Event triggered call transitions

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for triggering a handover of an incoming call event from a default first telephony application to a second telephony application on a device, comprising: receiving an incoming call event addressed to the device; during the notification of the incoming call event, causing the notification of the incoming call event using a default first telephony application on the device and not answering the incoming call event using the default first telephony application; receiving, on a user interface of the device, a navigation input for navigating to a second telephony application on the device; and in response to receiving an input for navigating to a second telephony application on the device, causing the second telephony application to be displayed on the device; and accepting the incoming call event using the second telephony application, creating a telephony connection corresponding to the incoming call event.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] According to some embodiments, the present disclosure generally relates to event-triggered forwarding of incoming call events. Background Art

[0002] As technology develops, the use of software and hardware technologies for conference and communication services continues to increase. Devices often have multiple applications to perform all or various aspects of such conference and communication services. Switching between different applications, such as related to receiving an incoming call event, can be cumbersome. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method and system for triggering the forwarding of an incoming call event from a default first phone application on a device to a second phone application, including: receiving an incoming call event addressed to the device; during notification of the incoming call event, causing notification of the incoming call event using the default first phone application on the device; and receiving a navigation input on a user interface of the device for navigating to the second phone application on the device without answering the incoming call event using the default first phone application. In response to receiving the input for navigating to the second phone application on the device, the second phone application can be used to accept the incoming call event, thereby creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event.

[0004] The claimed subject matter may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computing device to implement the disclosed subject matter. As used herein, the term "article of manufacture" is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable storage device or medium. Computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, optical disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), smart cards, flash memory devices, and the like. In contrast, computer-readable media (i.e., non-storage media) may additionally include communication media, such as transmission media for wireless signals, and the like.

[0005] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. It is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The disclosed aspects will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are provided to illustrate rather than limit the disclosed aspects.

[0007] Figure 1 An example telecommunication environment is shown in which various users may employ respective devices.

[0008] Figure 2 An example mobile operator connection environment including a first user device of a first user and a second user device is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 An example backend system for answering a call using a second phone application including a carrier network component coupled to a first user device is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 An example method for triggering forwarding of an incoming call event from a default first phone application to a second phone application is shown.

[0011] Figure 5 An example networked environment including one or more user devices, a communication server, and a user database communicating over a network is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The inventors have recognized an event triggering mechanism, etc., to improve the management of calls on a mobile device between multiple phone applications. In an example, during a notification of an incoming call event on a default first phone application (e.g., when an incoming cellular voice call event from a mobile operator (MO) network is "ringing" or otherwise providing an incoming call notification on a default "phone" application of a mobile device, etc.), interacting with a second phone application on a mobile device (e.g., a conferencing application, such as Microsoft Teams, etc.) can cause the incoming call event (e.g., a cellular voice call event on a first call leg) to be accepted as a feature-rich data call on the second phone application instead (e.g., on the second call leg), for example without performing a traditional accept or answer action on either the first phone application or the second phone application. In some examples, the second phone application may include a conferencing application that is configured to provide one or more rich conferencing service features, such as video, file or screen sharing, application sharing, document collaboration, rich messaging, access to a corporate directory, group sharing and collaboration, or one or more other conferencing application features, by connecting to data to the conferencing service. The conferencing service may be connected to the conferencing application through one or more data connections and configured to provide additional conferencing services, such as transcription, captioning of shared video content, or one or more other conferencing service features.

[0013] In certain examples, the technical solutions contemplated herein provide improved phone application management and operation on mobile devices to address the following technical problems: managing an increasing number of applications, options, and settings in various menus and applications on mobile devices, being able to provide conference service features to unscheduled calls without termination and rescheduling, and triggering device operations using fewer specific inputs than previously required, thereby causing non-standard changes in the functionality of the mobile device based on specific inputs, which simplifies and improves the interaction of users with their devices.

[0014] Figure 1 An example telecommunication environment 100 is shown in which various users may respectively employ respective devices, such as a first user device 101, a second user device 111, a third user device 112, or a fourth user device 122, to communicate over one or more portions of a hybrid network including a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network 109A (e.g., including a core IP network), a Mobile Operator (MO) or Voice over LTE (Vo LTE) (MO / VoLTE) network 109B (e.g., one or more of various combinations or arrangements of 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, or 5G mobile operator networks, etc.), a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 109C, and various gateways 116, 117 between the different portions. The telecommunication environment 100 may provide access to a conference service 110 to provide conference service functionality to one or more user devices, such as a first user device 101, a second user device 111, a third user device 112, or a fourth user device 122, for example, via one or more cellular towers 120, 121, wireless routers 118, 119, or other antennas, transmitters, receivers, or access points to a telecommunication or core IP network.

