Session quality display in a wireless communication system
View Patent ↗Wireless communication systems may transfer communication status to a session icon that is displayed on a wireless communication device such as a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, a game console, a hand-held or wearable console, or other software processing device that has a wireless transceiver. A session quality server system obtains communication status data for a set of communication contacts. The session quality server system transfers the communication status data of the contact set over to the wireless communication device. Before a media session such as a voice call is established with a communication contact, the wireless communication device displays a session icon for that communication contact. The communication status of that contact is visually indicated in the session icon.
1. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:
in a session quality server system, identifying a set of communication contacts for a wireless communication device;
in the session quality server system, obtaining communication status data for the set of communication contacts, wherein the communication status data indicates at least one of signal quality or type of access network associated with each communication contact in the set of communication contacts;
in the session quality server system, transferring the communication status data for the set of communication contacts for delivery to the wireless communication device;
in the wireless communication device, receiving the communication status data for the set of communication contacts transferred by the session quality server;
in the wireless communication device, receiving a session request for a media session, wherein the session request originates from a communication contact in the set of communication contacts;
in the wireless communication device and in response to the session request, displaying a session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact;
in the wireless communication device, receiving a user selection of the session icon and, in response to the user selection, establishing the media session with the communication contact.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
transferring and receiving the communication status data for the set of communication contacts comprises session icon color data for each communication contact in the set of communication contacts; and
displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon using a color indicated by the session icon color data for the communication contact.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the session icon using a color indicated by the session icon color data for the communication contact comprises using a red color to indicate low session quality, a yellow color to indicate moderate session quality, and a green color to indicate high session quality.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon with a graphical fill level to indicate the communication status data for the communication contact.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon indicating access network status for the communication contact.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
transferring and receiving the communication status data for the set of communication contacts comprises a high definition voice (HD Voice) indicator for each communication contact in the set of communication contacts; and
displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon using a visual representation of the HD Voice indicator for the communication contact.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying an answer icon.
8. The method of claim 7 displaying the answer icon comprises sizing the answer icon according to the communication status data for the communication contact.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying a session-origination icon.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the session-origination icon is displayed within a contact data set or a session history data set.
11. A wireless communication system comprising:
a wireless access network;
a session quality server system configured to:
identify a set of communication contacts for a wireless communication device;
obtain communication status data for the set of communication contacts, wherein the communication status data indicates at least one of signal quality or type of access network associated with each communication contact in the set of communication contacts;
transfer the communication status data for the set of communication contacts for delivery to the wireless communication device using the wireless access network;
the wireless communication device configured to:
receive from the wireless access network the communication status data for the set of communication contacts transferred by the session quality server;
receive a session request for a media session, wherein the session request originates from a communication contact in the set of communication contacts;
in response to the session request, display a session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the one communication contact;
receive a user selection of the session icon and, in response to the user selection, establishing the media session with the one communication contact.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein:
transferring and receiving the communication status data for the set of communication contacts comprises session icon color data for each communication contact in the set of communication contacts; and
displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon using a color indicated by the session icon color data for the one communication contact.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein displaying the session icon using a color indicated by the session icon color data for the communication contact comprises using a red color to indicate low session quality, a yellow color to indicate moderate session quality, and a green color to indicate high session quality.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon with a graphical fill level to indicate the communication status data for the communication contact.
15. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying the session icon indicating access network status for the communication contact.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein:
transferring and receiving the communication status data for the set of communication contacts comprises a high definition voice (HD Voice) indicator for each communication contact in the set of communication contacts; and
displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the one communication contact comprises displaying the session icon using a visual representation of the HD Voice indicator for the communication contact.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying an answer icon.
18. The system of claim 17 displaying the answer icon comprises sizing the answer icon according to the communication status data for the communication contact.
19. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying the session icon that visually indicates the communication status data for the communication contact comprises displaying a session-origination icon.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the session-origination icon is displayed within a contact data set or a session history data set.