US20150230147A1 - Inter-Network Communication Session Handoff - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods for hosting communication sessions are described. A communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device is hosted in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network in which a contact server functions as a bridge service between the first communication device and the second communication device. At least one of a communication link between the first communication device and the contact server and the second communication device and the contact server is initially a cellular communication link over a cellular network. The contact server analyzes at least two call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link and causes the communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff to an alternate communication link on an alternate network when at least one analyzed call quality characteristic of the cellular communication link crosses a threshold level.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/693,629 entitled “Intelligent Handoffs for Enhancing or Avoiding Dropped and Interrupted Communication Sessions”, which was filed on Dec. 4, 2012 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/577,579 entitled “Intelligent Handoff Between Networks”, which was filed on Dec. 19, 2011, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
• Communication devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, etc., may be equipped with cellular transceivers to enable communication via a cellular network. Additionally or alternatively, such communication devices may be equipped with other hardware and/or software components for enabling communication via other types of networks, including data networks such as, for example, the Internet, an intranet, a wide area network, a local area network, etc. Communication devices capable of communicating via multiple types of networks may be provided with functionality for handing-off a communication session from one network to another network, including a network of a different type, in order to avoid dropping the communication session. What is needed, however, is functionality for more intelligently managing such handoffs and otherwise enhancing communication sessions or avoiding dropped or interrupted communication sessions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
• FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary networked environment for implementing certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating exemplary interactions between a contact server, a caller device and a recipient device according to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for performing intelligent handoffs and/or multi-streaming in order to enhance communication sessions and/or avoid dropped or interrupted communication sessions according to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is flowchart illustrating an example of how multiple media streams may be processed in order to form a single media stream for a communication session according to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• The present invention provides systems and methods for intelligently enhancing communication sessions or avoiding dropped or interrupted communication sessions between or among communication devices. For example, a dropped or interrupted communication session may be avoided by handing-off the communication session from one network to another. As another example, multiple media streams from one communication device to another communication device may be aggregated, switched, mixed or otherwise combined in order to enhance the overall quality of a communication session and/or avoid the communication session being dropped or interrupted. The systems and methods of the invention may be embodied in and performed by communication devices, contact servers and other devices, and software instructions executed by some or all of such devices, as will be explained in detail below. The different types of networks contemplated herein include, for example, cellular networks, the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and data networks, such as the Internet or other IP-based networks, including wide area networks, local area networks, etc.
• As used herein the term “communications session” is meant to generally indicate any one-way or two-way exchange of information between two communication devices. Communication sessions may include voice communication sessions, multimedia communication sessions, or any other type of data communication sessions or messaging exchanges. As used herein, the term “communication link” is intended to mean a physical or logical channel that connects two or more devices. A communication link may be a signaling link or a media link. In this context, a communication session may be established via one or more communication links. One or more media streams may be transmitted over a communication link.
• Given the convergence of and interoperation among different types of network technologies, which blurs the line between various distinct networks, this disclosure focuses on access networks. An access network is the portion of a communications network that connects subscriber devices to a service provider's core network. Therefore, references herein to a communication device capable of connecting to or communicating via a cellular network refers to a communication device equipped with a cellular transceiver for communication with base stations and other cellular network access points. Similarly, references herein to a communication device capable of connecting to or communicating via a data network refers to a communication device equipped with a transceiver or other network interface for communication with a router or other data network access point.
• In accordance with certain embodiments, a communication device communicating with a first network may execute a “handoff application,” which causes the communication device to identify and connect to another network and to cause the communication session to be handed-off from the first network to the second with minimal or no service interruption. The handoff application may rely on intelligent communication session data in order to make intelligent determinations about whether and when a handoff is to occur. “Intelligent communication session data” is intended herein to mean any data relating to a communication session or its constituent communication link(s), such as detected signal strengths, available networks, protocol and buffer statistics and analysis, environmental and/or geographical factors, the performance of access points and other network components, past interactions between or among communication devices, access points and other network components, context of conversations during voice calls, and other data points described herein. The handoff application or other functionality executed by the communication device may create, record and/or monitor intelligent communication session data. The handoff application additionally or alternatively may receive intelligent communication session data from other communication devices and/or other network devices. In some embodiments, the handoff application additionally or alternatively receives intelligent communication session data and/or handoff instructions from a “handoff service,” which may be executed on a contact server or, in some embodiments, may be executed by the communication device or any other network device(s).
• A communication device may execute a “multi-stream application,” which may configure or control the device to concurrently communicate with two or more networks, thereby transmitting and/or receiving multiple media streams of the same or related content. The multiple media streams may be aggregated, switched, mixed or otherwise combined to enhance the overall quality of a communication session. The multi-stream application may rely on intelligent communication session data in order to make intelligent determinations about whether and when multi-streaming is to occur. The multi-stream application or other functionality executed by the communication device may create, record and/or monitor intelligent communication session data. The multi-stream application additionally or alternatively may receive intelligent communication session data from other communication devices and/or other network devices. In some embodiments, the multi-stream application additionally or alternatively receives intelligent communication session data and/or multi-streaming instructions from a “multi-stream service,” which may be executed on a contact server or, in some embodiments, may be executed by the communication device or any other network device(s).
• A contact server may be employed to manage communication sessions between or among multiple communication devices. For example, in some embodiments, when a first communication device (e.g., a caller device) is operated to establish a communication session with a second communication device (e.g., a recipient device), a first communication link may be established between the caller device and the contact sever and a second communication link may be established between the contact server and the recipient device. Various methods for establishing a communication link between the contact server and a communication device are known in the art and will of course depend on the type of access network used by the communication device. With the first and second communication links established, the contact server may then bridge the two communication links to establish the communication session between the communication devices. In other embodiments, the contact server may not physically bridge or relay media streams between communication devices, but may provide means of contact and/or facilitate signaling to set-up, manage and tear-down communication sessions between or among communication devices.