[0015] The first user device 101 is exemplary and may include a processor 102 (e.g., one or more processors), a memory 103, a conference application 104, a transceiver 105, and one or more input / output (I / O) components 106. The first user device 101 may include a mobile phone or one or more electronic devices configured to operate over an MO network, such as a mobile device with a subscriber identity module (SIM) device. The first user device 101 may be connected to a VoIP network 109A, an MO or VoLTE (MO / VoLTE) network 109B at the same time, and is typically connected to both at the same time. When connected to the MO / VoLTE network 109B, the first user device 101 may be represented as a first MO device 101A, a first VoIP device 101B when connected to the VoIP network 109A, and in some examples may perform a handover operation 123 of a call between different networks. In some examples, communication over a VoLTE network may require two devices with a SIM device (e.g., a SIM card, etc.), such as the first user device 101 and the third user device 112.

[0016] The conference application 104 can be configured to interact with or connect to the conference service 110. Although the conference application 104 can be executed on the first user device 101 (or one or more other user devices), the conference service 110 is separate from and remote from the first user device 101 and can include a server, network, or cloud-based service accessible through one or more portions of a hybrid network.

[0017] In an example, the conference application 104 may include a local client installed on a corresponding user device and connected to a conference service 110 such as a cloud-based conference service or platform (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc.), such as a Microsoft Teams client (mobile or desktop, etc.), a Skype client, etc. In other examples, the conference application 104 may include a virtual application (e.g., a network-based application, a web-based application, a server-based application, or a cloud-based application) that accesses resources of the corresponding user device, or a combination of a local client and a virtual application, etc.

[0018] The second user device 111 may include an electronic device configured to operate over the VoIP network 109A, such as a mobile device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, or various combinations thereof. The fourth user device 122 may include a phone configured to operate, make or receive calls over the PSTN 109C.

[0019] The conference service 110 can manage communication sessions, including communication flows such as emails, documents, chats, comments, text, images, animations, hyperlinks, or voice or video communications of users associated with one or more online or other communication sessions through conference applications executed on connected devices, and enable conference applications or one or more other communication platforms to communicate with corresponding devices.

[0020] The network portions themselves may include and operate using a combination of hardware and software, including transmitters, receivers, session border controller (SBC) servers, mobile switching centers (MSCs), broker servers, media relays (MRs), etc., such as described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 9,351,203 to Sidhu et al., “Voice Call Continuity in Hybrid Networks,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, including operational details of hybrid networks, such as call continuity or switching between network portions, creation of call legs, anchoring voice or data paths, establishing voice call continuity (VCC) identifiers, etc.

[0021] Figure 2 An example mobile operator connection environment 200 is shown, which includes a first user device 101 and a second user device 111 of a first user, which in some examples provides conference applications and conference service features to a single number at multiple devices associated with the same subscriber identity module (SIM) device. The operator connection environment 200 can provide users with a single number for desktop applications, mobile applications, and conference applications, enable a flexible but integrated calling environment, provide presence fidelity to other users, and enable enterprise-level policies and services (e.g., call recording, retention, transcription, etc.) for voice calls, even cellular voice calls outside of data coverage.

[0022] In an example, the first user device 101 may include a mobile device executing a mobile version of a conference application, and the second user device 111 may include a laptop computer executing a desktop version of a conference application, each connected to the conference service via a network (e.g., a voice or data MO network 109B, a VoIP network 109A, etc.). When the first user receives an incoming call to a number or SIM device associated with the first user device 101 and the second user device 111, the local dialer or default first phone application (e.g., a phone application) on the first user device 101 and the conference application on the second user device 101 may both ring simultaneously or individually (e.g., ring at the first user device 101 at a first time or a first duration, and then ring at both the first user device 101 and the second user device 111 after the first time or the first duration until the call is answered or sent to voicemail, etc.), depending on one or more settings in one or more conference applications or otherwise stored in the conference service, etc.

[0023] In one specific example, a caller (e.g., a second user), for example, using any of the PSTN, VoIP, or MO / VoLTE networks, through a conference application (e.g., Microsoft Teams) or other dialer, may initiate a call event to a first user of a mobile operator connection environment 200 including a first user device 101 and a second user device 111. The first user device 101 may receive the incoming call event using a default first phone application (e.g., a phone application of the first user device 101), which is shown on the surface of the screen of the first user device 101 as a notification 125, the notification 125 including an avatar 126 identifying the caller and including answer and reject icons 127, 128.

[0024] In this example, a second phone application such as a conference application (e.g., Microsoft Teams, etc.) executed on the first user device 101 does not ring according to design or setting. However, the user's other endpoints, such as the second user device 111, also receive an incoming call event through the conference application, which is shown as a notification 130 on the surface of the screen of the second user device 111, and the notification 130 includes an avatar 131 identifying the caller and includes answer and reject icons 132, 133.

[0025] In response to the notifications 125, 130 provided, the first user can decide with which capability (capacity) to answer the incoming call event, such as through the default first phone application on the first user device 101 as an example of a cellular data call, through a conference application on the second user device 111 with access to associated conference service features, or alternatively through a conference application on the first user device 101 with access to associated conference service features (e.g., a second phone application).

