IP Library Granted Patent US 9,998,604
Granted Patent B2
US 9,998,604 · App. 15/618,791 · Granted Jun 12, 2018

Apparatus, system and method of call notifications to active communication devices

Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis (Waterloo, CA); Brian Alexander Oliver (Mercer Island, WA); Andrew Douglas Bocking (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
H04M3/543H04M3/4288H04M3/42263H04M3/54H04M3/58H04W4/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,998,604
App. No.
15/618,791
Granted
Jun 12, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.

Claims (43)

1. A communication device comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor enabled to:

receive a call via the communication interface;

determine whether the communication device is active, wherein the communication device is determined to be active if one or more of: the call is answered at the communication device, an activity at an input device of the communication device is indicated, and a motion is detected, and wherein otherwise the communication device is determined to be inactive;

when the communication device is inactive, determine that a second device is active by transmitting a query to the second device and receiving a response thereto from the second device; and

transmit a notification of the call to the second device for transferring the call to the second device.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further enabled to determine that the second device is active by receiving an indication of activity from the second device.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the query comprises a request for capabilities of the second device and the processor is further enabled to transmit the notification of the call to the second device when the response is indicative that the second device is capable of processing the call.

4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further enabled to:

determine that the second device is both active and capable of handling the call; and

transmit the notification of the call to the second device when the second device is both active and capable of handling the call.

5. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further enabled to:

place the call on hold; and

transmit a second notification to a calling device, the second notification indicative of one or more of instructions for waiting and a wait period for answering the call.

6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further enabled to transmit the query to the second device over a peer-to-peer protocol.

7. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine if the call is a video call, determine if the communication device has a front facing camera, and transmit the notification to the second device if it is determined that the communication device does not have a front facing camera.

8. A method comprising:

at a communication device comprising a processor and a communication interface, receiving a call for the communication device via the communication interface;

determining, at the processor, whether the communication device is active, wherein the communication device determined to be active if one or more of: the call is answered at the communication device, an activity at an input device of the communication device is indicated, and a motion is detected, and wherein otherwise it is determined that the communication device is inactive;

determining, at the processor, that a second device is active;

when the communication device is inactive, determining that a second device is active by transmitting a query to the second device and receiving a response thereto from the second device; and

transmitting a notification of the call to the second device for transferring the call to the second device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining that the second device is active by receiving an indication of activity from the second device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the query comprises a request for capabilities of the second device and the method further comprises transmitting the notification of the call to the second device when the response is indicative that the second device is capable of processing the call.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: determining that the second device is both active and capable of handling the call; and transmitting the notification of the call to the second device when the second device is both active and capable of handling the call.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

placing the call on hold; and

transmitting a second notification to a calling device, the second notification indicative of one or more of instructions for waiting and a wait period for answering the call.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting the query to the second device over a peer-to-peer protocol.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining if the call is a video call, determining if the communication device has a front facing camera, and transmitting the notification to the second device if it is determined that the communication device does not have a front facing camera.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:

at a communication device comprising a processor and a communication interface, receiving a call for the communication device via the communication interface;

determining, at the processor, whether the communication device is active, wherein the communication device determined to be active if one or more of: the call is answered at the communication device, an activity at an input device of the communication device is indicated, and a motion is detected, and wherein otherwise it is determined that the communication device is inactive;

determining, at the processor, that a second device is active;

when the communication device is inactive, determining that a second device is active by transmitting a query to the second device and receiving a response thereto from the second device; and

transmitting a notification of the call to the second device for transferring the call to the second device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein execution of the computer program is further for: determining that the second device is active by receiving an indication of activity from the second device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the query comprises a request for capabilities of the second device and the method further comprises transmitting the notification of the call to the second device when the response is indicative that the second device is capable of processing the call.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein execution of the computer program is further for: determining that the second device is both active and capable of handling the call; and transmitting the notification of the call to the second device when the second device is both active and capable of handling the call.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein execution of the computer program is further for:

placing the call on hold; and

transmitting a second notification to a calling device, the second notification indicative of one or more of instructions for waiting and a wait period for answering the call.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein execution of the computer program is further for: determining if the call is a video call, determining if the communication device has a front facing camera, and transmitting the notification to the second device if it is determined that the communication device does not have a front facing camera.

Assignments (4)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064271/0199 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064104/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 28, 2017
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 043027/0328 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2017
From: LAZARIDIS, MIHAL; OLIVER, BRIAN ALEXANDER; BOCKING, ANDREW DOUGLAS
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 042662/0904 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14969048 · Dec 15, 2015
Continuation 13534190 · Jun 27, 2012
Related Publication 20170279966A1 · Sep 28, 2017