• The contact server may execute a “handoff service” and/or a “multi-stream service,” each of which may generate intelligent communication session data based on characteristics of or factors relating to the communication session and/or prior communication sessions between the caller device and the recipient device, as well as communications sessions between and among other communications devices. Each service may also collect and/or receive intelligent communication session data from one or more of the caller device, the recipient device, other communication devices and other network devices. In some embodiments, the handoff service and/or the multi-stream service may be configured to transmit intelligent communication session data to the caller device and/or the recipient device for use by the respective device's handoff application and/or the multi-stream application in determining whether and when a communication session should be handed-off from one network to another and/or whether multi-streaming should be performed. In other embodiments, the handoff service and/or the multi-stream service may analyze the intelligent communication session data to determine when a handoff and/or multi-streaming is appropriate and may instruct one or more of the communication devices to perform a handoff or to initiate or terminate multi-streaming. As mentioned, the handoff service and/or the multi-stream service do not necessarily need to be executed by the contact server; in some embodiments one or both services may be executed on one or more other network devices (e.g., in the cloud) or may be executed locally on one or more communication devices.
• FIG. 1 shows an exemplarynetworked environment100 for implementing certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Thenetworked environment100 may include at least onecontact server103, a plurality ofcommunication devices106 and109, and a plurality of networks111,112, and113. One or more of the networks111,112 and113 can be used to interconnect thecontact server103 and thecommunication devices106 and109. The exemplary networks111,112, and113 include one or morecellular networks111aand111b, one ormore data networks112aand112b, and one or more portions of the public switched telephone network (PSTN)113aand113b.
• In certain embodiments,cellular networks111aand111binclude cellular networks or portions of cellular networks based on GSM, LTE, CDMA, and/or any other cellular network standards.Data networks112aand112binclude, for example, the Internet, one or more intranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and the like, portions or all of which may be wireless and/or wired. For instance, a data network112 may be a wireless network or a portion of a wireless network implemented using an IEEE 802.11 standard, WiMAX, and/or any other wireless data communication standard. As is known in the art, the resources the various networks111,112, and113 may interface with thecontact server103 through gateway devices, routers and/or other appropriate devices (not shown). Similarly, thecommunication devices106 and109 may interface with the various networks111,112, and113 through appropriate access points (not shown).
• As is known in the art, a cellular network111 provides connectivity for any communication devices capable of cellular transmission that are physically located within range of the cellular network111. The range of a cellular network depends in part on an amplification, power, and/or energy associated with the antennas comprising cellular base station, communications devices and the like. As thecommunication device106 and/or109 moves toward the outer range of the cellular network111, the strength of the cellular signals will become degraded. Similarly, a wireless data network112 provides wireless connectivity to communication devices within range of a wireless access point. For instance, a wireless access point may provide connectivity using Wi-Fi standards, WiMAX standards, and/or any other type of connectivity standard. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, acommunication device106 and/or109 may experience a stronger connection signal when located closer to a wireless access point than when located further away from the wireless access point. Thus, the strength of the wireless data connection may fade as thecommunication device106 and/or109 moves away from a wireless access point.
• Thecontact server103 may comprise, for example, a server computer or any other system having computing capability. The schematic block diagram shows that thecontact server103 may include at least oneprocessor150, at least one communication interface155 (e.g., a network interface card or the like), and amemory160, each of which is coupled to alocal interface170. Thelocal interface170 may comprise, for example, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or other bus structure as can be appreciated. Stored in thememory160 are both data and several components (e.g., software applications) that are executable by theprocessor150 and which provide the functionality of thecontact server103.
• Alternatively, a plurality ofcontact servers103 may be employed and may be arranged, for example, in one or more server banks or computer banks or other arrangements. For example, a plurality ofcontact servers103 together may comprise a cloud computing resource, a grid computing resource, and/or any other aggregated or distributed computing arrangement.Such contact servers103 may be located in a single installation or may be distributed among different geographical locations. For purposes of convenience, thecontact server103 is illustrated inFIG. 1 and referred to herein in the singular. Even though thecontact server103 is referred to in the singular, it is understood that a plurality ofcontact servers103 may be employed in various arrangements as described above.
• Thecontact server103 may execute various applications and/or other functionality for, among other things, setting-up, managing and tearing-down communication sessions betweencommunication devices106 and109. Also, various data is stored in adata store114 that is stored in thememory160 of thecontact server103 or is otherwise accessible to thecontact server103. Thedata store114 illustrated inFIG. 1 may be representative of a plurality of data stores, as can be appreciated. The data stored in thedata store114, for example, may be associated with the operation of the various applications and/or functional entities of thecontact server103 as described below.
• The applications and/or functional entities of thecontact server103 may include, for example, ahandoff service115, abridge service116, amulti-stream service117 and other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functionality, including an operating system, not discussed in detail herein. Thehandoff service115 may be executed to generate, collect and/or analyze intelligent communication session data133 and to transmit intelligent communication session data133 and/or handoff instructions to one or more communication device(s)106 and109. Thehandoff service115 may generate intelligent communication session data133 by monitoring and/or analyzing various aspects and qualities of communication sessions, either itself or in conjunction with thebridge service116 or other functionality of thecontact server103. Thehandoff service115 may receive intelligent communication session data133 fromcommunication devices106,109 or other network components. Thehandoff service115 may also store the intelligent communication session data133 in and retrieve it from thedata store114.
• The intelligent communication session data133 may be used by thecommunication devices106 and109 to determine whether and when a communication session (e.g., voice call, multimedia call, message exchange, etc.) will or should be handed-off between a plurality of networks111,112, and113. In other embodiments, thehandoff service115 may process intelligent communication session data133 to determine when and whether a communication session should be handed-off between a plurality of networks111,112, and113 and to issue handoff commands to one or more of thecommunication devices106 and109 to trigger handoffs. Handoffs may be made between networks of the same type (e.g., a first data network to a second data network or a first cellular network to a second cellular network, etc.) or between networks of different types (e.g., a data network to a cellular network or vice versa, etc.).
• Thebridge service116 may be executed to establish and manage communication sessions between or among communication devices such as, for example, acaller device106 and arecipient device109. Thebridge service116 may be invoked by thecontact server103 in response to receiving a request, e.g., from acaller device106, to establish a communication session, e.g., with a recipient device. Thebridge service116 may be responsible for initiatingbridges119 to join together communication links between two ormore communication devices106,109 and thecontact server103. In this manner, thebridge119 serves as a media relay between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109 and/or other communication devices.
• Thebridge service116 may monitor the communication session or thebridge119 to determine whether any of thecommunication devices106,109 become disconnected. By uniquely identifying a communication session orbridge119 in association with thecaller device106 and the recipient device109 (e.g., using acaller device ID120 and a recipient device ID121), thebridge service116 may be able to reconnect thecaller device106 and/or therecipient device109 to the call if either (or both) of the devices loses its connection and attempts to re-connect via the same or a different network. In some embodiments, thecontact server103 may send a notification to a communication device that dropped the call to notify it that thebridge119 remains active or that the other communication device is otherwise still attempting to participate in the call. In some embodiments, the call can be automatically reestablished by thecontact server103 upon reaching the communication device that had lost its connection, while in other embodiments the user of the communication device may be prompted to input a command to indicate whether the call should or should not be reestablished.
• In other embodiments, thecontact server103 may establish and manage communication sessions and may relay media streams between or amongcommunication devices106,109 without using thebridge service116 or bridges119. In still other embodiments, the contact server may not physically bridge or otherwise relay media streams between or amongcommunication devices106,109, but may provide means of contact and/or facilitate signaling between thecommunication devices106,109 and/or other relevant network components in order to set-up and manage communication sessions.