[0026] Conventionally, in order to answer such a call on the conferencing application of the first user device 101, e.g., to promote an incoming cellular voice call to a video data call, the settings of the first user device 101 may be changed to make all calls through the conferencing application rather than through a default first phone application (e.g., a local dialer, a phone application, etc.) This may not be desirable for all users for various reasons, such as using the device for personal, non-work related calls, etc.

[0027] In other examples, the first user may answer the call on the default first phone application, or not answer the call, and then call back the second user using the second phone application alone. This is also undesirable because it requires multiple call event initiations, as well as the possibility that the other user may not be able to answer or may be interacting with a voice messaging system due to being unable to accept the first incoming call event, etc.

[0028] In other examples, the first user may answer a call on the default first phone app, such as a cellular voice call on an MO network, wait for such delays in establishing the call and any noise in doing so, requiring the second user to wait, minimize the default first phone app (without prematurely ending the call), select the second phone app, open settings or otherwise navigate the second phone app's user interface to join the existing call, and then wait for the second phone app to take over control of the call from the default first phone app. Such processes and actions are cumbersome for both the first and second users, introduce many opportunities for failure or error, and force the second user to be placed on hold or wait for the first user to navigate the necessary menus, options, and commands.

[0029] The inventors have recognized an improved process that reduces the steps required to promote an incoming call event on a default first phone application to a feature-rich call through a second phone application. For example, during a notification of an incoming call event on a first user device 101, when the incoming call event "rings" in the default first phone application (or in a time period after the first notification), the first user can automatically trigger the second phone application to answer the incoming call event by navigating to the second phone application via a navigation input on the user interface of the first user device 101. Reducing the number and complexity of steps to answer an incoming call event on a second phone application is beneficial compared to a default first phone application that provides notifications of incoming call events on a first user device, because any time that is reduced in transitions between phone applications greatly improves the user experience of both users. In addition, since the call is not answered before the transition occurs, less data needs to be transmitted by the first device to the user device of the second user through one or more networks.

[0030] In an example, automatically triggering the second phone application to answer an incoming call event using the second phone application may additionally include not using the default first phone application to individually (using an action other than the navigation described above) answer or reject the incoming call event, or in other examples, receiving an action (other than the navigation described above) in another manner to, for example, switch the incoming call event from the default first phone application to the second phone application based on a command.

[0031] Navigating to the second phone application during the notification or ringing may trigger the first user device to cause the second phone application to accept the incoming call event, rather than defaulting to the first phone application to accept the incoming call event.

[0032] Navigating to the second phone application may include minimizing the default first phone application and selecting the second phone application. In other examples, navigating to the second phone application may include using an application selector or otherwise navigating to an already open application or an application that is executing but is not currently at the visible surface of the user interface of the first user device 101. In other examples, navigating to the second phone application may include opening or launching a closed (e.g., previously closed) or minimized second phone application on the first user device 101, etc.

[0033] Figure 3 An example backend system 300 for answering a call using a second phone application is shown, comprising a carrier network (e.g., MO / VoLTE network 109B) component 140 coupled to a first user device 101, a PSTN 109C, and a phone system (PS) 147 (e.g., a cloud-based phone system), which can be a component of a conferencing service 110.

[0034] The operator network components may include a mobile control point (MCP) 141, which is configured to determine which network resource to deliver or execute a call event through, such as one or more network routers, switches, gateways, etc. The MCP 141 may transfer a mobile call through the PS 147, including obtaining a routing number for the call through an API, and providing one or more controls through a control channel, such as an HTTPS request or response, etc. The session border controller (SBC) 142 may operate as a gateway between different network parts (e.g., components of a conference application, a PSTN network, etc.). Calls or operator connection trunks may be managed, sent, or received between the PS 147 and the SBC 142.

[0035] The VoLTE Telephone Application Server (TAS) 143 includes an application server to provide call features over a VoLTE network (e.g., MO / VoLTE network 109B), such as simulating PSTN features or behaviors and providing additional features, such as unified messaging, video calls, etc. The IP Media Subsystem (IMS) 144 may include a mobile IMS core configured to route packet-based services over the MO / VoLTE network 109B. The Home Subscriber Service (HSS) 145 may include a database configured to manage details of subscribers of the operator network. The HSS 145 may be provided to include. When the first user selects a second phone application (e.g., Microsoft Teams) during a notification of an incoming call event (e.g., when the default first phone application is ringing, or within a time period (e.g., 10 seconds, 15 seconds, etc.) after the first notification), etc., the first device may provide a signal 146 that the second phone application has been opened to the SBC 142. In other examples, MCP 141 may be omitted and pre-existing routing capabilities in IMS 144 may transfer the mobile call through a default first conferencing application.

