Abstract:
A telephony collaboration system and method are provided. The method includes activating a wireless feature on an admin device, determining, whether a new group is to be created, determining whether to subscribe a guest device to an existing group, determining whether to join the guest device to a previously subscribed to group, when the admin device is to create the new group, creating the new group and assigning a name to the new group, when the guest device is to subscribe to the existing group, scanning for the existing group and transmitting a subscription request requesting that the guest device be subscribed to the existing group, and when the admin device is to join the previously subscribed to group, scanning for the previously subscribed to group and transmitting a join request requesting that the admin device be registered with the previously subscribed to group.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a telephony collaboration system and method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a telephony collaboration system and method for a trusted environment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Due to the popularity of cellphones in recent years, individuals often use their cellular telephone or cellphone as their primary communication device even when the individual or user is at home or at work. However, when the cellphone rings or vibrates due to an incoming call, it may be located anywhere, such as the user&#39;s home or work. Therefore, if the user is not close enough to the cellphone, the user may miss the incoming call because the user cannot hear the ring of the cellphone or cannot reach the cellphone in time. For example, when the user is at home and needs to make an urgent call, if the cellphone is not close by, then the user cannot quickly make the call. Similarly, if the user hears the call in a room in which the user is located, but the cellphone is located in another room, then the user is likely to miss the call because the user cannot reach or locate the cellphone in time and will miss the call. Also, if the cellphone is located in a briefcase or purse and the cellphone rings, then the user may not have enough time to retrieve the cellphone from the briefcase or purse and answer the call. As a result, the user will miss the call. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a telephony collaboration system and method which allows collaboration of phones in a particular environment. 
     The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a telephony collaboration system and method which allows the collaboration of phones in a particular environment. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method for forming and collaborating using a Telephony Collaboration Manager (TCM) subscription system including an admin device and a guest device. The method includes activating a wireless feature on the admin device, determining, by the admin device, whether a new TCM group is to be created by the admin device, determining, by the admin device, whether to subscribe the guest device to an existing group, determining, by the admin device, whether to join the guest device to a previously subscribed to TCM group, when the admin device determines that the admin device is to create the new TCM group, creating the new TCM group and assigning a name to the new TCM group, when the admin device determines that the guest device is to subscribe to the existing TCM group, scanning for the existing group and transmitting a subscription request requesting that the guest device be subscribed to the existing TCM group, and when the admin device determines that the guest device is to join the previously subscribed to TCM group, scanning for the previously subscribed to TCM group and transmitting a join request requesting that the guest device be registered with the previously subscribed to TCM group. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a Telephony Collaboration Manager (TCM) subscription system is provided. The TCM subscription system includes an admin device configured to activate a wireless feature of the admin device to determine whether a new TCM group is to be created by the admin device, to determine whether to subscribe a guest device to an existing TCM group, and to determine whether to join the guest device to a previously subscribed to TCM group, a guest configured to join the new TCM group when the new TCM group is created, to join the existing TCM group when the guest device is to subscribe to the existing TCM group, and to join the previously subscribed to TCM group when the guest device is to join the previously subscribed to TCM group, and a relay device configured to connect one of the admin device and the guest device to another TCM group, wherein, when the admin device determines that the admin device is to create the new TCM group, the admin device is further configured to create the new TCM group and assigning a name to the new TCM group, wherein, when the admin device determines that the guest device is to subscribe to the existing TCM group, the guest device is further configured to scan for the existing TCM group and transmit a subscription request requesting that the guest device be subscribed to the existing TCM group, and wherein, when the admin device determines that the guest device is to join the previously subscribed to TCM group, the guest device is further configured to scan for the previously subscribed to TCM group and transmit a join request requesting that the guest device be registered with the previously subscribed to TCM group. 
     Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a telephone collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing a Telephony Collaboration Manager (TCM) service according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a Mobile Originated (MO) collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a Mobile Terminated (MT) collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is an illustration of a TCM subscription system including various groups according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components, and structures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
     The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces. 
     By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide. 
       FIGS. 1 through 5 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way that would limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged communications system. The terms used to describe various embodiments are exemplary. It should be understood that these are provided to merely aid the understanding of the description, and that their use and definitions in no way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Terms first, second, and the like are used to differentiate between objects having the same terminology and are in no way intended to represent a chronological order, unless where explicitly stated otherwise. A set is defined as a non-empty set including at least one element. 
     Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, a system and method for collaborative telephony will be described. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a telephone collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a telephony collaborative system  100  is illustrated, where the telephony collaborative system  100  may include a Telephony Collaboration Manager (TCM) client device  130 , a relay device  120  and a TCM master device  110  located in a secure or trusted environment. The trusted environment may include a new or an existing TCM group and the TCM group may include home users in a home environment or colleges in an office environment. 