• Themulti-stream service117 may be executed to determine when multiple media streams should be concurrently transmitted by acommunication device106,109 that is involved in or trying to establish a communication session and/or to manage multiple concurrent media streams associated with a single communication session. Themulti-stream service117 may generate, collect and/or analyze intelligent communication session data133 and transmit intelligent communication session data133 and/or multi-stream instructions to one or more communication device(s)106 and109. Themulti-stream service117 may generate intelligent communication session data133 by monitoring various aspects and qualities of communication sessions either itself or in conjunction with thebridge service116 or other functionality of thecontact server103. The multi-stream service may receive intelligent communication session data133 fromcommunication devices106,109 and/or other network components. Themulti-stream service117 may also store intelligent communication session data133 in and retrieve it from thedata store114.
• The intelligent communication session data133 may be used by thecommunication devices106 and109 to determine whether and when multiple media streams should be used in connection with a single communication session. In other embodiments, themulti-stream service117 may process intelligent communication session data133 to determine when multi-streaming should be invoked and to issue multi-streaming commands to one or more of thecommunication devices106 and109. Multi-streaming may involve transmitting/receiving multiple media streams over networks of the same type (e.g., a first data network and a second data network or a first cellular network and a second cellular network, etc.) or over networks of different types (e.g., a data network and a cellular network, etc.).
• Multiple media streams may be aggregated, switched, mixed or otherwise combined to enhance communication quality that would otherwise be available using a single media stream. For example, portions of one media stream may be supplemented with portions of one or more other media stream(s) so as to form a more complete media stream. In other words, one media stream can be monitored to determine and identify any missing or degraded portions (i.e., data packets) and the corresponding portions of one or more other media streams, if available, can be used in replacement of the missing or degraded portions. In some applications, multi-streaming may be used where acommunication device106,109 may not be able to establish a strong connection to any one network, but may be able to establish relatively weak(er) connections to two or more networks. For example, combining the two weak(er) media streams may form a higher quality media stream, enabling use of higher definition codec. In other applications, multi-streaming may be used as an “insurance policy”; in case one network connection is lost or significantly degrades, another network connection may be utilized instead without out the need for a handoff.
• In some embodiments, multiple media streams are transmitted by one ormore communications devices106,109 to thecontact server103, which executes themulti-stream service117 to manage (e.g., monitor, combine) the multiple media streams. In some implementations, thecontact server103 may open multiple ports or reserve multiple IP addresses, etc. each for receiving one of the multiple incoming media streams. In other implementations, thecontact server103 may receive multiple media streams at the same port or IP address. Themulti-stream service117 may invoke thebridge service116, which may create one or more bridge(s)119 to join communication links and associated media streams. For example, onebridge119 may be established to relay a first media stream from acaller device106 to arecipient device109 and anotherbridge119 may be established to relay a second media stream from acaller device106 to arecipient device109. In such a case, themulti-stream service117 may manage the communication session between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109 so as to switch between the first and second bridges as necessary to maintain consistent or acceptable communication quality. In another example, the multi-stream application may combine or aggregate multiple incoming media streams into a single media stream before applying it to abridge119. Alternatively, themulti-stream service117 and thecontact server103 may relay multiple media streams or combined media streams between and amongcommunication devices106,109 without the use of thebridge service116 or bridges119.
• Thecommunication devices106 and109 illustrated inFIG. 1 are representative of a plurality of communication devices that may be communicatively coupled to one or more of the networks111,112 and113. A communication device may comprise, for example, a processor-based or other computing system. For example, a communication device may be embodied in the form of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a set-top box, a music player, a web pad, a tablet computer, a game console, or any other device with like capabilities, including hardware and software components for establishing communication sessions via at least one of the networks111,112 and113.
• The schematic block diagram shows that thecommunication devices106,109 may each include at least one processor151, one or more communication interfaces123,126, and a memory140, each of which is coupled to a local interface171. The local interface171 may comprise, for example, a data bus with an accompanying address/control bus or other bus structure as can be appreciated.
• In some embodiments, at least one of theexemplary communication devices106 and109 may include hardware and software components for establishing communication sessions via at least two networks, such as two different networks111,112 and113, or two similar networks based on different standards (e.g., a 3G vs. 4G cellular network112, or a 2.5 GHz WiFi vs. a 5 GHz WiFi data network112, etc.). For example, one or both of thecommunication devices106 and109 may comprise a cellular transceiver123 and a Wi-Fi transceiver126. The cellular transceiver123 may be configured to receive and transmit data over a cellular network111. The Wi-Fi transceiver126 may be configured to receive and transmit data over a data network112. Additionally, thedevices106 and109 may include components (e.g., modem or network interface unit) configured to receive and transmit data over the PSTN113.
• Thecommunication devices106 and109 may further include memory140 for storing software (e.g., operating system, applications, etc.) and data (e.g., intelligent communication session data133, etc.). Thecommunication devices106 and109 may be configured to execute various applications, such as a data communication application127, a cellular communication application128, a handoff application129 and/or a multi-stream application130. A data communication application127 may provide functionality for enabling a Wi-Fi transceiver126 to communicate via a data network112 and a cellular communication application128 may provide functionality for enabling a cellular transceiver123 to communicate via a cellular network111.
• The handoff application129 may be executed by thecommunication devices106 and109, for example, to determine when to handoff communication sessions from one network to another network. For example, thecaller device106 may execute ahandoff application129athat manages handoffs between a cellular network111aand adata network112a. Thehandoff application129amay make handoff determinations based on intelligentcommunication session data133areceived from thehandoff service115 or other functionality executed by thecontact server103, from other network components or communication devices and/or generated locally at thecaller device106. Alternatively, thehandoff application129amay receive and respond to handoff instructions generated by thehandoff service115 executed by thecontact server103. As is known in the art,mobile devices106 and109 may be configured to execute many other applications as well, such as, for example, voice communication applications, email applications, instant message applications, and/or other applications.
• The multi-stream application130 may be executed by thecommunication devices106 and109, for example, to control the transmission and/or processing of multiple media streams associated with a single communication session. For example, thecaller device106 may execute amulti-stream application130athat interfaces with thedata communication application127aand/or thecellular communication application128ato control the transmission of multiple media streams via adata network112aand/or a cellular network111a. Themulti-stream application130amay determine when to invoke or discontinue transmission of multiple media streams based on intelligentcommunication session data133areceived from themulti-stream service117 or other functionality executed by thecontact server103, from other network components or communication devices and/or generated locally at thecaller device106. Alternatively, themulti-stream application130amay receive and respond to multi-stream instructions generated by themulti-stream service117 executed by thecontact server103. Multi-stream instructions may include, for example, instructions for the initiation, termination and/or timing or sequencing of multi-stream transmissions. In the case of a recipient device, amulti-stream application130bmay include functionality for aggregating, switching, mixing or otherwise combining or processing multiple media streams transmitted or received in connection with a single communication session.
• As described above, multiple media streams transmitted by acaller device106 may be directed to the contact server103 (e.g., each media stream transmitted to a different IP address or port of thecontact server103, or multiple media streams transmitted to the same IP address or port), which may aggregate, switch, mix or otherwise combine or process the multiple media streams to produce a single media stream that is relayed to therecipient device109. In other embodiments, however, thecontact server103 may merely provide means of contact and/or facilitate signaling for the communication session, while media streams flow directly between thecommunication devices106,109 via the various networks111,112 and/or113, or via peer-to-peer or proximity based communications.