[0036] In an example, the first user device 101 and one or more components of the network 140 collect call quality data, such as based on heuristics, measured SNRs, packet error rates, etc. In some examples, such metrics can be used to determine whether the first phone application or the second phone application should accept a signaling request (e.g., an incoming call event, etc.).

[0037] If the network quality is determined to be above a threshold, such as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 9,351,203, “Voice Call Continuity in Hybrid Networks,” by Sidhu et al., cited and incorporated above, the first user device 101 or one or more network components may accept the incoming call event using the second phone application instead of the default first phone application (e.g., over the Internet or VoIP network 109A, instead of using one or more other aspects of the 5G voice / VoLTE or MO / VoLTE network 109B). In other examples, if the network quality is below a threshold, the selection of the second phone application may trigger acceptance of the incoming call event using the default first phone application, or trigger acceptance using the second phone application with a notification that one or more services of the second phone application are currently unavailable, and a determined reason for doing so in some examples.

[0038] In other examples, the first user device 101 may include a laptop or desktop computer having a default first phone application (e.g., IP phone, etc.) that is different from a second phone application (e.g., a conferencing application such as Microsoft Teams, etc.). Similar operations apply to laptop or desktop computers.

[0039] In further examples, the first user device 101 may additionally include a proximity sensor to determine whether the screen of the phone is within a certain distance of an object, such as to detect whether the phone is in a user's pocket, face down on a table, or against a user's ear, etc. In some examples, such as to save network bandwidth, it may be determined whether the first user holds the first device 101 to their ear, such as using information from the proximity sensor, and if so, the ongoing call may be downgraded from a feature-rich data call (e.g., with video, etc.) on the second phone application to a more efficient cellular voice-based call using the default first phone application. In other examples, the downgrade may reduce the amount of data sent or received by the first device to only voice data.

[0040] Upon determining that the first user has opened the phone from their ear or can see the screen (e.g., not in a pocket or facing down, or recognizing the face of the user viewing the screen, etc.), the phone can upgrade the call back to a feature-rich data call, including, in some examples, sending or receiving video data or utilizing one or more other conference service features, etc. In some examples, the switch can be controlled by one or more components of the network, such as one or more of the SBC 142, MCP 141, IMS 144, or PS 147, or various combinations or arrangements. In an example, the first user device 101 can include memory to maintain the upgraded and downgraded connections to be able to switch between them until the call has been ended by the first user or the second user.

[0041] Figure 4 An example method 400 is shown for triggering a hand-off of an incoming call event from a default first phone application to a second phone application on a device, such as a first user device 101 of a first user.

[0042] At step 401, an incoming call event may be received. For example, hardware of a device, such as a transceiver and associated circuits and processors (e.g., a baseband processor, etc.), may receive an incoming call event addressed to the device using one or more device identities, such as a subscriber identity module (SIM) of the device, a subscriber identity of the device, etc. At step 402, the incoming call event may optionally be a first call leg received over a first connection to a telecommunications network, such as regarding a specific call of a specific type (e.g., a cellular voice call, etc.) placed from another device to the device over the telecommunications network.

[0043] At step 403, a notification of the incoming call may be provided using a default first phone application of the device, such as a native dialer of the device, a default phone application, etc. In an example, an incoming call event received by the transceiver may trigger the device to provide a notification, such as a ring, vibration, or other notification, that an incoming call event has been received through the default first phone application.

[0044] At step 404, navigation input for navigating to a second phone application may be received, such as during a received notification or within a time period after receiving the first notification (e.g., 10 seconds, 15 seconds, while the device is ringing or after silencing the notification or navigating away from the notification on the default phone application, etc.). In some examples, during a notification of an incoming call event, and without answering the incoming call event using the default first phone application (and in some examples, without rejecting the incoming call event by selecting a rejection or “no answer” selection), navigation input may be received on the user interface of the device to minimize the default first phone application, open an application selector on the device, or otherwise navigate away from the notification to a second phone application on the device. In an example, the second phone application may include a conferencing application (e.g., Microsoft Teams) installed or executed on the device and configured to provide call or conferencing services on the device.

[0045] In an example, the default first phone application can be associated with a first SIM device or a first phone number, and the second phone application can be associated with a second SIM device different from the first SIM device or a second phone number different from the first phone number. In other examples, the default first phone application and the second phone application can both be associated with the same SIM device or the same phone number.

[0046] At step 405, the second phone application may be displayed. For example, in response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device, the device may cause the second phone application to be displayed on the screen of the device.

[0047] In step 406, the incoming call event can be accepted using a second phone application. In some examples, in response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device, the incoming call event can be accepted using the second phone application, thereby creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event. In step 407, the second phone application can be used to accept a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event, the phone connection including a second call segment separate from the first call segment, such as a specific call of a specific type different from the call type of step 402 (e.g., a data call through a conference application executed on the device, the conference application supporting video and content sharing features using a data connection to a conference service, etc.). In an example, accepting the second call segment can include accepting a data connection to a conference service to support and execute the video and content sharing features of the conference application.

