Granted Patent B2

US 9,100,200 · App. 13/701,526 · Granted Aug 4, 2015

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. A method for augmenting a communication session, comprising:

initiating, from a first terminal of a first party, a text chat session with a second terminal of a second party;

identifying user activity of the first party at the first terminal associated with the text chat session; and

automatically activating a video call session with the second terminal of the second party, based on initiation of the text chat session and consent by the first and second parties, while the user is actively associated with the text chat session.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reaching consent, during the text chat session, between the first and second parties to automatically engage in the video call session while in the text chat session.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing the consent in a storage of the first terminal, the consent being reached during a previous communication session between the first and second parties.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating further comprises:

activating the video call session in response to the first party and the second party being actively associated with the text chat session.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying further comprises:

detecting that the user is inputting text to the text chat session at the first terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recording a video message in response to the automatic activation of the video call session; and

transmitting the video message to a remote server for storage until a user of the second terminal is identified to be actively using the second terminal, the video message being transmitted in parallel with a text message of the text chat session.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a video message from the second terminal;

storing the received video message for display until detection of user activity of the first terminal associated with the text chat session; and

displaying the stored video message in response to identifying the user activity at the first terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a video message from the second terminal; and

automatically displaying the received video message upon receipt during the identified user activity.

9. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a wireless communications unit configured to communicate text and video data to a second wireless communications device;

a text communication module configured to receive text input from a user for transmission to the second wireless communications device during a text chat session;

a video communication module configured to activate, in response to initiation of the text chat session and consent by parties of the wireless communications device and the second wireless communications device, a video call session with the second wireless communications device during the text chat session; and

a processor configured to execute the text communication module and the video communication module.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a storage device configured to store the consent, the consent being reached during a previous communication session between the wireless communications device and the second wireless communications device.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 9 , wherein the video communication module is further configured to detect that the user is providing the text input at the wireless communications device.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a storage device configured to store video data, wherein:

the wireless communications unit is further configured to receive a video message from the second wireless communications device during the video call session; and

the video communications module is further configured to store the received video message for display until detection of the user providing the text input, and display the stored video message in response to the detection of the user providing the text input at the wireless communications device.

13. The wireless communications device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a storage device configured to store video data, wherein:

the video communication module is further configured to record a video message in the storage device in response to the automatic activation of the video call session; and

the wireless communications unit is further configured to transmit the video message to a remote server for storage until a user of the second wireless communications device is identified to be actively using the second wireless communications device, the video message being transmitted in parallel with a text message of the text chat session.

14. The wireless communications device of claim 9 , wherein:

the wireless communications unit is further configured to receive a video message from the second wireless communications device during the video call session; and

the video communications module is further configured to automatically display the received video message upon receipt while the user is engaged with the wireless communications device.

15. The wireless communications device of claim 9 , wherein:

the text communication module is further configured to receive text input from the user for transmission to a third wireless communications device during the text chat session; and

the video communication module is further configured to automatically include the third wireless communications device in the video call session with the second wireless communications device during the text chat session based on consent by parties of the wireless communications device, the second wireless communications device, and the third wireless communications device.

16. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly recording computer program logic for augmenting a communication session, the computer program product comprising:

code to initiate, from a first terminal of a first party, a text chat session with a second terminal of a second party;

code to identify user activity of the first party at the first terminal associated with the text chat session; and

code to automatically activate a video call session with the second terminal of the second party, based on initiation of the text chat session and consent by the first and second parties, while the user is actively associated with the text chat session.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising:

code to reach consent, during the text chat session, between the first and second parties to automatically engage in the video call session while in the text chat session.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising:

code to access the consent in a storage of the first terminal, the consent being reached during a previous communication session between the first and second parties.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the code to identify further comprises:

code to detect that the user is inputting text to the text chat session at the first terminal.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising:

code to record a video message in response to the automatic activation of the video call session; and

code to transmit the video message to a remote server for storage until a user of the second terminal is identified to be actively using the second terminal, the video message being transmitted in parallel with a text message of the text chat session.

Assignments (12)