Broker service apparatus for controlling a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399263-B2
Application number	US-202016819685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus. In response to a first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus, it is ascertained that a second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus. A first control signal was received, prior to ascertaining that the second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus, by the broker service apparatus from a telephony service. The first control signal includes a first unique identifier and data targeted to the first mobile device. In response to the ascertaining, a second control signal is issued to the second mobile device in order to forward the data to the second mobile device. The second control signal includes an identifier of the first mobile device. The second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device to forward the data to the first mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, said method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors of a broker service apparatus from a telephony service, a first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data targeted to a first mobile device;
ascertaining, by the one or more processors in response to the first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus, that a second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus that stores a list of mobile devices assigned to a first group of mobile devices comprising the first mobile device and the second mobile device, said received first unique identifier having been used by the one or more processors of the broker service apparatus to determine the first group and that the second mobile device is assigned to the first group; and
issuing, by the one or more processors in response to said ascertaining, a second control signal to the second mobile device to forward the data to the second mobile device, said second control signal comprising an identifier of the first mobile device,
wherein the second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device in order to forward the data to the first mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are trusted.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are configured to use the first unique identifier as a call forwarding number.

4. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, that the data is targeted to the first mobile device by at least one of: inspecting a store detailing one or more mobile devices which are disconnected from the broker service; and inspecting a communication header.

5. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:
responsive to a plurality of mobile devices being connected to the broker service apparatus, selecting, by the one or more processors, an optimal path between the first and second mobile devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:
responsive to the second mobile device being connected to the broker service apparatus, forwarding, by the one or more processors, a call placement request to the second mobile device using the network connection, wherein the second mobile device is responsively configured to forward the call placement request to the broker service apparatus.

7. A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by one or more processors of a broker service apparatus to implement a method, said method comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors from a telephony service, a first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data targeted to a first mobile device;
ascertaining, by the one or more processors in response to the first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus, that a second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus that stores a list of mobile devices assigned to a first group of mobile devices comprising the first mobile device and the second mobile device, said first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data targeted to the first mobile device, said received first unique identifier having been used by the one or more processors of the broker service apparatus to determine the first group and that the second mobile device is assigned to the first group; and
issuing, by the one or more processors in response to said ascertaining, a second control signal to the second mobile device to forward the data to the second mobile device, said second control signal comprising an identifier of the first mobile device,
wherein the second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device in order to forward the data to the first mobile device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are trusted.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are configured to use the first unique identifier as a call forwarding number.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , said method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, that the data is targeted to the first mobile device by at least one of: inspecting a store detailing one or more mobile devices which are disconnected from the broker service; and inspecting a communication header.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , said method further comprising:
responsive to a plurality of mobile devices being connected to the broker service apparatus, selecting, by the one or more processors, an optimal path between the first and second mobile devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , said method further comprising:
responsive to the second mobile device being connected to the broker service apparatus, forwarding, by the one or more processors, a call placement request to the second mobile device using the network connection, wherein the second mobile device is responsively configured to forward the call placement request to the broker service apparatus.

13. A broker service apparatus, comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage device containing program code executable by the one or more processors via the one or more memories to implement a method, said method comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors from a telephony service, a first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data targeted to a first mobile device;
ascertaining, by the one or more processors in response to the first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus, that a second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus that stores a list of mobile devices assigned to a first group of mobile devices comprising the first mobile device and the second mobile device, said received first unique identifier having been used by the one or more processors of the broker service apparatus to determine the first group and that the second mobile device is assigned to the first group; and
issuing, by the one or more processors in response to said ascertaining, a second control signal to the second mobile device to forward the data to the second mobile device, said second control signal comprising an identifier of the first mobile device, wherein the second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device in order to forward the data to the first mobile device.

14. The broker service apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are trusted.

15. The broker service apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are configured to use the first unique identifier as a call forwarding number.

16. The broker service apparatus of claim 13 , said method further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, that the data is targeted to the first mobile device by at least one of: inspecting a store detailing one or more mobile devices which are disconnected from the broker service; and inspecting a communication header.

17. The broker service apparatus of clai

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hunt Hamish C
• Lincoln Nicholas K
• Poole Christopher J
• Woolley Mark A

Classifications

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · 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

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title

• H04W4/16 Primary

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

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title