[0048] In some examples, a call event continuity identifier unique to the incoming call event can be associated with each of the first call segment and the second call segment, so that the first call segment and the second call segment are connectable at a common port in the telecommunications network, such as for later conversion or switching, or optionally both segments are kept open and activated for a period of time or the duration of the call to determine the best quality connection for the multiple segments. For example, accepting the second call segment may include determining the quality of the second connection to the telecommunications network and comparing the determined quality of the second connection to a threshold, if the determined quality of the second connection is below the threshold, using the first call segment to perform the incoming call event, and if the determined quality of the second connection is above the threshold, using the second call segment to perform the incoming call event. The threshold may be determined as a connection quality or bandwidth threshold, etc.

[0049] In some examples, accepting an incoming call event at a second phone application includes: in response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device during notification of the incoming call event and without receiving an action to answer the incoming call event using a default first phone application, creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event between the second phone application and a network resource that provides the call event.

[0050] The proximity of the object to the screen of the device may be detected, such as by a proximity detector of the device, at step 408. In some examples, the device may determine, such as using a proximity detector or a camera of the device, whether a first user of the device is looking at the device screen, or whether the device is facing down (e.g., on a table, in a pocket, in a purse, etc.), or whether the first user is holding the device against their ear.

[0051] In step 409, the second call segment can be transitioned to the first call segment based on the detected proximity. In some examples, if it is determined that the device is at the ear of the first user, the screen can be turned off, for example to save battery life of the device. In addition, the call can be transitioned from a second segment that supports one or more video or sharing features, etc., to a first segment, such as a cellular voice call, to reduce the amount of information about the call event that is transmitted over the telecommunications network or captured by the device, sent from the device, received, or processed by the device. In some examples, both segments can be maintained, such as if it is determined that the user has moved the device away from their ear or is determined to be looking at the screen, or otherwise activates the screen or selects sharing or one or more camera features for the call event, etc., and then transitions back to the second segment later.

[0052] Figure 5 An example system 500 is shown including a first user device 501 and a second user device 511 in a networked environment including a conference service 510 and a user database 535 communicating over a network 509 .

[0053] The first user device 501 is exemplary and may include a processor 502 (e.g., one or more processors), a memory 503, a transceiver 505, an input / output (I / O) component 506, one or more presentation components 507, and one or more I / O ports 508. The first user device 501 may take the form of a mobile computing device or any other portable device, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a computing tablet, a notebook, a gaming device, a portable media player, etc. In other examples, the first user device 501 may include a less portable device, such as a desktop personal computer, an information kiosk, a desktop device, an industrial control device, etc. Other examples may incorporate the first user device 501 as part of a multi-device system, in which two separate physical devices share or otherwise provide access to the illustrated components of the first user device 501.

[0054] Processor 502 may include any number of processing units and is programmed to execute computer executable instructions for implementing various aspects of the present disclosure. Instructions may be executed by a processor or multiple processors within a computing device, or by a processor external to first user device 501. In some examples, processor 502 is programmed to perform methods, such as one or more methods shown herein, etc. Additionally or alternatively, processor 502 may be programmed to present an experience in a user interface ("UI"). For example, processor 502 may represent an implementation of a technology for performing the operations described herein.

[0055] The transceiver 505 may include an antenna capable of sending and receiving radio frequency ("RF") signals and various antennas and corresponding chipsets to provide communication capabilities between the first user device 501 and one or more other remote devices. However, the example is not limited to RF signaling, as various other communication modalities may be used instead.

[0056] The presentation component 507 may include, but is not limited to, a computer monitor, a television, a projector, a touch screen, a phone display, a flat panel display, a wearable device screen, a television, a speaker, a vibration device, and any other device configured to display, verbally communicate, or otherwise indicate image search results to a user of the first user device 501 or to provide information visually or audibly on the first user device 501. For example, the first user device 501 may include a smart phone or a mobile tablet computer that includes a speaker capable of playing audible search results to the user. In other examples, the first user device 501 may include a computer in a car that audibly presents the search response through the car speaker system, visually presents the search response on a display screen in the car (e.g., located in the dashboard of the car, in the headrest, on a drop-down screen, etc.), or a combination thereof. Other examples present the disclosed search response through various other displays or audio presentation components 507.