• In embodiments where media streams are not relayed through the contact server103 (e.g., embodiments wherecommunication devices106,109 use peer-to-peer networks for communication sessions), it may be unnecessary or undesirable to execute thehandoff service115, thebridge service116 and/or themulti-stream service117 at thecontact server103. Instead, one or all of these services may be executed by other network devices (e.g., in the cloud) or may be executed locally by one or more communication device(s)106,109. In cases where thehandoff service115, thebridge service116 and/or themulti-stream service117 are executed in the cloud, thecommunication devices106,109 may interact with those services to receive intelligent communication session data133, handoff instructions, multi-streaming instructions and/or call bridging services. In cases where thehandoff service115 and/or themulti-stream service117 are executed locally on acommunication device106,109, those services may interact with, or may replace, the handoff application129 and multi-stream application130 in order to perform the intelligent handoff and multi-streaming functionality described herein. Executing thebridge service116 locally on acommunication device106,109 will allow that device to provide call bridging services to other communication devices.
• A general description of the operation of the various components of the exemplarynetworked environment100 is as follows. To begin, a user of thecaller device106 may wish to initiate a voice call and/or other communication session with another user of another communication device, such as therecipient device109. By way of example, thecaller device106 may identify and connect to anaccessible data network112a, which may be an IP-based network, to initiate a communication session, which may be a voice-over-IP (VoIP) call. In some cases, thecaller device106 may be configured to interact with the resources of thedata network112a, which in turn interact with thecontact server103 to establish a communication link between thecaller device106 and thecontact server103. Thecontact server103 then establishes a communication link with therecipient device109.
• As will be appreciated, therecipient device109 may be connected to acellular network111b, adata network112bor thePSTN113b. Thecontact server103 may invoke abridge service116 to bridge the two communication links together or may otherwise relay media between the two communication links to facilitate the communication session between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109. Alternatively, thecontact server103 may use the two communication links as signaling paths to otherwise facilitate the communication session between thecommunication devices106,109. In still other embodiments, thecaller device106 may establish the communication session with therecipient device109 over a peer-to-peer network or communication link without involving the contact server. Accordingly, thebridge service116,handoff service115 andmulti-stream service117 do not need to be executed by thecontact server103 in some embodiments and could instead be executed in the cloud or locally at thecaller device106 and/orrecipient device109. Additionally, in some exemplary environments, acontact server103 may be used to facilitate and manage a portion of the connection link(s) while the remaining of the communication links are serviced in the cloud or locally at thecommunication devices106,109.
• As described, in some embodiments thebridge service116 may be invoked to create and manage abridge119 for the communication session. Thebridge service116 may receive or determine identifying information related to the communication session, such as a unique identifier of the caller device106 (e.g., a caller telephone number) and a unique identifier of the recipient device109 (e.g., a recipient telephone number). Thebridge service116 associates the communication session with it the identifying information, shown in the figure as thecaller device ID120 and therecipient device ID121. Other unique identifiers may be used to identify the communication session in other embodiments.
• In some embodiments, thebridge service116 may monitor the communication session or bridge119 to ensure that both thecaller device106 and therecipient device109 remain connected to the call. As is known in the art, a communication device may lose its connection to the call due to signal degradation, a failed handoff from one network to another, and/or any of several other factors. If thebridge service116 detects that thecaller device106 and/or therecipient device109 loses its connection prematurely before termination of the communication session, thebridge service116 may make or cause an attempt to reestablish a communication link with that device so as to continue the communication session.
• Alternatively, a communication device (e.g., caller device106) that prematurely loses its connection to thebridge119 may attempt to reestablish a communication session with the other communication device (e.g., recipient device109). In response to the new communication session request, thebridge service116 may determine, based on thecaller device ID120 and recipient device ID121 (or other unique identifier(s)), whether thebridge119 is still active (e.g., the communication session has not timed-out nor been terminated by the other communication device). If so, the new link between thecaller device106 and thecontact server103 may be added to thebridge119 so as to resume the communication session.
• In some embodiments, thebridge service116 or other related functionality may record some or all of the communication session for playback to a communication device that loses it connection and is subsequently rejoined to the communication session. In this manner, the communication device will receive at least some of the media (e.g., voice, messages, etc.) that were transmitted by the other communication device while the communication link was broken. The data rate of the recording may be increased during playback and/or the recording may be altered to remove pauses, noise, etc. in order to speed-up playback and therefore return more quickly to real-time communications.
• Ahandoff service115 may be executed during the communication session. Thehandoff service115 may also monitor the communication session between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109. This monitoring may be performed by thehandoff service115 itself, or in conjunction with thebridge service116 if thebridge service116 is also executed. Thehandoff service115 may monitor certain aspects and features of the communication session, such as, available networks, detected signal strength of communication link(s), protocol and buffer statistics and analysis, including data or packet sequences received or packets dropped, network latency, jitter, delay, and other qualitative measures (e.g., based on ack/nack and other messages received from thecommunication devices106,109 and/or other network components), etc., the location(s) of thecommunication devices106,109, including environmental and/or geographical factors associated with such locations, the performance of access points and other network components, past interactions between or among communication devices, access points and other network components, the context of the conversation during a voice call, etc.
• Thehandoff service115 generates intelligent communication session data133 based on the monitored aspects and features of the communication session. Depending on where thehandoff service115 is executed (e.g., on thecontact server103, in the cloud or on a communication device), the intelligent communication session data133 may be stored in thedata store114, in the memory140 of one or more of thecommunication devices106,109, and/or in other network component(s). In some embodiments, thehandoff service115 analyzes intelligent communication session data133 in real time or near real time to predictively determine when a handoff of the communication session should be performed. For example, thehandoff service115 may compare current intelligent communication session data133 to historical intelligent communication session data133 to determine that one of thecommunication devices106,109 is approaching a location where communication sessions tend or may be likely to be dropped or interrupted or where communication quality tends to or may be likely to degrade. As another example, thehandoff service115 may determine based on intelligent communication session data133 that one of thecommunication devices106,109 is connected to an access point that is prone to service interruptions or poor communication quality. As another example, thehandoff service115 may determine based on intelligent communication session data133 that a handoff is desirable when one of thecommunication devices106,109 approaches or encounters an accessible location that is capable of providing a higher level of quality for the communication session, even if the quality of the existing communication session has not necessarily degraded. When thehandoff service115 determines that a handoff is necessary or may soon become necessary, it may issue a handoff instruction to the handoff application129 executed by one or more of thecommunication devices106,109.
• Similarly, themulti-stream service117 may be executed during a communication session and may also monitor the communication session between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109. This monitoring may be performed by themulti-stream service117 itself, or in conjunction with thebridge service116 or other related functionality. Themulti-stream service117 may monitor certain aspects and features of the communication session, as previously described. Themulti-stream service117 generates intelligent communication session data133 based on the monitored aspects and features of the communication session, which may be stored in thedata store114, in the memory140 of one or more of thecommunication devices106,109, and/or in other network component(s).
