Network service for dynamic selection of voice communication medium for call connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10887465-B2
Application number	US-201815980259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A network computer system can respond to a call connection signal by making a determination as to whether the call connection is likely to be supported for at least one of the caller or receiver using a first voice communication medium, as compared to an alternative voice communication medium. Based on the determination, the network computer system can cause the call connection to be established using the voice communication medium of the determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system comprising:
a memory component to store a set of instructions;
one or more processors to access the set of instructions to:
enable a caller device to initiate a call connection to a receiver device without the caller device specifying a phone number for the receiver device;
detect, from the caller device, a call connection signal to establish the call connection between the caller device and the receiver device;
determine a location of at least one of the caller device or the receiver device;
make a determination as to whether the call connection is likely to be supported using a first voice communication medium as compared to one or more alternative types of voice communication mediums, the determination being based at least in part on a predictive determination that identifies likely locations of the caller device and/or the receiver device at a future time interval during which the call connection is expected to be active;
in response to making the determination that the call connection is likely to be supported using the first voice communication medium, cause the call connection to be established using the first voice communication medium; and
in response to making the determination that the call connection is not likely to be supported using the first voice communication medium, provide call control information to the caller device to cause the caller device to use the one or more alternative types of voice communication mediums to initiate the call connection, wherein the call control information specifies the phone number of the receiver device.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first voice communication medium is supported by a first type of wireless network that is deployed in a geographic region of at least one of the caller device or the receiver device, and wherein the one or more processors make the determination by determining a coverage value of the first type of wireless network over a sub-region that includes the determined location of at least one of the caller device or the receiver device.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the first voice communication medium utilizes a first type of cellular network, and wherein the one or more alternative types of voice communication mediums use an alternative type of cellular network.

4. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the first voice communication medium utilizes a first type of voice communication protocol, and wherein the one or more alternative types of communication mediums utilize a corresponding alternative communication protocol.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors determine the likely locations of the caller device and/or the receiver device by predicting a duration of the call connection using profile information associated with one of the caller device or the receiver device.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors detect the call connection signal on a network computer, in connection with a network service provided for at least one of a user of the caller device or a user of the receiver device.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors detect the call connection signal as generated through a service application that executes on the caller device, to utilize the network service separate from a native phone application that also executes on the call device.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein in response to the one or more processors making the determination that the call connection is likely to be supported using the first voice communication medium, the one or more processors access the set of instructions to establish the call connection using a respective service application executing on each of the caller device and the receiver device.

9. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first voice communication medium utilizes a voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP).

10. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first voice communication medium is, as compared to the one or more alternative type of communication mediums, characterized by at least one of a lower cost, a better quality of call connection, a higher data transfer rate, or a greater number of calling features.

11. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors make the determination that the call connection is likely to be supported using the first voice communication medium by determining a probability of the call connection being sustained for a given duration.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors determine the probability of the call connection being sustained by determining a probability of a location of the receiver device during the given duration.

13. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors cause the call connection to be established during a handshake process that is initiated after the call connection signal is detected.

14. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors access the set of instructions to:
in response to making based on the determination that the call connection is likely to be supported using the first voice communication medium, establish the call connection between the caller device and the receiver device using the first voice communication medium without providing the caller device with the phone number for the receiver device.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the caller device includes a service application that communications with the computer system to establish the call connection, the service application being different than a telephony application which of each of the caller device; and
wherein in response to making the determination that the call connection is not likely be supported using the first voice communication medium, the one or more processors to provide the call control information to the caller device to cause the telephony application of the caller device to initiate the call connection.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the call control information causes the telephony application of the caller device to use an alternative default communication medium to initiate the call connection.

17. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors determine the likely locations of the caller device and/or the receiver device based on a planned route or trajectory associated with the caller device or the receiver device.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the planned route or trajectory is determined from service request data for a service request being fulfilled by a user of the caller device or the receiver device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network computer system, cause the one or more processors to:
enable a caller device to initiate a call connection to a receiver device without the caller device specifying a phone number for the receiver device;
detect, from the caller device, a call connection signal to establish the call connection between the caller device and the receiver device;
determine a location of at least one of the caller device or the receiver device;
make a determination as to whether the call connection is likely to be supported using a first voice communication medium as compared to one or more alternative types of voice communication mediums, the determination being based at least in part on a predictive determination t

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Goldstein Lawrence Benjamin
• Vora Arjun
• Yang Xiaochao
• Lermitte Jeremy Wyatt

Classifications

• H04M3/42102 Primary

  Making use of the called party identifier · CPC title

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04M3/56 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities (video conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04M2242/30

  Determination of the location of a subscriber · CPC title

• H04M2242/24

  Detection or indication of type terminal or call, (e.g. fax, broadband) · CPC title