[0057] I / O port 508 allows first user device 501 to be logically coupled to other devices and I / O components 516, some of which may be built into first user device 501, while other devices may be external. I / O components 506 may include microphone 523, one or more sensors 524, camera 525, and touch device 526. Microphone 523 may capture speech and / or speech of the user or speech of the user from the user. Sensor 524 may include any number of sensors on or in a mobile computing device, electronic toy, game console, wearable device, television, vehicle, or other device, such as an accelerometer, magnetometer, pressure sensor, photometer, thermometer, global positioning system ("GPS") chip or circuit, bar scanner, biometric scanner for scanning fingerprints, palm prints, blood, eyes, etc., gyroscope, near field communication ("NFC") receiver, or any other sensor configured to capture data from a user or environment. Camera 525 may capture images or videos of the user. Touch device 526 may include a touchpad, trackpad, touch screen, or other touch capture device. In other examples, I / O components 506 may include one or more of a sound card, a vibration device, a scanner, a printer, a wireless communication device, or any other component for capturing information related to a user or the environment.

[0058] The memory 503 may include any number of memories associated with or accessible by the first user device 501. The memory 503 may be inside the first user device 501, outside the first user device 501, or a combination thereof. The memory 503 may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CDROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical or holographic media, cassettes, tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, memory wired into an analog computing device, or any other medium for encoding desired information and accessed by the first user device 501. The terms computer-readable medium, machine-readable medium, and storage device do not include carrier waves, as carrier waves are considered too transient. The memory 503 may take the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof; and may include various hardware devices, such as solid-state memory, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 503 may be distributed across multiple user devices, such as in a virtualized environment where instruction processing is performed on multiple user devices in the first user device 501. The memory 503 may store various device applications and other data that, when executed by the processor 502, operate to perform functions on the first user device 501. Example applications may include search applications, instant messaging applications, email applications, web browsers, calendar applications, address book applications, messaging programs, media applications, location-based services, search programs, etc. The applications may communicate with corresponding applications or services, such as web services accessible via the network 509. For example, the applications may include client-side operating applications corresponding to server-side applications executed on a remote server or computing device in the cloud.

[0059] The instructions stored in the memory 503 may include one or more of the conference application 504, the communication application 521, and the user interface application 522 executed on the first user device 501. The communication application 521 may include one or more computer executable instructions for operating a network interface card and a driver for operating the network interface card. The communication between the first user device 501 and other devices may occur through a wired or wireless connection or through a network 509 using any protocol or mechanism. In some examples, the communication application 521 may operate using RF and short-range communication technologies using electronic tags (such as NFC tags, brand tags, etc.).

[0060] In some examples, user interface application 522 includes a graphics application for displaying data to a user and receiving data from a user. User interface application 522 may include computer executable instructions for operating a graphics card to display search results and corresponding images or voices on or through presentation component 507. User interface application 522 may interact with various sensors 524 and camera 525 to capture and present information through presentation component 507.

[0061] The conference service 510 may be configured to receive user and environment data such as received from the first user device 501 and the second user device 511 or one or more other devices via the network 509. In some examples, the conference service 510 may include one or more servers, memories, databases, or processors configured to execute different network service computer executable instructions, and may be configured to provide and manage one or more conference services for one or more users or user groups, such as users of the first user device 501 and the second user device 511. The conference service 510 is capable of providing and receiving messages or other information, including images, videos, audio, text, and other communication media, to or from the first and second user devices 501, 511 via the network 509.

[0062] Figure 5 The networked environment shown in is an example of a suitable computing system environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation on the scope of use or functionality of the examples disclosed herein. The networked environment shown should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement related to any single component, module, index, or combination thereof, and in other examples, other network environments are contemplated.

[0063] The network 509 may include the Internet, a private network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other computer network, including various network interfaces, adapters, modems, and other networking devices for communicatively connecting the first user device 501 and the second user device 511 and the conference service 510. The network 509 may also include a configuration for a point-to-point connection.

[0064] Conference service 510 includes a processor 512 for processing executable instructions, a memory 513 embodying executable instructions, and a transceiver 515 for communicating via network 509. Memory 513 may include one or more of the following: conference application 514, communication application 531, storage event application 532, selection application 533, personal identification code application 534, or one or more other applications, modules or devices, etc. Although conference service 510 is shown as a single box, it is not limited to this and can be scalable. For example, conference service 510 may include multiple servers of various parts of operating software, which together generate composite icons or templates for users of first user device 501 and second user device 511.

[0065] The user database 535 can provide backend storage for web, user, and environmental data that can be accessed by the conference service 510 or the first user device 501 via the network 509 and used by the conference service 510 to combine subsequent data in the communication flow. The web, user, and environmental data stored in the database include, for example, but not limited to, one or more user profiles 536 and user events 537. In addition, although not shown for clarity, the servers of the user database 535 may include their own processors, transceivers, and memories. In addition, the networked environment depicts the user database 535 as a collection of devices separate from the conference service 510. However, the example may store the web, user, and environmental data discussed in the user database 535 on the conference service 510.

[0066] User profile 536 may include an electronically stored collection of information related to the user. Such information may be stored based on the user's explicit agreement or "opt-in" to store such personal information, including the user's name, age, gender, height, weight, demographics, current location, resident, citizen, family, friends, school, occupation, hobbies, skills, interests, Web searches, health information, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrity holidays, emotions, user status, and any other personalized information associated with the user. User profiles include static profile elements, such as name, birthplace, etc., and dynamic profile elements that change over time, such as residency, age, status, etc.

