Communication bridging in a remote office environment

Inventors: Andrei Soroker (Campbell, CA); Peter Hizalev (Campbell, CA); Bryan R. Martin (Campbell, CA)

Assignee: 8x8, Inc.

H04L12/1827 H04L12/1831 H04L51/04 H04L51/043 H04L51/046 H04L51/08 H04L51/56 H04L65/1063 H04L65/1069 H04L65/1083 H04L65/403 H04L67/1044 H04L69/08 H04M7/006 H04N7/147 H04N7/15 H04L61/50 H04L65/00 H04L65/75 H04L2101/604

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12701024
App. No.: 18/393,095
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B1

External Links

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Abstract

Certain aspects of the disclosure are directed to communication bridging among disparate communications formats and/or platforms in a remote communications environment involving first and second user devices. According to a specific example, a method including: using a data communications server to establish communication sessions between a first user endpoint device which uses a first chat-specific communications format and a second user endpoint device which uses a second communications format, wherein the first chat-specific communications format is incompatible with the second communications format; and bridging data communications, via the data communications server and a uniform resource locator, to enable the first user endpoint device to communicate with the second user endpoint device while the first and second user endpoint devices are respectively using the first chat-specific communications format and the second communications format.

Claims (28)

1 . A method comprising:

authenticating users of a first group of user-endpoint devices and users of a second group of user-endpoint devices;

responsive to the authentication of the users, forming, via a data communications server, a communication bridge between the first group of user-endpoint devices residing in a first collaborative virtual space that uses a first communications format corresponding to a first API communication protocol and the second group of user-endpoint devices residing in a second collaborative virtual space that uses a second communications format corresponding to a second API communication protocol incompatible with the first API communication protocol, wherein the first API communication protocol is associated with one of an audio/video conference and a chat session, and the second API communication protocol is associated with the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session; and

establishing, via the communication bridge, a communication session that enables the first group of user-endpoint devices, while in the first collaborative virtual space, and the second group of user-endpoint devices, while in the second collaborative virtual space, to collaborative with each other;

wherein the communication session enables the first group of user-endpoint devices, while in the first virtual space, and the second group of user-endpoint devices, while in the second virtual space, to communicate with each other by, via the communication bridge, receiving a communication sent from one of the first group of user-endpoint devices residing in the first virtual space in accordance with the first communication protocol, translating, the communication into a translated communication compatible with the second communication protocol, and relaying the translated communication to the second group of user-endpoint devices residing in the second virtual space.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, via communications involving a user interface linked to one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, via communications involving a set of client-specific administration settings associated with an authorized client-entity and with one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sharing a uniform resource locator (URL) that is used to facilitate formation of the communication bridge between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication bridge is formed in response to a request from a single user.

6 . A system comprising:

a data communications server comprising processing circuitry configured for facilitating communication between a first group of user-endpoint devices residing in a first collaborative virtual space that uses a first communications format corresponding to a first API communication protocol and a second group of user-endpoint devices residing in a second collaborative virtual space that uses a second communications format corresponding to a second API communication protocol incompatible with the first API communication protocol, wherein the first API communication protocol is associated with one of an audio/video conference and a chat session, and the second API communication protocol is associated with the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session, the processing circuitry configured for facilitating communication between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices by:

authenticating users of the first group of user-endpoint devices and users of the second group of user-endpoint devices;

forming a communication bridge between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices responsive to the authentication of the users; and

wherein the processing circuitry is configured for facilitating communication between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices by, via the communication bridge, receiving a communication sent from one of the first group of user-endpoint devices residing in the first virtual space in accordance with the first communication protocol, translating, the communication into a translated communication compatible with the second communication protocol, and relaying the translated communication to the second group of user-endpoint devices residing in the second virtual space.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured for facilitating communication between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices by further causing, via communications involving a user interface linked to one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of a audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured for facilitating communication between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices by further sharing a uniform resource locator (URL) that is used to facilitate formation of the communication bridge between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices.

9 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising a user interface configured for receiving a request to form the communication bridge from a single user, and the wherein the processing circuitry is configured for forming the communication bridge in response to the request from the single user.

10 . A computer-readable device storing computer instructions which, in response to being executed by a processing computer circuit which is part of a data communications server, causes a set of steps to be performed, the set of steps comprising:

sharing a uniform resource locator (URL) between a first group of user-endpoint devices and a second group of user-endpoint devices;

forming, via a data communications server, a communication bridge between a first group of user-endpoint devices residing in a first collaborative virtual space that uses a first communications format corresponding to a first API communication protocol and a second group of user-endpoint devices residing in a second collaborative virtual space that uses a second communications format corresponding to a second API communication protocol incompatible with the first API communication protocol, wherein formation of the communication bridge between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices is facilitated by the shared URL, and wherein the first API communication protocol is associated with one of an audio/video conference and a chat session, and the second API communication protocol is associated with the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session; and

11 . The computer-readable device of claim 10 , wherein the set of steps further comprises causing, via communications involving a user interface linked to one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.

12 . The computer-readable device of claim 10 , wherein the communication bridge is formed in response to a request from a single user.

13 . The computer-readable device of claim 10 , wherein the communication session enables the first group of user-endpoint devices, while in the first virtual space, and the second group of user-endpoint devices, while in the second virtual space, to communicate with each other by, via the communication bridge, receiving a communication sent from one of the first group of user-endpoint devices residing in the first virtual space in accordance with the first communication protocol, translating, the communication into a translated communication compatible with the second communication protocol, and relaying the translated communication to the second group of user-endpoint devices residing in the second virtual space.

14 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the data communication server is further configured for facilitating communication between the first group of user-endpoint devices and the second group of user-endpoint devices by further causing, via communications involving a set of client-specific administration settings associated with an authorized client-entity and with one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.

15 . The computer-readable device of claim 10 , wherein the set of steps further comprises causing, via communications involving a set of client-specific administration settings associated with an authorized client-entity and with one of the first group of user-endpoint devices, the communication session to change from the one of audio/video conference and the chat session to the other of the audio/video conference and the chat session.