• In some embodiments, themulti-stream service117 analyzes intelligent communication session data133 in real time or near real time to predictively determine when acommunication device106,109 should begin to transmit or stop transmitting multiple media streams in connection with a single communication session. As in the case of intelligent handoffs, themulti-stream service117 may determine based on intelligent communication session data133 that multi-streaming is desirable in cases where one of thecommunication devices106,109 is approaching a location where communication sessions tend or may be likely to be dropped or interrupted or where communication quality tends to or may be likely to degrade, or where one of thecommunication devices106,109 is connected to an access point that is prone to service interruptions or poor communication quality. As another example, themulti-stream service117 may determine based on intelligent communication session data133 that multi-streaming is desirable when one of thecommunication devices106,109 approaches or encounters an accessible location that is capable of providing a higher level of quality for the communication session. In other words, one or more higher quality media streams may be established at least temporarily while thecommunication device106,109 is within range of such location and those media streams may be terminated when thecommunication106,109 moves out of range of such location or the quality of the primary communication link otherwise improves to an acceptable level. When themulti-stream service117 determines that multi-streaming is necessary or may soon become necessary, it may issue a multi-streaming instruction to the multi-stream application130 executed by one or more of thecommunication devices106,109.
• Thehandoff service115 and themulti-stream service117 may be executed concurrently or may be used as alternatives to each other. When used concurrently, additional functionality or logic is required to determine whether a handoff or multi-streaming should be invoked where both are available options for enhancing communication sessions and/or avoiding a dropped or interrupted communication session. For instance, priorities may be set within the logic of thehandoff service115, themulti-stream service117 or other related functionality such that in certain cases multi-streaming takes precedence over handoff or vice versa. As but one example, where it is desirable to maximize usage of a data network112 (e.g., due to lower cost), it may be preferable to temporarily supplement a media stream transmitted via the data network112 using a concurrent media stream transmitted via a cellular network111, rather handing-off the communication session from the data network112 to the cellular network111 and subsequently handing-off the communication session from the cellular network111 back to the data network112.
• In some embodiments, thehandoff application129aexecuted by thecaller device106 may not passively await handoff instructions from the handoff service115 (e.g., where thehandoff service115 is executed by thecontact server103 or in the cloud), but may additionally or alternatively monitor the communication link(s) of the communication session to detect and assess any degradation in connectivity. For example, thehandoff application129amay monitor the strength of the connection signal received by the Wi-Fi transceiver126aor thecellular transceiver128aduring the communication session. As thecaller device106 moves away from the applicable access point, thehandoff application129adetects a degradation in the quality of the communication link. In some embodiments, thehandoff application129amay determine that the signal strength of the connection signal degrades below a threshold value.
• In other embodiments, thehandoff application129amay determine that one or more other characteristics of the communication link between thecaller device106 and a network access point degrade below a threshold value. For example, thehandoff application129amay determine that an amount of packet loss is below a threshold packet loss value, an amount of network latency exceeds a threshold latency value, an amount of jitter exceeds a threshold jitter value, an amount of delay exceeds a threshold delay value, etc. In such a case, thehandoff application129amay determine a need to handoff the communication from thedata network112ato another network, such as, for example the cellular network111a.
• Upon detecting degradation in the quality of the communication link or other factor(s) potentially necessitating a handoff, thehandoff application129amay trigger a handoff of the communication session to another available network. For example, thehandoff application129amay cause thecaller device106 to scan for available networks, such as for example, a cellular network111ausing the cellular transceiver123 and/or adata network112ausing the Wi-Fi transceiver126, to identify other accessible networks. The handoff application129 may identify the other networks by scanning for connection signals being transmitted from transceivers and/or antennas, such as, for example, cellular base stations or other wireless access points. Thehandoff application129amay then cause thecaller device106 to handoff the communication session to one of the identified networks. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that thecaller device106 may be configured to perform handoffs itself and/or may be configured to perform network-assisted handoffs or any other suitable handoff approach known in the art. Therecipient device109 may also, or alternatively, execute its own handoff application129b.
• Upon handing-off a communication session, thehandoff application129amay store information related to the handoff as intelligentcommunication session data133a. For example, thehandoff application129amay store information such as the identification of the new network (e.g., a unique identifier of the access point, antenna, and/or transceiver to which thecaller device106 is connected after the handoff), a geographic location where the handoff occurred (e.g., geo-spatial coordinates), a date and time of the handoff, and/or any other information related to the handoff. In addition, thehandoff application129amay store information related to the communication link prior to the handoff. For example, thehandoff application129amay store a signal strength value and geographic location when thecaller device106 was last connected to the prior network and/or any other information related to the previous connection with the prior network.
• In addition to triggering handoffs based on detected signal degradation or other characteristics of a network link, a handoff application129 may in some embodiments trigger handoffs based on an analysis of other intelligent communication session data133 gathered locally and/or intelligent communication session data133 received from thecontact server103 and/or from other network components or communication devices.
• In some embodiments, the handoff application129 predicatively determines whether to initiate a handoff based on intelligent communication session data133. For instance, the handoff application129 may anticipate, based on the intelligent communication session data133, that the quality of the network link might soon degrade. To determine whether to initiate a handoff, the handoff application129 may compare intelligent communication session data133 related to a current connection and location of thecaller device106 with historical intelligent communication session data133. For instance, the historical intelligent communication session data133 may indicate that a handoff occurred one or more times when thecaller device106 was previously at its current location. In response, the handoff application129 may proactively initiate a handoff to another network, as described above, before the current connection is lost.
• The handoff application129 may invoke location based services or the like to determine the current location of thecaller device106. For example, the location based services may include a GPS chip and associated software or firmware for monitoring the location of thecaller device106 using a global positioning system. Alternatively, or in addition, the location based services may comprise software that interacts with the Wi-Fi transceiver126aand/orcellular transceiver123ato monitor signals generated and/or received by thecaller device106 when it communicates with other devices (e.g. wireless access points, base stations, etc.) in the applicable network. The signals may provide or may be used to provide an indication of the geographical location of thecaller device106 at a particular time, such as by triangulation or techniques like time difference of arrival (TDOA) or Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), etc. The signals may thus permit the handoff application129 to track the location of thecaller device106 and maintain a record of that information.
• Alternatively, or in addition, devices in thewireless data network112aor cellular network111amay be configured to track the location of thecaller device106 and to provide the location information to thecaller device106 and/or thecontact server103 and/or another network device. For example, devices in thedata network112aor cellular network111amay determine the location of thecaller device106 based on the delay of communication signals sent between thecaller device106 and the closest wireless access point(s), base station(s), etc. In such cases, the geographical position of thecaller device106 is determined through various techniques like triangulation, time difference of arrival (TDOA) or Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any other location based service technology may be used in accordance with the present invention. Examples of such other technologies include: Near LBS (NLBS), in which local-range technologies such as Bluetooth, WLAN, infrared and/or RFID/Near Field Communication technologies are used to determine the position of a communication device; the use of operator-independent location data provided in telecommunication signaling protocols such as SS7; and Local Positioning Systems such as Co-Pilot Beacon for CDMA networks, Bluetooth, UWB, RFID, Wi-Fi and WiMAX.