[0067] In addition, user profile 536 may include static and / or dynamic data parameters for individual users. Examples of user profile data include, but are not limited to, the user's age, gender, race, name, location, interests, web search history, social media connections and interactions, purchase history, regular behavior, job title, or nearly any unique data point specific to a user. User profile 536 may be expanded to cover various other aspects of a user.

[0068] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for triggering a switch of an incoming call event from a default first phone application to a second phone application on a device according to at least the examples provided in the following sections:

[0069] (A1) In one aspect, some embodiments or examples include: receiving an incoming call event addressed to a device, causing a notification of the incoming call event using a default first phone application on the device, during the notification of the incoming call event, and without using the default first phone application to answer the incoming call event, receiving navigation input on a user interface of the device for navigating to a second phone application on the device, and in response to receiving the input for navigating to the second phone application on the device, causing the second phone application to be displayed on the device, and accepting the incoming call event using the second phone application, thereby creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event.

[0070] (A2) In some embodiments of A1, receiving an incoming call event using a default first phone application includes: receiving a cellular network voice call event having a first call segment through a first connection to a telecommunications network, and accepting the incoming call event using a second phone application includes: accepting a second call segment to the telecommunications network, and associating a call event continuity identifier unique to the incoming call event with each of the first call segment and the second call segment, so that the first call segment and the second call segment are connectable at a common port in the telecommunications network.

[0071] (A3) In some embodiments of A1-A2, the second telephone application includes a conferencing application executed on the device, wherein the conferencing application supports video and content sharing features using a data connection to a conferencing service, and accepting the second call segment includes: accepting the data connection to the conferencing service to support and execute the video and content sharing features of the conferencing application.

[0072] (A4) In some embodiments of A1-A3, accepting an incoming call event using a second phone application includes: determining the quality of a second connection to a telecommunications network and comparing the determined quality of the second connection to a threshold; if the determined quality of the second connection is lower than the threshold, executing the incoming call event using a first call segment; and if the determined quality of the second connection is higher than the threshold, executing the incoming call event using a second call segment.

[0073] (A5) In some embodiments of A1-A4, the default first phone application is associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) device, and the second phone application is associated with a second SIM device different from the first SIM device.

[0074] (A6) In some embodiments of A1-A5, the default first phone application is associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) device, and the second phone application is associated with the first SIM device.

[0075] (A7) In some embodiments of A1-A6, the default first phone application is associated with a first phone number, and the second phone application is associated with a second phone number.

[0076] (A8) In some embodiments of A1-A7, the first phone application and the second phone application are associated with the same phone number by default.

[0077] (A9) In some embodiments or examples of some implementations of A1-A8, it includes: detecting the proximity of an object to the screen of a device; determining whether the screen of the device is visible to a user based on the detected proximity; and causing a transition from a second call segment to a first call segment based on determining that the screen of the device is not visible to the user.

[0078] (A10) In some embodiments of A1-A9, accepting an incoming call event at a second phone application includes: in response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device during notification of the incoming call event and without receiving an action to answer the incoming call event using the default first phone application, creating a telephone connection corresponding to the incoming call event between the second phone application and a network resource that provides the call event.

[0079] On the other hand, some embodiments include a system including a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon, the program being used to be executed by the processor to perform operations including any of the embodiments A1-A10 described above in various combinations or arrangements. On the other hand, some embodiments include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of the storage device, the one or more programs including instructions for performing any of the embodiments A1-A10 described above in various combinations or arrangements. On the other hand, some embodiments include a method or system including means for performing any of the embodiments A1 to A10 described above in various combinations or arrangements.

[0080] Although some embodiments have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, the logic flows depicted in the accompanying drawings do not require the particular order or sequence shown to achieve the desired results. Other steps can be provided, or steps can be eliminated from the described flows, and other components can be added to or removed from the described systems. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the appended claims.

[0081] In the description herein, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which specific embodiments that can be practiced are shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the description of the exemplary embodiments included should not be considered limited, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0082] The function may be configured to perform operations using, for example, software, hardware, firmware, etc. For example, the phrase "configured to" may refer to the logical circuit structure of a hardware element for implementing the associated function. The phrase "configured to" may also refer to the logical circuit structure of a hardware element for implementing the associated functionality of firmware or software. The term "module" refers to a structural element that can be implemented using any suitable hardware (e.g., processor, etc.), software (e.g., application, etc.), firmware, or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware. The term "logic" encompasses any function for performing a task. For example, each operation shown in the flowchart corresponds to the logic for performing the operation. Operations may be performed using software, hardware, firmware, etc. The terms "component", "system", etc. may refer to computer-related entities, hardware, and software, firmware, or a combination thereof in execution. A component may be a process, object, executable file, program, function, subroutine, computer, or a combination of software and hardware running on a processor. The term "processor" may refer to a hardware component, such as a processing unit of a computer system.

