Bandwidth.com, Inc.

Republic Wireless, Inc.

Jesse Stimpson

Adam Ross Cook

Charlie Surface

Kyle White

James Mulcahy

Sai Gopala Rathnam

Justin Milam

Jared Kashimba

Jon Schniepp

Sam Quaile

Techniques are disclosed for managing a spontaneously created geofenced area among a plurality of communication devices communicable with a communication server. The communication server receives, from a location enabled first communication device, an instruction to create a geofence around itself. Upon receiving location data from the first and a location enabled second communication devices, the communication server compares the location data of the first and second communication devices to determine how close they are to one another. When the first and second communication devices are within a predetermined distance of one another, the communication server creates a geofence around the first communication device. The communication server will then periodically poll and receiving updated location data for the first and second communication devices. The communication server then recalculates the geofence boundary based on the location of the first communication device. The communication server also notifies the first communication device any time the second communication device ventures beyond the boundary of the geofence.

Dynamic geofencing techniques for GPS enabled communication devices

Techniques are disclosed for managing a spontaneously created geofenced area among a plurality of communication devices communicable with a communication server. The communication server receives, from a location enabled first communication device, an instruction to create a geofence around a location enabled second communication device. Upon receiving location data from the first and second communication devices, the communication server compares the location data of the first and second communication devices to determine how close they are to one another. When the first and second communication devices are within a predetermined distance of one another, the communication server creates a geofence around the second communication device. The communication server will then notify the first communication device when the second communication device ventures beyond the boundary of the geofence.

Examples are disclosed for placing an outbound telephony call using a smart speaker as a proxy device for a telephone account. A smart speaker may receive a verbal command to initiate the telephone call that includes identifying information for the called party. The verbal command may be forwarded to a smart speaker server where it may be converted to a computer instruction to initiate the telephone call. The computer instruction may then be forwarded to a communications server. The communications server may determine the telephone number to call based on the identifying information for the called party. The communications server may then establish a first communication link between itself and a telephony endpoint of the called party and a second communication link between itself and the smart speaker device. The communication links may then be bridged into a communications session between the smart speaker device and the telephony endpoint of the called party.

Virtual telephony assistant

Examples are disclosed for screening an inbound telephony call to a called party. At a communications server, an inbound telephony call intended for a called party's telephone number is received and checked against a whitelist database and a blacklist database. When the caller ID of the inbound call matches a telephone number contained in the blacklist database, the communications server automatically routes the call to a voicemail system or spam folder associated with the called party's telephone number. When the caller ID of the inbound call matches a telephone number contained in the whitelist database, the communications server determines whether the called party is available to receive the call. Otherwise, when the caller ID of the inbound call does not match a telephone number contained in either the whitelist database or the blacklist database, the communications server prompts the caller for additional information.

Examples are disclosed for placing an outbound telephony call using a mobile telephony device as a proxy to make the call on behalf of a smart speaker device. At a communications server, it is determined whether a mobile telephony device is in proximity of a smart speaker device. When the mobile telephony device is in proximity of a smart speaker device and attempts to place a telephony call, the communications server establishes a communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device. The communications server may then dial the telephone number sent by the mobile telephony device and establish a communications link between the communications server and a device associated with the dialed telephone number. The communications server may then join the communications link between the communications server and the smart speaker device with the communications link between the communications server and a device associated with the dialed telephone number to create a communications session.

Techniques are disclosed for evaluating an ongoing VoIP over WiFi call for purposes of determining when to hand it off to a circuit-switched cellular network connection. 802.11 WiFi call quality values X(i) over a sampled time period (N) of (j) samples for an ongoing telephone call over an 802.11 WiFi communication link are obtained and stored. An instantaneous annoyance value a(j) for each of the stored call quality values X(j) within sampled time period (N) is calculated. A current accumulated annoyance value A(i) by summing the instantaneous annoyance values a(j) is also calculated. The accumulated annoyance value A(i) is compared to a handoff threshold value H(i). A handoff of the telephone call from the 802.11 WiFi communication link to a circuit-switched cellular communication link is initiated when the accumulated annoyance value A(i) is greater than the handoff threshold value H(i).