     The TCM master device  110  may be at least one of a smart phone, a mobile phone, a video phone, a tablet or any other device used to communicate with another electronic device. In an embodiment of the present disclosure the TCM master device  110  is a cellphone of a user and is located somewhere in the home or office environment beyond the immediate reach of the user. 
     The TCM master device  110  may include a TCM interface and services unit  112 , a TCM account manager  113 , a TCM controller  114 , a memory  115 , a communication unit  116 , a telephony unit  117  and a contact database  118 . 
     The TCM interface and services unit  112  may include TCM software application programming interfaces and modules that provide interface and service functions to a user of the TCM master device  110 . For example, the TCM interface and services unit  112  may include a TCM data manager, a Short Range Wireless (SRW) device scanner, a registry manager, a contact database, an encryption service, an authentication service, a wireless network service, an audio service, and a telephony service. 
     The TCM account manager  113  may include a software component that provides management of user accounts and provides the ability to track service subscriptions. For example, the software component may provide the user with the ability to add, delete and edit the user accounts. 
     The TCM controller  114  may include a software component that controls life cycles of all TCM services and functions. For example, the TCM controller  114  may terminate specific TCM services and functions after being enabled or unused for a certain period of time. Further, the TCM controller  114  may include a software component that coordinates system events of the TCM master device  110 , controls notifications provided to the user by the TCM master device  110 , manages and controls various resources of the TCM master device  110 , and manages and controls any state machine executed by the TCM master device  110 . 
     The memory  115  may include at least one module to store different types of data such as applications, media or any other type of data. For example, the memory  115  may store media information that can be utilized by the user of the TCM master device  110 . For example, the memory  115  may be a Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), and/or a flash memory. 
     The communication unit  116  may be used to communicate with at least one other electronic device, such as the TCM client device  130 , the relay device  120  and an external device, such as a base station  140  using, for example, a cellular network  142 . The communication unit  116  may support a short range protocol and may communicate using an SRW network (e.g., Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth (BT), Near Field Communication (NFC), etc.), network communications (e.g., Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a telecommunication network, the cellular network  142 , a satellite network, etc.), and/or a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). 
     The telephony unit  117  may provide basic phone call functionalities and software interfaces for monitoring basic phone information, such as network type, connection state, connection duration, etc. The telephony unit  117  may also provide various utilities for manipulating phone numbers and information associated therewith. 
     The contact database  118  is a database containing contact information, such as telephone numbers, email addresses, website addresses, street addresses, etc., which can be accessed and managed by the user of the TCM master device  110 . 
     The relay device  120  may be a special client device that can act as a relay bridge for wireless data (e.g., wireless transmission of user data and/or an audio stream) if communication signals between the TCM master device  110  and the TCM client device  120  are weak. For example, when the communication signals between the TCM master device  110  and the TCM client device  130  are weak or begin to degrade, the relay device  120  improves communication between the TCM client device  130  and the TCM master device  110  by acting as an intermediary and boosting the communication signals. 
     The TCM client device  130  is a device that is picked up by a TCM user. As discussed above, the TCM client device  130  communicates with the TCM master device  110  via wireless communication. 
     The TCM client device  130  may include an incoming call notifier and/or dialer  131 , a User Interface (UI)  132 , a TCM account manager  133 , a TCM interface and services unit  134 , a TCM controller  136 , a memory  137  and a communication unit  138 . 
     The incoming call notifier and/or dialer  131  may provide the user with the functionality of placing a call, for example, once the TCM client device  110  has entered into a TCM mode. Further, the incoming call notifier and/or dialer  130  may provide the functionality of providing audio and/or visual notifications to the user of the TCM client device  130 . 
     The UI  132  may provide the entire visual user interface to the user of the TCM client device  110 . For example, the UI  132  may include a lock/unlock screen, and an interface that can be accessed during a call. 
     Similar to the TCM account manager  113  of the TCM master device  110 , the TCM account manager  133  of the TCM client device  130  may include a software component that provides management of user accounts and provides the ability to track service subscriptions. For example, the software component may provide the user with the ability to add, delete and edit the user accounts. 
     Similar to the TCM interface and services unit  112  of the TCM master device  110 , the TCM interface and services unit  134  of the TCM client device  130  may include TCM software application programming interfaces and modules that provide interface and service functions to a user of the TCM client device  130 . For example, the TCM interface and services unit  134  may include a TCM data manager, an SRW device scanner, a registry manager, a contact database, an encryption service, an authentication service, a wireless network service, an audio service, and a telephony service. 