[0083] In addition, the claimed subject matter may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computing device to implement the disclosed subject matter. As used herein, the term "article of manufacture" is intended to cover a computer program accessible from any computer-readable storage device or medium. Computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, optical disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), smart cards, flash memory devices, and the like. In contrast, computer-readable media (i.e., non-storage media) may additionally include communication media, such as transmission media for wireless signals and the like.

Claims

1. A system for triggering forwarding of an incoming call event from a default first phone application on a device to a second phone application, comprising: one or more processors; as well as a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to control the system to perform operations comprising: receiving an incoming call event addressed to the device; causing notification of the incoming call event using the default first phone application on the device; During the notification of the incoming call event, and without answering the incoming call event using the default first phone application, receiving navigation input on a user interface of the device for navigating to the second phone application on the device; and In response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device: causing the second phone application to be displayed on the device; and The incoming call event is accepted using the second phone application, thereby creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event.

2. The system according to claim 1, in, Receiving the incoming call event using the default first phone application includes: receiving a cellular network voice call event having a first call leg through a first connection to a telecommunications network, and Wherein, accepting the incoming call event using the second phone application comprises: receiving a second call leg to the telecommunications network; and A call event continuity identifier unique to the incoming call event is associated with each of the first call leg and the second call leg such that the first call leg and the second call leg are connectable at a common port in the telecommunications network.

3. The system according to claim 2, in, The second telephony application includes a conferencing application executing on the device, the conferencing application supporting video and content sharing features using a data connection to a conferencing service, and Wherein, accepting the second call leg includes: accepting a data connection to the conference service to support and execute video and content sharing features of the conference application.

4. The system according to claim 2, in, Accepting the incoming call event using the second phone application includes: determining a quality of a second connection to the telecommunications network and comparing the determined quality of the second connection to a threshold; If the determined quality of the second connection is below the threshold, performing the incoming call event using the first call segment; and If the determined quality of the second connection is above the threshold, the incoming call event is performed using the second call segment.

5. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in, The default first phone application is associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) device, and The second phone application is associated with a second SIM device different from the first SIM device.

6. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in, The default first phone application is associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) device and the second phone application is associated with the first SIM device.

7. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the operations include: detecting proximity of an object to a screen of the device; determining whether a screen of the device is visible to a user based on the detected proximity; as well as Based on determining that the screen of the device is not visible to the user, a transition is caused from the second call leg to the first call leg.

8. A system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in, Accepting the incoming call event at the second phone application includes: in response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device during notification of the incoming call event and without receiving an action to answer the incoming call event using the default first phone application, creating a telephone connection corresponding to the incoming call event between the second phone application and a network resource that provides the call event.

9. A method for triggering forwarding of an incoming call event from a default first phone application on a device to a second phone application, comprising: receiving an incoming call event addressed to the device; causing notification of the incoming call event using the default first phone application on the device; receiving, during the notification of the incoming call event and without answering the incoming call event using the default first phone application, a navigation input on a user interface of the device for navigating to the second phone application on the device; as well as In response to receiving input for navigating to the second phone application on the device: causing the second phone application to be displayed on the device; as well as The incoming call event is accepted using the second phone application, thereby creating a phone connection corresponding to the incoming call event.

10. The method according to claim 9, in, Receiving the incoming call event using the default first phone application includes: receiving a cellular network voice call event having a first call leg through a first connection to a telecommunications network, and Wherein, accepting the incoming call event using the second phone application comprises: receiving the second call leg to the telecommunications network; and A call event continuity identifier unique to the incoming call event is associated with each of the first call leg and the second call leg such that the first call leg and the second call leg are connectable at a common port in the telecommunications network.

11. The method according to claim 10, in, The second telephony application includes a conferencing application executing on the device, the conferencing application supporting video and content sharing features using a data connection to a conferencing service, and Wherein, accepting the second call leg includes: accepting a data connection to the conference service to support and execute video and content sharing features of the conference application.

12. The method according to claim 10, in, Accepting the incoming call event using the second phone application includes: determining a quality of a second connection to the telecommunications network and comparing the determined quality of the second connection to a threshold; If the determined quality of the second connection is below the threshold, performing the incoming call event using the first call segment; and If the determined quality of the second connection is above the threshold, the incoming call event is performed using the second call segment.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, in, The default first phone application is associated with the first phone number, and The second telephone application is associated with a second telephone number.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, in, The default first phone application and the second phone application are associated with the same phone number.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, comprising: detecting proximity of an object to a screen of the device; determining whether a screen of the device is visible to a user based on the detected proximity; as well as Based on determining that the screen of the device is not visible to the user, a transition is caused from the second call leg to the first call leg.

Images