Method, system and apparatus for causing a communication client to join a media-over-packet communication session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11356487-B2
Application number	US-201916545643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2006
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, system and apparatus for causing a communication client to join a media-over-packet communication session. The method comprises receiving from a communication client an indication indicative of a desire of the communication client to establish a communication session, the communication client being registered in association with a user account. The method further comprises determining if there exists at least one active communication session established with at least one other communication client registered in association with the user account. Responsive to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session, the method further comprises causing the communication client to join at least one of the at least one active communication session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented in a network element comprising:
receiving from a communication client a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message indicative of a desire of said communication client to establish a communication session, said communication client being registered in association with a user account;
determining if there exists at least one active communication session in progress with at least one other communication client registered in association with said user account;
soliciting from a participant of said at least one active communication session an indication of permission for said communication client to join said at least one active communication session, wherein said soliciting comprises at least one of:
soliciting said indication via said at least one active communication session;
transmitting an instant message to solicit said indication;
sending a short text message to solicit said indication; and
sending an electronic message to solicit said indication; and

causing said communication client to join at least one of said at least one active communication session when it is determined that there does exist at least one active communication session, wherein said causing said communication client to join at least one of said at least one active communication session is executed only in response to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session and receiving said indication of permission.

2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein said receiving an indication from a communication client comprises detecting an off-hook condition.

3. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert to said at least one other communication client via said at least one active communication session.

4. The method defined in claim 3 , wherein said alert comprises at least one of a visual alert, an audio alert and a tactile alert.

5. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising providing an alert to said at least one other communication client by executing at least one of:
conveying said alert via said at least one active communication session;
conveying said alert via an instant messaging application;
conveying said alert by transmitting an electronic message;
conveying said alert by presenting a pop up window.

6. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session and prior to said causing:
soliciting from said communication client a disposition instruction, said disposition instruction indicative of how to handle said communication session.

7. The method defined in claim 6 , wherein said disposition instruction is indicative of one of:
handling said communication session by causing said communication client to join said at least one active communication session;
handling said communication session by allowing said communication client to establish a new communication session.

8. The method defined in claim 7 , wherein said causing is executed only in response to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session and receipt of said disposition instruction indicative of handling said communication session by joining said at least one communication session.

9. A network element connectable to at least one communication client via a communication network, the network element configured to:
receive from a communication client a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message indicative of a desire of said communication client to establish a communication session, said communication client being registered in association with a user account;
determine if there exists at least one active communication session in progress with at least one other communication client registered in association with the user account; and
solicit from a participant of said at least one active communication session an indication of permission for said at least one communication client to join said at least one active communication session, wherein said soliciting comprises at least one of:
soliciting said indication via said at least one active communication session;
transmitting an instant message to solicit said indication;
sending a short text message to solicit said indication; and
sending an electronic message to solicit said indication; and

cause said communication client to join said at least one of said at least one active communication session in response to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session, wherein said causing said communication client to join at least one of said at least one active communication session is executed only in response to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session and receiving said indication of permission.

10. The network element defined in claim 9 , wherein said SIP message received from the communication client is indicative an off-hook condition.

11. The network element defined in claim 9 , wherein said network element is further operable to provide an alert to said at least one other communication client via said at least one active communication session.

12. The network element defined in claim 11 , wherein said alert comprises at least one of a visual alert, an audio alert and a tactile alert.

13. The network element defined in claim 9 , wherein said network element is further operable to provide an alert to said at least one other communication client by executing at least one of:
conveying said alert via said at least one active communication session;
conveying said alert via an instant messaging application;
conveying said alert by transmitting an electronic message;
conveying said alert by presenting a pop up window.

14. The network element defined in claim 9 , wherein said network element is further operable to, responsive to the determination that there does exist at least one active communication session and prior to causing said at least one communication client to join said at least one active communication session:
solicit from said at least one communication client a disposition instruction, said disposition instruction indicative of how to handle said communication session.

15. The network element defined in claim 14 , wherein based on said disposition instruction, said network element is operable to execute one of:
handling said communication session by causing said at least one communication client to join said at least one active communication session;
handling said communication session by allowing said at least one communication client to establish a new communication session.

16. The network element defined in claim 14 , wherein said network element causes said at least one communication client to join said at least one active communication session only in response to determining that there does exist at least one active communication session and receipt of said disposition instruction being an instruction for handling said communication session by causing said at least one communication client to join said at least one communication session.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable program code which, when executed by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus:
to receive from said at last one communication client a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message of a desire of said at least one communication client to establish a communication session via said communication network, said at least one communication client bein

Assignees

• Bce Inc

Inventors

• Clark David William
• Wolf Eric John
• Dawson Jeffrey William
• Arsenault Jonathan Allan

Classifications

• H04M1/715

  using two or more extensions per line (cordless telephones H04M1/725) · CPC title

• H04M1/2535

  adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16) · CPC title

• H04L65/1093

  by adding participants; by removing participants · CPC title

• H04L67/14

  Session management (for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066) · CPC title

• H04L65/1104

  Session initiation protocol [SIP] · CPC title