• In some embodiments, the handoff application129 may predictively determine when to initiate a handoff based on intelligent communication session data comprising audio data quality or the context of the conversation during a voice call. For instance, the handoff application129 may scan the audio data of a voice call to detect indicia of poor audio quality (jitter, delay, noise, etc.) or to identify abnormal breaks and/or gaps in the conversation. Upon identifying an unacceptable level of audio data quality or unacceptable breaks in the conversation, the handoff application129 may initiate a handoff process. In other embodiments, the handoff application129 may predictively determine when to initiate a handoff for a communication session based on a video quality of a video call, and/or any other qualitative measure of a media call. In still other embodiments, the handoff application129 may determine that a handoff should be initiated when it is determined that thecaller device106 transitions from a stationary state to a mobile state.
• In some embodiments, intelligent communication session data133 may be gathered fromother communication devices106 and109 and other network components, i.e., “crowd-sourced”. For instance, the handoff application129 or other functionality executed on eachcommunication device106 and109 may transmit intelligent communication session data133 to thehandoff service115 or to other communication devices or other network devices. In some embodiments, the intelligent communication session data133 may be transmitted to thehandoff service115 or to other communication devices or other network devices on a periodic basis, such as, for example, daily, weekly, monthly, and/or any other periodic basis. Alternatively, the intelligent communication session data133 may be transmitted whenever the intelligent communication session data133 is modified and/or gathered. In other scenarios, thehandoff service115 may poll thecommunication devices106 and109 for intelligent communication session data133 and/or may generate intelligent communication session data133 itself based on information received from various communication devices.
• In still other embodiments, a plurality ofcommunication devices106,109 may share intelligent communication session data133 with each other via proximity-based communications (e.g., communications via WiFi, Bluetooth, Infrared (IR), Near Field Communication (NFC) or Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) signals). In addition, other network components, such as network access points, may be configured to generate intelligent communication session data133 and to store that data and/or transmit it to acommunication device106,109 and/or to thehandoff service115. Therefore, the handoff application129 may use shared intelligent communication session data133 served up by thehandoff service115 and/or other communication devices and/or other network components to predictively determine whether to initiate a handoff before the current communication session is lost.
• Similarly, themulti-stream application130aexecuted by thecaller device106 may not passively await multi-streaming instructions from the multi-stream service117 (e.g., where themulti-stream service117 is executed by thecontact server103 or in the cloud), but may additionally or alternatively monitor the communication link(s) of the communication session to detect and assess any degradation in connectivity or other characteristics of the communication link(s). The multi-stream application130 may also analyze intelligent communication session data133 gathered locally and/or intelligent communication session data133 received from themulti-stream service117 and/or from other network components or communication devices, as described with reference to thehandoff application115. Upon detecting that the connection has degraded below a predetermined threshold or that other intelligent communication session data133 predicts an interrupted or dropped communication session (based on any or all of the examples cited with respect to the handoff application115), themulti-stream application130amay trigger the initiation of one or more additional media streams to be transmitted via one or more other available networks. Therecipient device109 may also, or alternatively, execute its ownmulti-stream application130b.
• Referring next toFIG. 2, shown is a flowchart that provides one example of the operation of portions of the contact server103 (FIG. 1) according to certain embodiments in which it may be used as a media relay for two ormore communication devices106,109. In such embodiments, thecontact server103 uses abridge service116 to invoke and managebridges119 to establish and manage communication sessions between or among communication devices. It is understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 2 provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement operation of portions of thecontact server103 as described herein. As an alternative, the flowchart ofFIG. 2 may be viewed as depicting an example of steps of a method implemented in the networked environment (FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.
• Atline201, thecaller device106 initiates a communication session (e.g., a voice call) to arecipient device109, via thecontact server103. In one embodiment, the contact server may receive the request over a cellular network111a, adata network112a, aPSTN113a, and/or another type of network. Thecontact server103 may determine the identity of therecipient device109 from data included in the request. For instance, the data included in the request may comprise a unique phone number, user name, internet protocol (IP) address, and/or other identification associated with therecipient device109. Thecontact server103 processes the request for the communication session and invokes thebridge service116 atline203.
• Then, atline206, thebridge service116 may initialize abridge119 on which the communication session may take place. For instance, thebridge service116 may initialize thebridge119 such that users on more than one communication device may connect to thebridge119. Additionally, thebridge service116 may associate the phone number of the caller device106 (e.g.,caller ID120 shown inFIG. 1) and the phone number of the recipient device109 (e.g., therecipient ID121 shown inFIG. 1) with thebridge119. In another embodiment, thebridge service116 may associate another type of unique identifier with thebridge119. Once thebridge119 is initialized, thecontact server103 instructs thecaller device106 to connect to thebridge119 or otherwise connects thecaller device106 to thebridge119, as shown byline207. Thecaller device106 is connected to thebridge119 atline209.
• Atline213, thecontact server103 establishes the out-bound portion of the communication session with therecipient device109. In one embodiment, thecontact server103 communicates with therecipient device109 via acellular network111b(FIG. 1), adata network112b, aPSTN113b, and/or another type of network. Assuming the user on therecipient device109 accepts the request, therecipient device109 connects to thebridge119, as shown atline216. For instance, thecontact server103 may determine that therecipient device109 accepted the request by way of a ring back, a custom ring back tone, an acceptance greeting, and/or any other type of acceptance notification.
• Atline223, the communication session is established between thecaller device106 and therecipient device109 via thebridge119. Thebridge service116 may then monitor the connectivity of bothdevices106 and109 with thebridge119. In one embodiment, thebridge service116 determines whether either one of thecaller devices106 or therecipient device109 loses connection with thebridge119. For instance, therecipient device109 may unexpectedly lose its connection to thebridge119. As another example, thehandoff service115 executed by thecontact server103 and/or thehandoff application130bexecuted by the recipient device may cause therecipient device109 to perform a handoff from one network to another, which may temporarily cause therecipient device109 to lose its connection to thebridge119. In response, thebridge service116 may cause thecontact server103 to reestablish connection with therecipient device109, as shown atline225. Thebridge service116 may then determine that thebridge119 is still active (based on a match of the unique identifier, etc.) and thecontact server103 may instruct therecipient device100 to re-connect to thebridge119 or otherwise re-connects therecipient device109 to thebridge119, as shown byline227.
• Referring next toFIG. 3, shown is a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary method for performing intelligent handoffs and/or multi-streaming in order to enhance communication sessions and/or avoid dropped or interrupted communication sessions. This or similar methods may be executed by thehandoff service115 and/or themulti-stream service117 regardless of whether thehandoff service115 or themulti-stream service117 are executed on thecontact server103, in the cloud, or on one or more of thecommunication devices106,109. The method ofFIG. 3 may also, or alternatively, be performed by a handoff application129 and/or multi-stream application130 executed by acommunication device106,109, according to certain embodiments. It is to be understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 3 provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement operations of a handoff application129 and/orhandoff service115 and/or a multi-stream application130 and/ormulti-stream service117 as described herein. As an alternative, the flowchart ofFIG. 3 may be viewed as depicting an example of steps of a method implemented in the networked environment100 (FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.
• The exemplary method begins atstart step301 and proceeds from there to step302, where one or more communication links is monitored. As described, various characteristics of a communication link may be monitored, including connection strength, access points used, location of communication devices, media stream quality, and any other previously described intelligent communication session data. Then instep304 the characteristic(s) of the communication link(s) are compared to previously stored intelligent communication session data133 to predictively determine if a handoff or multi-streaming may be needed to enhance a communication session and/or avoid a dropped or interrupted communication session. If it is determined at step306 that a handoff or multi-streaming should be performed, the method advances to step308, where the handoff or multi-streaming is caused or facilitated. After the handoff or multi-streaming is performed instep308, or if is determined in step306 that no handoff or multi-streaming is needed, the method moves to step310, where additional intelligent communication session data133 is generated and stored relating to whether or not a handoff or multi-streaming was determined to be needed. Such data may include, for example, the characteristic(s) of the applicable communications link(s) at the time such determination was made, etc.
