Metaswitch Networks Limited

Felix Palmer

Shaun Crampton

Chris Mairs

Liz Rice

David Drysdale

Philip Pearl

Alex Pollitt

A method of establishing a communications session for communication of data with respect to a telephony user device and at least one other user device in a data communications network. Communications are conducted with a server system. The communications comprise a client-server connection. Call party details of a telephone call are transmitted to the server system in the communications. The telephone call involves at least the telephony user device, as a first telephony user device involved in the call, and a second telephony user device involved in the call. The call party details including a first identity associated with the first telephony user device and a second identity associated with the second telephony user device.

Systems and methods of call-based data communication

Communications equipment associated with a calling party in a telecommunications network has a telephony function for handling telephone calls and a data communication application for handling data communication sessions. The telephony function and the data communication application have an associated first and second user interface respectively. A called party identifier is collected via the second user interface in response to user input at the communications equipment. A telephone call is set up between the calling party and the called party using the telephony function on the basis of the collected called party identifier. Data communication session setup information, comprising information identifying the called party, is transmitted on the basis of the collected called party identifier. The data communication session setup information is for establishing a data communication session separate from the telephone call for the communication of data between the calling party and the called party.

Controlling communications equipment

A method of establishing a communications session for communication of data with respect to at least two user devices in a data communications network. A client-server connection request is received from at least one of the at least two user devices. Call party details of a telephone call are received. The telephone call involves at least a first telephony user device and a second telephony user device. The call party details include a first identity associated with the first telephony user device and a second identity associated with the second telephony user device. At least one of the first and second identities comprises a telephone dialing number. A separate communications session is established on the basis of the first and second identities received in the call party details.

Data communication

Methods, apparatus and computer program products for controlling a computing device comprising a touch-screen user interface. A status of one or more applications having access to the touch-screen user interface of the computing device is monitored. In response to the monitoring indicating that a predetermined application is displaying a screen on the touch-screen user interface, at least one overlay portion is configured over a part of the displayed screen. Hence, an augmented user interface experience is provided which allows display of information to a user via an overlay displayed on top of information associated with a predetermined application already being presented to the user. No interaction by the user with the touch-screen user interface is required in order to navigate away from or back to the predetermined application.

Controlling a computing device

A telephony user device capable of establishing a communications session for communication of data with respect to at least one other device in a data communications network, the telephony user device being adapted to provide a reconfigurable graphical user interface, establish a telephone call with a service provider, establish a separate communications session, separate from the telephone call, for the transfer of data to/from the at least one other device, on the basis of one or more call party details associated with the telephone call, and reconfigure at least a first part of the graphical user interface according to configuration data determined by the service provider and received in the separate communication session.

A method for the communication of data with respect to at least two telephony user devices in a data communications network comprises determining call party details for a telephone call. The telephone call involves at least a first device and a second device. The call party details include first and second identities associated with the first and second devices respectively. A separate communications session is established on the basis of the first and second identities. The communications session is separate from the telephone call and is for the communication of data to and/or from the at least two devices. An alert activation request for an alert mechanism associated with the at least one of the at least two devices is transmitted via the communications session. The alert activation request is capable of causing the at least one of the at least two devices to activate the alert mechanism.

A telephony user device capable of establishing a communications session for communication of data in a data communications network, the telephony user device including a processing system configured to provide a reconfigurable graphical user interface, establish a telephone call with a voicemail system, establish a separate communications session, separate from the telephone call, for the transfer of data to/from the telephony user device, on the basis of one or more call party details associated with the telephone call, and reconfigure at least a part of the graphical user interface in accordance with configuration data received via the separate communication session, the configuration data relating to and/or being derived from the voicemail system.

A method of establishing a communications session for communication of data with respect to at least two user devices in a data communications network. Call party details of a telephone call are received. The telephone call involves at least a first telephony user device and a second telephony user device. The call party details include a first identity associated with the first telephony user device and a second identity associated with the second telephony user device. At least one of the first and second identities comprises a telephone dialing number. A separate communications session is established on the basis of the first and second identities received in the call party details. The communications session is separate from the telephone call, for the communication of data to and/or from the at least two user devices.

A method of establishing a communications session for data with respect to at least two user devices in a packet switched communications network in parallel to a voice session via a circuit switched network. Call party details of a telephony call are received. The telephony call involves at least a first telephony user device and a second telephony user device. The call party details include a first identity associated with the first telephony user device and a second identity associated with the second telephony user device. A separate communications session is established on the basis of the first and second identities received in the call party details and depending on the capabilities of the user devices. The communications session is separate from the telephone call, for the communication of data to and/or from at least two user devices.

Call party details of a telephone call involving first and second telephony user devices are received. The call party details include first and second identities associated with the first and second telephony user devices respectively. A client-server connection request is received from, and a client-server connection is established with, one of the user devices. A session for the communication of data to and/or from the user devices is established separately from the telephone call on the basis of the first and second identities. The receipt of pre-configured user data by the one of the user devices is enabled via the client-server connection. The pre-configured user data has been specified by a user of another of the user devices prior to the establishment of the telephone call as data for receipt by other user devices during telephone calls conducted by the user.

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Enfield, United Kingdom

Felix Palmer