IP Library Granted Patent US 10,104,133
Granted Patent B2
US 10,104,133 · App. 15/246,077 · Granted Oct 16, 2018

Data communications

Inventor: Colin Tregenza Dancer (Enfield, GB)
Assignee: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.
H04L65/1069H04L65/1059H04L65/1083H04L65/1086H04L67/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,104,133
App. No.
15/246,077
Granted
Oct 16, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Measures for use in operating a subscriber device in a network. An audio call communication session is conducted between the subscriber device and an audio call client of a remote user device. The audio call communication session includes the transfer of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device. During the audio call communication session, transmittal, to a user interface associated with a user of the remote user device, of information associated with switching communication from the audio call client of the remote user device to a web browser client is caused. A real-time media data communication session is established between the subscriber device and the web browser client. Real-time media data is transferred between the subscriber device and the web browser client instead of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device.

Claims (56)

1. A method of operating a subscriber device in a network, the method comprising:

conducting an audio call communication session between the subscriber device and an audio call client of a remote user device, the audio call communication session comprising the transfer of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device;

during the audio call communication session, causing transmittal, to a user interface associated with a user of the remote user device, of information associated with switching communication from the audio call client of the remote user device to a web browser client;

in response to the transmittal, establishing a real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client; and

transferring real-time media data between the subscriber device and the web browser client instead of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web browser client is located on the remote user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web browser client is located on a different device from the remote user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information comprises signalling information for use in establishing the real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising tearing down the audio call communication session.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information is encoded within a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information comprises one or more of:

a network address for a network node via which establishment of the real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client is to be facilitated, and

a host name for a network node via which establishment of the real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client is to be facilitated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the transmitted information is cryptographically secured.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted information comprises one or more of:

a secure token which comprises a cryptographically secure encoding of an identifier for the subscriber device and/or a user of the subscriber device,

a secure token which comprises a cryptographically secure encoding of an identifier for the audio call communication session,

billing information for the audio call communication session, and

an expiry date for the transmitted information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web browser client comprises a browser-based real-time media communication capability and the media data is transferred via the browser-based real-time media communication capability.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transferred real-time media data comprises one or more of:

video data, and

audio data in an enhanced format compared to the audio data transferred via the audio call client.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the transmittal of the information comprises:

generating the information at the subscriber device and transmitting the information from the subscriber device to the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device, or

instructing a network node to generate the information and transmit the generated information from the instructed network node to the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the transmittal of the information comprises causing the subscriber device to:

follow a reference to a subscriber profile for a user of the subscriber device stored at a service provider node;

retrieve the information from the subscriber profile; and

transmit the information to the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device, or

causing the subscriber device to provide, to the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device, a reference to a subscriber profile for the user of the subscriber device stored at a service provider node, whereby the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device uses the reference to the subscriber profile to cause the service provider node to transmit the information to the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber device comprises a user interface and the method comprises:

configuring the user interface of the subscriber device to present an option to the subscriber to switch communication from the audio call client of the remote user device to the web browser client; and

in response to the configuring, receiving, via the user interface of the subscriber device, user input indicating that the subscriber accepts the communication switch option,

wherein the real-time media data communication session is established between the subscriber device and the web browser client in response to receipt of the user input.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising receiving, from a network node via which establishment of the real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client is to be facilitated, an instruction to invoke a communication client on the subscriber device which is capable of transferring real-time media data with the web browser client,

wherein the real-time media data is transferred between the capable communication client of the subscriber device and the web browser client.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the real-time media data communication session established between the web browser client and the remote user device comprises:

a first real-time media data communication session between the remote user device and a network node via which establishment of the real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client is to be facilitated, and a second real-time media data communication session between the web browser client and the network node, or

a direct real-time media data communication session between the remote user device and the web browser client.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio call client of the remote user device does not support real-time transfer of media data.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device is comprised in the remote user device, or

wherein the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device is comprised in a different device from the remote user device, and/or

wherein the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device is comprised in the same device as the web browser client, or

wherein the user interface associated with the user of the remote user device is comprised in a different device from the web browser client.

19. A system for use in operating a subscriber device in a network, the system comprising at least one memory including computer program code; and

at least one processor in data communication with the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

conduct an audio call communication session between the subscriber device and an audio call client of a remote user device, the audio call communication session comprising the transfer of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device;

during the audio call communication session, cause transmittal, to a user interface associated with a user of the remote user device, of information associated with switching communication from the audio call client of the remote user device to a web browser client;

in response to the transmittal, establish a real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client; and

transfer real-time media data between the subscriber device and the web browser client instead of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a method of operating a subscriber device in a network, the method comprising:

conducting an audio call communication session between the subscriber device and an audio call client of a remote user device, the audio call communication session comprising the transfer of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device;

during the audio call communication session, causing transmittal, to a user interface associated with a user of the remote user device, of information associated with switching communication from the audio call client of the remote user device to a web browser client;

in response to the transmittal, establishing a real-time media data communication session between the subscriber device and the web browser client; and

transferring real-time media data between the subscriber device and the web browser client instead of audio data between the subscriber device and the audio call client of the remote user device.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2026
From: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
To: ALIANZA, INC.
Reel/Frame 075645/0892 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 13, 2026
From: ALIANZA, INC.
To: ALIANZA, LLC
Reel/Frame 075646/0037 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2026
From: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 075578/0155 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2025
From: ALIANZA, INC.; METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 071191/0228 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2017
From: TREGENZA DANCER, COLIN
To: METASWITCH NETWORKS LTD.
Reel/Frame 043841/0327 →
Priority Claims (1)
GB 1514999 · Aug 24, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170063941A1 · Mar 2, 2017