• Atstep312, a determination is made as to whether the communication session remains active. If so, the method returns to step302, where one or more of the communications links are again monitored, and the method is repeated from that point as previously described. When it is determined atstep312 that the communication session is no longer active, the method ends atstep314.
• Referring next toFIG. 4, shown is a flowchart that provides one example of how multiple media streams may be processed in order to form a single media stream for a communication session. This or similar methods may be performed by amulti-stream service117 regardless of whether themulti-stream service117 is executed on thecontact server103, in the cloud, or on one or more of thecommunication devices106,109. In addition, or in the alternative, the method ofFIG. 4 may be performed by a multi-stream application130 executed by one or more of thecommunication devices106,109, according to certain embodiments. It is to be understood that the flowchart ofFIG. 4 provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement operations of amulti-stream service117 and/or a multi-stream application130 as described herein. As an alternative, the flowchart ofFIG. 4 may be viewed as depicting an example of steps of a method implemented in the networked environment100 (FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.
• The exemplary method begins atstart step401 and proceeds to step402, where a first incoming media stream is monitored to determine if any significant portions of it are degraded or missing. If it is determined at step404 that no significant portions of the first media stream are degraded or missing, the first media stream is transmitted or continues to be transmitted to the intended communication device atstep406. Followingstep406, the method returns to step402 to continue monitoring the first media stream. However, if it is determined at step404 that significant portions of the first media stream are degraded or missing, the method advances to step408, where such portions of the first media stream are supplemented with corresponding portions of one or more other incoming media streams. By way of example, degraded or missing packets from the first media stream can be replaced by corresponding packets taken or reproduced from the one or more other media streams. Other techniques for combining or aggregating multiple media streams will occur to those of skill in the art and are deemed to be encompassed by this disclosure. After supplementing the first media stream with portions of one or more other incoming media streams atstep408, the combined media stream is transmitted to the intended communication device atstep410. Fromstep410, the method returns to step402 where the first media stream continues to be monitored and is repeated from that point as described above for as long as multiple media streams are received.
• The flowcharts ofFIGS. 2-4 show the functionality and operation of various services and applications described herein. If embodied in software, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that comprises program instructions to implement the specified logical function(s). The program instructions may be embodied in the form of source code that comprises human-readable statements written in a programming language or machine code that comprises numerical instructions recognizable by a suitable execution system such as a processor in a computer system or other system. The machine code may be converted from the source code, etc. If embodied in hardware, each block may represent a circuit or a number of interconnected circuits to implement the specified logical function(s).
• Although the flowcharts ofFIGS. 2-4 each show a specific order of execution, it is understood that the order of execution may differ from that which is depicted. Also, steps shown in succession in the flowcharts may be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Further, in some embodiments, one or more of the steps shown in the flowcharts may be skipped or omitted. In addition, any number of counters, state variables, warning semaphores, or messages might be added to the logical flows described herein, for purposes of enhanced utility, accounting, performance measurement, or providing troubleshooting aids, etc. It is understood that all such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.
• Where any component discussed herein is implemented in the form of software, any one of a number of programming languages may be employed such as, for example, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Java, Javascript, Perl, PHP, Visual Basic, Python, Ruby, Delphi, Flash, or other programming languages. Software components are stored in a memory and are executable by a processor. In this respect, the term “executable” means a program file that is in a form that can ultimately be run by a processor. Examples of executable programs may be, for example, a compiled program that can be translated into machine code in a format that can be loaded into a random access portion of a memory and run by a processor, source code that may be expressed in proper format such as object code that is capable of being loaded into a random access portion of a memory and executed by a processor, or source code that may be interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions in a random access portion of a memory to be executed by a processor, etc. An executable program may be stored in any portion or component of a memory including, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, memory card, optical disc such as compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, magnetic tape, or other memory components. [0074] A memory is defined herein as including both volatile and nonvolatile memory and data storage components. Volatile components are those that do not retain data values upon loss of power. Nonvolatile components are those that retain data upon a loss of power. Thus, a memory may comprise, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, memory cards accessed via a memory card reader, floppy disks accessed via an associated floppy disk drive, optical discs accessed via an optical disc drive, magnetic tapes accessed via an appropriate tape drive, and/or other memory components, or a combination of any two or more of these memory components. In addition, the RAM may comprise, for example, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and other such devices. The ROM may comprise, for example, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other like memory device.
• The devices described herein may include multiple processors and multiple memories that operate in parallel processing circuits, respectively. In such a case, a local interface, such as a communication bus, may facilitate communication between any two of the multiple processors, between any processor and any of the memories, or between any two of the memories, etc. A local interface may comprise additional systems designed to coordinate this communication, including, for example, performing load balancing. A processor may be of electrical or of some other available construction.
• Although thehandoff service115,bridge service116,multi-stream service117, handoff application129, multi-stream application130 and other various systems and components described herein may be embodied in software or code executed by general purpose hardware, as an alternative the same may also be embodied in dedicated hardware or a combination of software/general purpose hardware and dedicated hardware. If embodied in dedicated hardware, each can be implemented as a circuit or state machine that employs any one of or a combination of a number of technologies. These technologies may include, but are not limited to, discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing various logic functions upon an application of one or more data signals, application specific integrated circuits having appropriate logic gates, or other components, etc. Such technologies are generally well known by those skilled in the art and, consequently, are not described in detail herein.
• Also, any logic, functionality or application described herein, including thehandoff service115,bridge service116,multi-stream service117, handoff application129, multi-stream application130, that comprises software or code can be embodied in any non-transitory computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system such as, for example, a processor in a computer system or other system. In this sense, the logic may comprise, for example, statements including instructions and declarations that can be fetched from the computer-readable medium and executed by the instruction execution system. In the context of the present disclosure, a “computer-readable medium” can be any medium that can contain, store, or maintain the logic or application described herein for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system. The computer-readable medium can comprise any one of many physical media such as, for example, magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media. More specific examples of a suitable computer-readable medium would include, but are not limited to, magnetic tapes, magnetic floppy diskettes, magnetic hard drives, memory cards, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, or optical discs. Also, the computer-readable medium may be a random access memory (RAM) including, for example, static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or magnetic random access memory (MRAM). In addition, the computer-readable medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other type of memory device.
• It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims (21)

