Joining ongoing communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12388904-B2
Application number	US-202217879375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2022
Priority date	Jul 29, 2009
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A user device may join an ongoing communication of another user device by sending a request to the other user device to join the ongoing communication. The other user device may provide an option for the user of the other device to accept the request. Alternatively, the other user device may automatically add the user device to the ongoing communication or decline to the add the user device to the ongoing communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
causing, by a first device and based on the first device and a second device being connected to a same network, output of an option to join an ongoing communication between the second device and a third device;
receiving, by the first device, user input indicative of a selection of the option;
sending, by the first device to the second device and based on the user input, a request to join the ongoing communication; and
joining, by the first device and based on the second device accepting the request, the ongoing communication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joining is further based on the second device belonging to a first group of devices for which approval is needed before joining ongoing communications of the second device, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the first device, user input indicative of a second selection to join a second ongoing communication of a fourth device; and
based on the fourth device belonging to a second group of user devices for which approval is not needed before joining the ongoing communications of the second device, joining the second ongoing communication without causing, at the fourth device, output of an option to allow the first device to join the second ongoing communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joining is further based on the second device belonging to a first group of devices for which approval is needed before joining ongoing communications of the second device, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the first device, user input indicative of a second selection to join a second ongoing communication of a fourth device; and
receiving, based on the fourth device belonging to a second group of user devices restricted from joining the ongoing communications of the second device, a message declining the second selection.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joining is further based on a profile, associated with the first device, indicating that the first device has authorization to join ongoing communications of the second device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joining is further based on a quantity of devices, participating in the ongoing communication, satisfying a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device and the second device are connected to a local area network via a gateway device, wherein the ongoing communication is being facilitated by the gateway device, and
wherein the causing output of the option further comprises causing output of data indicating one or more other ongoing communications being facilitated by the gateway device for other devices connected to the local area network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device or the second device comprises:
a telecommunications handset;
a user computing device; or
a smart television.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ongoing communication comprises:
a telephonic communication; or
a messaging session.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first device, from a second device, and based on the first device and a second device being connected to a same network, a request for the second device to join an ongoing communication between the first device and a third device;
causing, by the first device and based on the request, output of an option to accept the request;
receiving, by the first device, user input indicative of a selection of the option; and
conducting, by the first device and based on the selection, the ongoing communication with both the second device and the third device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the causing output of the option is further based on the second device belonging to a first group of devices for which approval is needed before joining ongoing communications of the first device, the method further comprising:
receiving, from a fourth device, a second request for the fourth device to join the ongoing communication; and
sending, based on the fourth device belonging to a second group of devices restricted from joining the ongoing communications of the first device, a message to decline the second request.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the causing output of the option is further based on the second device belonging to a first group of devices for which approval is needed before joining ongoing communications of the first device, the method further comprising:
receiving, from a fourth device, a second request for the fourth device to join the ongoing communication; and
joining, based on the fourth device belonging to a second group of devices for which approval is not needed before joining the ongoing communications of the first device and without causing, at the first device, output of an option to accept the second request, the fourth device to the ongoing communication.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the causing output of the option is further based on a profile, associated with the second device, indicating that the second device has authorization to join ongoing communications of the first device.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the causing output of the option is further based on a quantity of devices, participating in the ongoing communication, satisfying a threshold.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the receiving the request is based on the first device and the second device being connected to a local area network via a gateway device.

15. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first device, from a second device, and based on the first device and a second device being connected to a same network, a first request for the second device to join an ongoing communication of the first device;
conducting, by the first device, the ongoing communication with the second device;
receiving, by the first device and from a third device, a second request for the third device to join the ongoing communication; and
sending, by the first device and based on the third device belonging to a different group than the first device, a message to decline the second request.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conducting is performed without asking the first device to accept the first request.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first device and from a fourth device, a third request for the fourth device to join the ongoing communication;
causing, by the first device and based on the fourth device belonging to another different group than the first device and the second device, output of an option to accept the third request;
receiving, by the first device, user input indicative of a selection of the option; and
conducting, by the first device and based on the selection, the ongoing communication with both the second device and the fourth device.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the conducting is further based on a profile, associated with the second device, indicating that the second device has authorization to join ongoing communications of the first device.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sending the message is further based on a profile, associated with the third device, indicating that the third device does not have authorization to join ongoing communications of the first device.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving the first request is based on the first device and the second device being connected to a local area network via a gateway device, and wherein the receiving the second request is based on the third device being connected to the local area ne

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Connelly Michael
• Kanchinadham Sharma
• Maharana Bhagabati Prasad
• Rubin Louis
• Cook Michael
• Tobin James
• Lewis Jeffrey
• Subramaniam Bavani

Classifications

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04L65/1036

  at the edge · CPC title

• H04L63/102 Primary

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L67/51 Primary

  Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services · CPC title