Presence and/or capability based communication
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatuses for detecting current presence and/or determining capabilities of subscribers, and enabling users of communication devices to initiate communication sessions with other communication devices of selected ones of the subscribers, in selected manners, based at least in part on current presence and/or capabilities of the other subscribers, are described herein. In various embodiments, the initiating is performed without or substantially without further input from an initiating user on the other communication device.
1. A method comprising:
receiving presence and capability data by a communication device, of subscribers of interest to a user of the communication device, the presence and capability data correspondingly indicating current presence and capability of the subscribers of interest;
receiving a request by the communication device, from the user to initiate a communication session with a selected one of the subscribers of interest;
initiating the communication session, by the communication device, with another communication device associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest in a selected manner, based at least in part on the presence and capability data of the selected one of the subscribers of interest; and
wherein the subscribers of interest are associated with a presence and capability detector that is physically placed at a location and used to monitor the presence and capability of the subscribers of interest at this location; and
wherein the presence and capability detector communicates with identification devices physically proximate to the subscribers of interest via a Personal and/or Local Area Network that is located at this location and independent from the selected manner associated with the communication session.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating comprises initiating a call by the communication device to a preferred communication device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, if the presence and capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest indicates presence and capability unknown or uncertain for the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating comprises initiating a call by the communication device to a communication device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, located at a home, an office, or a conference room of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, if the presence data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest indicates presence at the home, the office or the conference room of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, respectively.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating comprises initiating a call by the communication device to a communication device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, corresponding to the capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating comprises requesting a communication service provider to establish the communication session with the subscriber of interest, with the communication service provider establishing the communication session to a communication device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, based at least in part on the presence and capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating is performed in response to said receiving of a request to initiate a communication session, without or substantially without receiving further input from the initiating user about the other communication device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving of presence and capability data comprises receiving by the communication device, the presence and capability data from a proximally disposed presence and capability detector, or from a remotely disposed presence and capability data server.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting by the communication device, an identification of the user or the communication device, and capability of the communication device to a proximally located presence and capability detector.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of said transmitting or receiving is performed in accordance with either a personal network communication protocol or a local area network communication protocol.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining by the communication device, a current presence and capability of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, based at least in part on the received presence and capability data of the subscribers of interest.
11. A mobile communication device comprising:
a transmit and receive module that transmits and receives signals to facilitate a user of the mobile communication device to engage in a communication session with another communication device of a selected one of a plurality of subscribers of interest of the user;
a communication control module coupled to the transmit and receive module, the communication control module receives presence and capability data of the subscribers of interest, receives a request from the user to initiate the communication session, and initiates the communication session with the selected one of the subscribers of interest in a selected manner, based at least in part on the presence and capability data of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, and using the transmit and receive module;
wherein the subscribers of interest are associated with a presence and capability detector that is physically placed at a location and used to monitor the presence and capability of the subscribers of interest at this location; and
wherein the presence and capability detector communicates with identification devices physically proximate to the subscribers of interest via a Personal and/or Local Area Network that is located at this location and independent from the selected manner associated with the communication session.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module initiates the communication session by initiating a call to a preferred device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, if the presence and capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest indicates presence and capability unknown or uncertain for the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module initiates the communication session by initiating a call to a device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, located at a home, an office, or a conference room of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, if the presence data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest indicates presence at the home, the office or the conference room of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, respectively.
14. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module initiates the communication session by initiating a call to a device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, corresponding to the capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
15. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module performs said initiating by requesting a communication service provider to establish the communication session with the subscriber of interest, with the communication service provider establishing the communication session to a device of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, based at least in part on the presence and capability data associated with the selected one of the subscribers of interest.
16. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module performs said initiating in response to said receiving of a request to initiate a communication session, without or substantially without receiving further input from the initiating user about the other communication device.
17. The device of claim 11 , wherein said communication control module receives the presence and capability data from a proximally disposed presence and capability detector, or from a remotely disposed presence and capability data server.
18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the transmit and receive module transmits an identification of the user or the communication device, and capability of the communication device to a proximally located presence and capability detector.
19. The device of claim 11 , wherein the communication control module determines a current presence and capability of the selected one of the subscribers of interest, based at least in part on the received presence and capability data of the subscribers of interest.
20. A method comprising:
detecting by a detector located in an area, presence and determining communication capability of a subscriber in the area via at least one Personal and/or Local Area Network in the area; and
directly or indirectly reporting the detected presence and determined communication capability, by the detector, to a communication device of a user having interest in the subscriber, to enable the user to initiate a communication session with the subscriber in a selected manner, based at least in part on the report presence and capability of the subscriber, wherein the at least one Personal and/or Local Area Network is associated with the area and independent from the selected manner associated with the communication session.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said detecting comprises receiving an identification of the subscriber or an identification of a device associated with the subscriber.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving from a communication device or an identification device associated with the subscriber.
23. The method claim 21 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving from a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein said receiving comprises receiving from a communication device, and the method further comprises either the detector transmitting one or more discovery packets to trigger the communication device to respond with the received identification and capability, or the detector transmitting a response to one or more discovery packets transmitted by the communication device, resulting in the communication device providing the identification and capability.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein said reporting comprises transmitting the detected presence and capability to the communication device directly, or indirectly via a server.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein said transmitting is either performed substantially in real time on detection of the presence and capability, or performed in batch with detected presence and capabilities of other subscribers.
27. An apparatus comprising:
a transmit and receive module that transmits and receives signals; and
a detection module coupled to the transmit and receive module (1) to detect presence of a subscriber in an area covered by the apparatus and determine communication capability of the subscriber area via at least one Personal and Local Area Network in the area, and (2) to directly or indirectly report the detected presence and/or capability to a communication device of a user having interest in the subscriber, to enable the user to initiate a communication session with the subscriber in a selected manner, based at least in part on the reported presence and capability of the subscriber;
wherein the detection module is physically placed in the area, and used to monitor the presence and capability of the subscribers of interest in this area; and
wherein the detection module communicates with an identification device physically proximate to the subscriber-via the Personal and/or Local Area Network that is independent from the selected manner associated with the communication session.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the detection module receives an identification of the subscriber or an identification and capability of a device associated with the subscriber.
29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the detection module receives the identification from a communication device or an identification device associated with the subscriber.
30. The apparatus claim 29 , wherein the detection module receives the identification from a RFID device.
31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the detection module receives the identification from a communication device, and the detection module either further transmits one or more discovery packets to trigger the communication device to respond with the received identification and capability, or further transmits a response to one or more discovery packets transmitted by the communication device, resulting in the communication device providing the identification and capability.
32. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the detection module transmits the detected presence and capability to the communication device directly, or indirectly via a server.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the detection module performs said transmitting either substantially in real time on detection of the presence and capability, or in batch with detected presence and capabilities of other subscribers.
34. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the apparatus is either a desk handset, a base station of a cordless phone, a set-top box, a media control center, or an access point.