Local communication agent
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a local agent operating in association with a communication client. The local agent acts on behalf of the communication client to enable capabilities the communication client is not capable of providing, by serving as a liaison between the communication client and the remainder of the communication network. By enabling additional capabilities and functionality, the local agent makes the communication client compatible with other communication clients and intermediate devices and systems through which communications are established. The local agent may process both messages and media streams to ensure compatibility, as well as facilitate interaction with other applications or a user to gather information sufficient to respond to requests from the other communication devices and systems.
1. A system for enhancing communication client capability comprising a local agent operatively associated with a communication client such that the local agent is operating within a same device as the communication client and configured to operate on behalf of the communication client and enable communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing by serving as a liaison between the communication client and the remainder of a communication network, wherein the local agent is implemented at an edge of the communication network on which the communication client resides and the local agent is configured to allow compatibility between the communication client and other communication clients by processing both messages and media streams to provide compatibility.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a personal communications device comprising a central processing unit and memory cooperating to provide the communication client and the local agent.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a central processing unit and memory cooperating to provide the local agent wherein the communication client is provided in a personal communication device operatively associated with the system at the edge of the network.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to interact with an intermediate device through which media sessions must be established to allow the media sessions to be established and maintained with another communication client through the intermediate device.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the intermediate device is a network address translation device.
6. The system of claim 4 wherein the intermediate device is a firewall.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to process messages to and from the communication client to enable the communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the local agent is further configured to change addressing of the messages to enable communications between the communication client and another entity.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the local agent is further configured to reformat the messages to enable communications between the communication client and another entity.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to process media streams associated with media sessions to and from the communication client to enable the communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by buffering incoming or outgoing media streams.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by changing a compression associated with incoming or outgoing media streams.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by changing at least one of the group consisting of coding and decoding associated with incoming or outgoing media streams.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by recharacterizing incoming or outgoing media streams.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by conditioning incoming or outgoing media streams.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by reconstructing incoming or outgoing media streams.
17. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to effect interaction with a user of the communication client to gather information necessary to respond to another communication client on behalf of the communication client.
18. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to effect interaction with an application associated with a device on which the communication client is provided to gather information necessary to respond to another communication client on behalf of the communication client.
19. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to implement features the communication client is not capable of providing.
20. The system of claim 1 wherein the local agent is further configured to provide a user interface on a device that provides the communication client.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication client and the local agent combine to form an endpoint at the edge of the network.
22. A method for enhancing communication client capability with a local agent operatively associated with a communication client, the method comprising:
a) operating the local agent on behalf of the communication client; and
b) enabling communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing by serving as a liaison between the communication client and the remainder of a communication network, wherein the local agent operates within a same device as the communication client and is implemented at an edge of the communication network on which the communication client resides and the local agent is configured to allow compatibility between the communication client and other communication clients by processing both messages and media streams to provide compatibility.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein a personal communications device comprises a central processing unit and memory that cooperate to provide the communication client and the local agent.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein a central processing unit and memory cooperate to provide the local agent and the communication client is provided in a personal communication device operatively associated with the central processing unit.
25. The method of claim 22 further comprising interacting with an intermediate device through which media sessions must be established to allow the media sessions to be established and maintained with another communication client through the intermediate device.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the intermediate device is a network address translation device.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein the intermediate device is a firewall.
28. The method of claim 22 further comprising processing messages to and from the communication client to enable the communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing.
29. The method of claim 28 further comprising changing addressing of the messages to enable communications between the communication client and another entity.
30. The method of claim 28 further comprising reformatting the messages to enable communications between the communication client and another entity.
31. The method of claim 22 further comprising processing media streams associated with media sessions to and from the communication client to enable the communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the local agent is further configured to process the media streams by buffering incoming or outgoing media streams.
33. The method of claim 31 further comprising processing the media streams by changing a compression associated with incoming or outgoing media streams.
34. The method of claim 31 further comprising processing the media streams by changing at least one of the group consisting of coding and decoding associated with incoming or outgoing media streams.
35. The method of claim 31 further comprising processing the media streams by recharacterizing incoming or outgoing media streams.
36. The method of claim 31 further comprising processing the media streams by conditioning incoming or outgoing media streams.
37. The method of claim 31 further comprising processing the media streams by reconstructing incoming or outgoing media streams.
38. The method of claim 22 further comprising interacting with a user of the communication client to gather information necessary to respond to another communication client on behalf of the communication client.
39. The method of claim 22 further comprising interacting with an application associated with a device on which the communication client is provided to gather information necessary to respond to another communication client on behalf of the communication client.
40. The method of claim 22 further comprising implementing features the communication client is not capable of providing.
41. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing a user interface on a device that provides the communication client.
42. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with software for enhancing communication client capability, the software comprising instructions to provide a local agent operatively associated with a communication client, and operate on behalf of and enable communication functions that the communication client is not capable of providing by serving as a liaison between the communication client and the remainder of a communication network, wherein the local agent is implemented at an edge of the communication network on which the communication client resides and the local agent is configured to allow compatibility between the communication client and other communication clients by processing both messages and media streams to provide compatibility.