Granted Patent B2

US 9,325,753 · App. 13/840,659 · Granted Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A video communication device specifically configured for use by a hearing-impaired user, the video communication device comprising:

an electronic display;

a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor operably coupled with the electronic display and the memory, the processor configured to execute the computer-readable, instructions to:

generate and display a graphical user interface on the electronic display, the graphical user interface configured to enable a user create and administer a user group by:

prompting user to create a set of group credentials through the graphical user interface for a new user group that includes the video communication device;

accepting information through the graphical user interface identifying one or more other video communication devices that the user desires to add to the new user group;

causing invitation to join the new user group to be sent each of the one or more other video communication devices identified by the user through the graphical user interface; and

causing the one or more video communication devices to be linked to a group unique identifier responsive to the invitation being accepted such that the all video communication devices of the new user group are notified of an incoming video call when the group unique identifier is used by another communication device to place the incoming video call, wherein each of the video communication devices of the new user group are also linked to an individual unique identifier such that only an individual video communication device is notified of the incoming video call when the individual unique identifier is called; and

causing information to be shared with each video communication device that is part of the user group outside of a call responsive to the invitation being accepted, wherein group information is selected from the group consisting of a group blocked caller list, a group message history, group text messages, group video messages, a group call history, a group address book, and a combination of any thereof;

receive incoming video calls responsive to the another communication device using the individual unique identifier to place the incoming video call; and

receive incoming video calls along with the video communication devices of the new user group responsive to the another communication device using the group unique identifier through to place the incoming video call.

2. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to present a join existing group option through the graphical user interface to enable the user to associate the video communication device with an existing user group responsive to the user selecting the join existing group option and providing a set of group credentials for the existing user group to the graphical user interface.

3. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to present an agreement through the graphical user interface delineating one or more terms for creating the new user group, and present an accept agreement option and a reject agreement option for the user to select.

4. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

present a status of each of the invitations through the graphical user interface indicating whether the invitations have been accepted to join the new user group; and enable the user to cancel an outstanding invitation through the graphical user interface.

5. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to enable a user to remove a video communication device from the new user group that the video communication device belongs to through the graphical user interface such that the removed video communication device is no longer linked with the group unique identifier and the shared group information is no longer accessible by the removed video communication device responsive to being removed from the new user group.

6. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the incoming video calls are routed through a video relay service configured to assist the hearing-impaired user by providing sign language interpretive services during communication sessions.

7. The video communication device of claim 1 , wherein the group information further includes shared settings selected from the group consisting of a number of rings that occurs before going to voice mail, a common voice mail message that is applied to all video communication devices of the new user group.

8. A video communication system, comprising: one or more servers configured to:

address a video communication device with an individual unique identifier assigned to the video communication device such that only the video communication device receives incoming calls placed by another communication device using the individual unique identifier;

create a new user group including a group unique identifier responsive to a user selecting a create new group option on a graphical user interface of the video communication device;

send an invitation to join the new user group to a plurality of different video communication devices selected by the user through the graphical user interface of the video communication device;

address the video communication device and any video communications that accept the invitation with the group unique identifier assigned to the new user group such that all video communication devices of the new user group receive incoming calls placed by another communication device using the group unique identifier;

maintain shared group information for the new user group and providing common access of the shared group information to all video communication devices of the new user group that accept the invitation outside of a call, wherein the shared group information is selected from the group consisting of a group blocked caller list, a group message history, group text messages, group video messages, a group call history, a group address book, and combinations thereof.

9. The video communication system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more servers are configured to not address the video communication device with the group unique identifier assigned to the new user group responsive to the user selecting a cancel user group option through the graphical user interface of the video communication device such that all video communication devices of the canceled new user group only receive incoming calls placed by another communication device using their individual unique identifiers and not the group unique identifier.

10. The video communication system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more servers are configured to address the video communication device with a new group unique identifier assigned to the new user group.

11. The video communication system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more servers are configured to:

retain a prior version of individual information that existed for the video communication devices prior to joining the new user group; and

remove access to the shared group information for any video communication devices that are no longer part of the new user group such that their information reverts back to the individual information that existed prior to joining the new user group.

12. A video communication system comprising:

one or more servers are configured to:

address video communication devices with an individual unique identifier assigned to individual video communication devices such that an incoming call placed by another communication device using the individual unique identifier is sent only to the video communication device to which the individual unique identifier is assigned;

create a new user group including a group unique identifier responsive to a user selecting a create new group option on a graphical user interface of one of the video communication devices;

send an invitation to join the new user group to different video communication devices selected by the user through the graphical user interface of one of the video communication devices; and

address the different video communication devices with the group unique identifier assigned to the new user group as a calling number for all video communication devices that accepted the invitation to the new user group such that an incoming call placed by another communication device using the group unique identifier is sent to all of the different video communication devices that are part of the new user group, wherein the group unique identifier is promoted from a previous individual unique identifier assigned to one of the video communication devices of the new user group, and the video communication device whose individual unique identifier was promoted as the group unique identifier is assigned with a new individual unique identifier.

13. The video communication system of claim 12 , wherein the group unique identifier is promoted from the previous individual unique identifier assigned to the video communication device used to create the new user group.

14. The video communication system of claim 12 , wherein the group unique identifier is promoted from the previous individual unique identifier assigned to one of the video communication devices in the new user group other than the video communication device used to create the new user group.

15. A method of creating a new user group for a plurality of video communication devices, the method comprising:

presenting a create new group option at a graphical user interface on an electronic display of a first video communication device;

detecting, by a processor of the first video communication device, a selection of the create new group option through the graphical user interface;

receiving, by the processor, information from a user through the graphical user interface, the information identifying underline different video communication devices to be added to a new user group;

sending an invitation from the first video communication device to each of the different video communication devices to join the new user group created by the user through the graphical user interface of the first video communication device; and

adding each of the different video communication devices that accept the invitation to the new user group by causing a group unique identifier to be assigned thereto, the group unique identifier linking the first video communication device and the different video communication devices added to the new user group such that they all receive notification of an incoming call placed by another communication device using the group unique identifier;

providing the first communication device and each of the different video communication devices that accepts the invitation to the new user group with common access to shared group information outside of a call, wherein the shared group information is selected from the group consisting of a group blocked caller list, a group message history, group text messages, group video messages, a group call history, a group address book, and combinations thereof; and

receiving an incoming call through the one or more servers responsive to another communication device placing the incoming call using either an individual unique identifier assigned to only the first video communication device or the group unique identifier.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the information from the user through the graphical user interlace comprises receiving the individual unique identifier corresponding to each of the different video communication devices that are selected by the user as members to join the new user group.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, a description through the graphical user interface of each of the different video communication devices.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving a description of each of the different video communication devices comprises receiving a description of a location of each of the different video communication devices.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising cancelling the invitation sent to at least one of the different video communication devices responsive to receiving an input from the user through the graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising enabling the user to cancel the user group through the graphical user interface.

Assignments (17)