1. A method comprising:

hosting a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network in which a contact server functions as a bridge service connecting a first communication link between the first communication device and the contact server with a second communication link between the second communication device an the contact server, wherein the first communication link is currently a cellular communication link over a cellular network;

analyzing multiple call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link including at least two of signal strength, packet loss, network latency, jitter, and delay; and

causing the first communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to an alternate communication link on an alternate network when at least one analyzed call quality characteristic of the current cellular communication link crosses a threshold level.

2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the analyzed call quality characteristics further include: additional available networks; geographical factors, performance of access points and other network components; and past interactions between or among communication devices, access points and other network components.

3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising:

predictively determining whether a handoff is needed to avoid an interruption in or dropping of the communication session; and

causing the communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to the alternate communication link on the alternate network when it is predictively determined that a handoff is needed.

4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein predictively determining whether a handoff is needed comprises:

comparing the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link to intelligent communication session data stored in a data store to determine whether the call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link are approaching the threshold level.

5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising:

storing the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link in the data store as additional intelligent communication session data.

6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein causing the communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to the alternate communication link on the alternate network comprises:

transmitting a handoff instruction to the communication device having the cellular communication link.

7. The method ofclaim 5, wherein at least some of the intelligent communication session data is received from the communication device having the cellular communication link.

8. A system comprising:

a contact server in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network operative to:

host a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device;

connect a first communication link between the first communication device and the contact server with a second communication link between the second communication device an the contact server, wherein the first communication link is currently a cellular communication link over a cellular network;

analyze multiple call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link including at least two of signal strength, packet loss, network latency, jitter, and delay; and

cause the first communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to an alternate communication link on an alternate network when at least one analyzed call quality characteristic of the current cellular communication link crosses a threshold level.

9. The system ofclaim 8, wherein the analyzed call quality characteristics further include: additional available networks; geographical factors, performance of access points and other network components; and past interactions between or among communication devices, access points and other network components.

10. The system ofclaim 8, the contact server further operative to:

predictively determine whether a handoff is needed to avoid an interruption in or dropping of the communication session; and

cause the communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to the alternate communication link on the alternate network when it is predictively determined that a handoff is needed.

11. The system ofclaim 10, the contact server further operative to:

compare the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link to intelligent communication session data stored in a data store to determine whether the call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link are approaching the threshold level.

12. The system ofclaim 8, the contact server further operative to:

store the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link in the data store as additional intelligent communication session data.

13. The system ofclaim 8, the contact server further operative to:

transmit a handoff instruction to the communication device having the cellular communication link.

14. The system ofclaim 8, the contact server further operative to:

receive at least some of the intelligent communication session data from the communication device having the cellular communication link.

15. At least one non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

host a communication session between a first communication device and a second communication device;

connect a first communication link between the first communication device and the contact server with a second communication link between the second communication device an the contact server, wherein the first communication link is currently a cellular communication link over a cellular network;

analyze multiple call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link including at least two of signal strength, packet loss, network latency, jitter, and delay; and

cause the first communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to an alternate communication link on an alternate network when at least one analyzed call quality characteristic of the current cellular communication link crosses a threshold level.

16. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 15, wherein the analyzed call quality characteristics further include: additional available networks; geographical factors, performance of access points and other network components; and past interactions between or among communication devices, access points and other network components.

17. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 15, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

predictively determine whether a handoff is needed to avoid an interruption in or dropping of the communication session; and

cause the communication device having the cellular communication link to handoff the cellular communication link from the cellular network to the alternate communication link on the alternate network when it is predictively determined that a handoff is needed.

18. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 17, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

compare the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link to intelligent communication session data stored in a data store to determine whether the call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link are approaching the threshold level.

19. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 15, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

store the analyzed call quality characteristics of the cellular communication link in the data store as additional intelligent communication session data.

20. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 15, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

transmit a handoff instruction to the communication device having the cellular communication link.

21. The at least one non-transitory machine readable medium ofclaim 15, comprising instructions that in response to being executed on a computing device cause the computing device to:

receive at least some of the intelligent communication session data from the communication device having the cellular communication link.

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