Electronic conferencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022247705-A1
Application number	US-202117485274-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2021
Priority date	Jan 29, 2021
Publication date	Aug 4, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology provide for secure, privacy-preserving access to electronic conferencing. In one or more implementations, an electronic device may obtain a service-specific alias that is specific to a device-identified set of services. The service-specific alias may be separate from an account alias for an account and configured to allow or deny communications to one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services. In one or more implementations, the service-specific alias is associated with a conferencing service and a conferencing session. An initiating user can provide an invitation to the conferencing session with the service-specific alias, so that participants can contact the initiating user via the service-specific alias for permission to join the conferencing session (e.g., without revealing the permanent contact information of the initiating user). In this way, the privacy of the initiating user can be preserved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
by a device including an input component and logged into an account, wherein the account is associated with an account alias:
obtaining, based on an input detected by the input component, a definition of a set of services;
providing a request for a service-specific alias for the account, the request including one or more identifiers corresponding to the set of services, wherein the service-specific alias is separate from the account alias and configured to allow or deny communications to one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services; and
after providing the request, receiving the service-specific alias.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the device, a proximity-based interaction with a second device, wherein providing the request for the service-specific alias comprises providing the request from the device to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account responsive to detecting the proximity-based interaction, and wherein the service-specific alias is a message alias for contacting the one or more devices associated with the account via a messaging service.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the device, a disconnection of a proximity-based connection between the device and a second device, and wherein providing the request for the service-specific alias comprises providing the request from the device to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account responsive to detecting the disconnection of the proximity-based connection.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the service-specific alias from the device to a remote device to allow the remote device to provide communications to the one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of services includes one or more of a messaging service, a file transfer service, a video conferencing service, or a gaming service.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service-specific alias is a temporary alias having an expiration time initially defined upon provisioning of the service-specific alias.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a limited scope for the set of services based on the input detected by the input component, wherein the service-specific alias is a service-specific and scope-limited alias configured to allow or deny communications to the one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services and within the limited scope.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the request for the service-specific alias comprises providing the request from the device to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account, and wherein the account alias is configured to allow contact with the one or more devices associated with the account via any service that the account alias is registered with, including at least one service that is independent of the server.

9 . An electronic device, comprising:
a memory; an input component; and one or more processors configured to:
obtain, based on an input detected by the input component, a definition of a set of services;
provide a request for a service-specific alias for an account to which the electronic device is logged in, wherein the account is associated with an account alias, wherein the request includes one or more identifiers corresponding to the set of services, and wherein the service-specific alias is separate from the account alias and configured to allow or deny communications to one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services; and
after providing the request, receiving the service-specific alias.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
detect a proximity-based interaction with a second device, wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide the request for the service-specific alias by providing the request to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account responsive to detecting the proximity-based interaction, and wherein the service-specific alias is a message alias for contacting the one or more devices associated with the account via a messaging service.

11 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
detect a disconnection of a proximity-based connection between the electronic device and a second device, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide the request for the service-specific alias by providing the request to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account responsive to detecting the disconnection of the proximity-based connection.

12 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send the service-specific alias to a remote device to allow the remote device to provide communications to the one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services.

13 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the set of services includes one or more of a messaging service, a file transfer service, a video conferencing service, or a gaming service.

14 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the service-specific alias is a temporary alias having an expiration time initially defined upon provisioning of the service-specific alias.

15 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain a limited scope for the set of services based on the input detected by the input component, and wherein the service-specific alias is a service-specific and scope-limited alias configured to allow or deny communications to the one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services and within the limited scope.

16 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide the request for the service-specific alias by providing the request to a server storing an identification of the account alias of the account, and wherein the account alias is configured to allow contact with the one or more devices associated with the account via any service that the account alias is registered with, including at least one service that is independent of the server.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
by a device including an input component and logged into an account, wherein the account is associated with an account alias:
obtaining, based on an input detected by the input component, a definition of a set of services;
providing a request for a service-specific alias for the account, the request including one or more identifiers corresponding to the set of services, wherein the service-specific alias is separate from the account alias and configured to allow or deny communications to one or more devices associated with the account via the set of services; and
after providing the request, receiving the service-specific alias.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
detecting, by he device, a proximity-based interaction with a second device, wherein providing the request for the service-specific alias comprises providing the request fro

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Liu Xudong
• He Huan
• Leduc Nelson M
• Circosta Nicholas J
• Pollack Daniel B

Classifications

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L65/1093

  by adding participants; by removing participants · CPC title

• H04L51/52

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title

• H04L12/1818

  Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties · CPC title

• H04L12/1822

  Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission · CPC title