Techniques for determining a handoff profile between telecommunications networks

Techniques are disclosed for evaluating an ongoing VoIP call over a combination of IP data communication network connections for purposes of determining when to hand it off to a circuit-switched cellular network connection. Multiple IP stream call quality values X1(i), X2(i), and Xb(i) are sampled over a time period (N) of (j) samples for an ongoing telephone call and stored. Instantaneous annoyance values a1(j), a2(j), and ab(j) for each of the stored call quality values for each of the IP streams within sampled time period (N) are calculated. Current accumulated annoyance values A1(i), A2(i), and Ab(i) are obtained by summing the instantaneous annoyance values a(j) for each IP network. The combined IP stream accumulated annoyance values Ab(i) is compared to a handoff threshold values Hb(i). A handoff of the telephone call a circuit-switched cellular communication link is initiated when the accumulated annoyance value Ab(i) is greater than the handoff threshold value Hb(i).

Examples are disclosed for executing a handoff profile for a hybrid mobile device. Communication link handoff logic may be executed by a processor component to detect an 802.11 network access point while in a communication session between a mobile device and a call server over a cellular communication link. The mobile device may register with the call server over the 802.11 network access point and establish a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication link between the mobile device and the call server. A test Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) stream over the VoIP communication link between the mobile device and the call server may then be established. Data for discrete time intervals of the test RTP stream may be received, the data for each time interval comprising a plurality of VoIP communication link parameter values and fit to a statistical. The statistical model may be associated with a plurality of outcomes based on the VoIP communication link parameter values, the VoIP quality outcomes being either acceptable VoIP audio quality or poor VoIP audio quality. The communication session may then be handed off from the cellular communication link to the VoIP communication link when the outcome of the application of the statistical model to the received data is acceptable VoIP audio quality.

Techniques for executing a handoff profile between telecommunications networks

Examples are disclosed for executing a handoff profile for a mobile device. Communication link handoff logic may be executed by a processor to detect an 802.11 network access point and register the mobile device with a call server over the 802.11 network access point. Thereafter, a first timer may be initiated for a specified duration wherein the registration between the mobile device and the call server over the 802.11 network access point is maintained without interruption for the duration of the first timer. Upon successful expiration of the first timer, a second timer may be initiated for a specified duration wherein VoIP communication link parameters for the 802.11 link between the mobile device and the call server are deemed sufficient for the entire duration of the second timer. Upon successful expiration of the second timer, a handoff may be performed between the mobile device and the call server from the cellular communication link to the 802.11 link.

Examples are disclosed for user feedback to enable a handoff profile for a dual-mode hybrid mobile device. In some examples communication link handoff logic may be executed by the processor component to receive user feedback during a test voice call mediated with a call server, the user feedback pertaining to one or more Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication link parameters for the communication link between the hybrid mobile device and the call server. The communication link parameters are correlated with a call quality threshold based on the user feedback and a handoff profile is established for the hybrid mobile device based on the call quality thresholds, the handoff profile operative to establish criteria for switching the VoIP communication link to a communication link over a different network.

Techniques for establishing a communication handoff threshold using user feedback

Examples are disclosed for acquiring user feedback and implementing logistic regression statistical modeling techniques to enable a handoff profile for a dual-mode hybrid mobile device. In some examples communication link handoff logic may be executed by the processor component to receive user feedback during a voice call mediated by a call server, the voice call between a hybrid mobile device and another communication device, the user feedback pertaining to one or more Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication link parameters for the communication link between the hybrid mobile device and the call server. The VoIP communication link parameters are statistically modeled based on the user feedback and a handoff profile is established for the hybrid mobile devices, the handoff profile operative to establish criteria for switching the VoIP communication link to an alternate communication link.

Techniques for establishing and executing handoff profile between telecommunications networks

Examples are disclosed for acquiring real-time VoIP data and implementing statistical modeling techniques to perform a handoff between different telecommunication networks for a hybrid mobile device. In some examples communication link handoff logic may be executed by the processor component to receive VoIP data during a voice call mediated by a call server, the voice call between a hybrid mobile device and another communication device, the data pertaining to one or more Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication link parameters for the communication link between the hybrid mobile device and the call server. The VoIP communication link parameters are statistically modeled and compared to a handoff profile operative to establish criteria for switching the VoIP communication link to an alternate communication link.

Examples are disclosed for acquiring user feedback and implementing statistical modeling techniques to enable a handoff profile for a dual-mode hybrid mobile device. In some examples communication link handoff logic may be executed by the processor component to receive user feedback during a voice call mediated by a call server, the voice call between a hybrid mobile device and another communication device, the user feedback pertaining to one or more Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication link parameters for the communication link between the hybrid mobile device and the call server. The VoIP communication link parameters are statistically modeled based on the user feedback and a handoff profile is established for the hybrid mobile devices, the handoff profile operative to establish criteria for switching the VoIP communication link to an alternate communication link.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Jesse Stimpson