message comprising an indication that the incoming connection was answered,

wherein:
each of the two or more associated user devices are associated with a common user account, and
the first user device sends to at least one other associated user device a silencing command via a second mode of communication.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the first mode of communication comprises a non-cellular wireless local area network; and
the second mode of communication comprises a non-cellular personal area network.

18. The server as recited in claim 16 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered causes the two or more associated user devices to determine not to issue any further alerts for the incoming connection.

19. The server as recited in claim 16 , wherein the indication that the incoming connection was answered informs the two or more associated user devices that the first user device answered the incoming connection.

20. The server as recited in claim 16 , wherein:
the first mode of communication comprises a non-cellular wireless local area network; and
the second mode of communication comprises a non-cellular personal area network.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rauenbuehler Keith W
• Fraioli Nicholas M
• Linn Christopher S
• Iarocci John J
• Stattenfield Keith

Classifications

• H04L67/55 Primary

  Push-based network services · CPC title

• H04W68/02

  Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel · CPC title

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title

• H04M3/42263

  where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism · CPC title

• H04M3/543

  Call deflection · CPC title