     Similar to the TCM controller  114  of the TCM master device  110 , the TCM controller  136  of the TCM client device  130  may include a software component that controls life cycles of all TCM services and functions. For example, the TCM controller  114  may terminate specific TCM services and functions after being enabled or unused for a certain period of time. Further, the TCM controller  136  may include a software component that coordinates system events of the TCM client device  130 , controls notifications provided by the TCM client device  130 , manages and controls various resources of the TCM client device  130 , and manages and controls any state machine executed by the TCM client device  130 . 
     Similar to the memory  115  of the TCM master device  110 , the memory  137  of the TCM client device  130  may include at least one module to store different types of data such as applications, media or any other type of data. For example, the memory  137  may store media information that can be utilized by the user of the TCM client device  130 . For example, the memory  137  may be a ROM, a RAM and/or a flash memory. 
     Similar to the communication unit  116  of the TCM master device  110 , the communication unit  138  of the TCM client device  130  may be used to communicate with at least one other electronic device, such as the TCM master device  110 , the relay device  120  and an external device. The communication unit  138  may support a short range protocol and may communicate using an SRW network (e.g., WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.), network communications (e.g., Internet, a LAN, a WAN, a telecommunication network, the cellular network  142 , a satellite network, etc.), and/or a POTS. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a process of providing a TCM service according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The TCM service may include a process performed by an admin device (e.g., a TCM host) and/or a guest device (e.g., a TCM guest). The admin device may be a device which creates a TCM group and which can be the only device authorized to remove the group. The guest device may be a device which subscribes to an existing group and which may be automatically assigned as the guest device. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart  200  is illustrated, in which the flowchart  200  illustrates a process of providing a TCM service. In this process, upon starting the TCM service, in operation  201  an electronic device initially determines whether the wireless function of the electronic device is enabled. For example, the electronic device may be the admin device, such as the master device  110  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and may also be the guest device, such as the guest device  130  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . If the wireless function of the admin device is not enabled, the operation of providing the TCM service is terminated. 
     If the wireless function of the admin device is enabled, the process continues to operation  203 . At operation  203 , the admin device determines whether to create a new group, to subscribe the guest device to a new/existing group or to join the guest device to an already subscribed to group. 
     If at operation  203  it is determined to create a new group, at operation  205 , the admin device creates a new group and assigns the new group a name. Then, at operation  207  a login scheme is created in order to, for example, identify whether the user is authorized to access the TCM service. Thereafter, at operation  209 , a registry of the admin device is updated, so as to be able to accurately track registrations of various TCM devices. Finally, at operation  211 , the admin device enters a listening mode to listen for the guest device to join the newly created group. 
     The admin device also enters a standby mode at operation  227 . When a new TCM request is received while the admin device is in the standby mode at operation  227 , the admin device establishes a new data connection at operation  229  and the admin device sends/receives data at operation  231 . After operation  231  the admin device returns to standby mode in operation  227 . 
     Meanwhile, if at operation  203  it is determined that an electronic device, such as the guest device is to subscribe to a new/existing group, at operation  213  the guest device scans for available groups using, for example an SRW device scanner. Once a group has been found the guest device sends a request to an admin device of the found group for a new subscription to the found group at operation  215 . Thereafter, at operation  217 , the admin device determines whether to accept the request. If the request is not accepted, the process returns to operation  203 , and if the request is accepted the process continues to operation  219 . At operation  219 , a login scheme is created between the admin device, the guest device and any other devices subscribed and/or joined to the group. 
     Alternatively, if at operation  203  it is determined that the guest device has already joined a subscribed group the guest device scans for available groups to which the guest device has subscribed at operation  221 . Once a group is found at operation  221 , the guest device attempts to become registered in the group and a determination as to whether the registration is successful is performed at operation  223 . 
     If the registration is not successful, then the process returns to operation  221  or operation  223 . Further, if the registration is successful, then the registry and a log of the admin device are updated at operation  225 . It is noted that the updating of the registry and the log at operation  225  follows the registration of the guest device to an already subscribed to group as indicated at operation  223  or follows the creating of the login scheme when the guest device subscribes to the new/existing group as indicated at operation  219 . 
     Thereafter, at operation  227  the electronic device (e.g., the admin device and/or the guest device) enters a standby mode. When a new TCM request is received while the electronic device is in the standby mode at operation  227 , the electronic device establishes a new data connection at operation  229  and the electronic device sends/receives data at operation  231 . After operation  231  the electronic device returns to standby mode in operation  227 . 
     The TCM service includes subscribing to and/or unsubscribing from the service. The subscribing and/or unsubscribing to/from the service is required only once. The process allows enabling/disabling of TCM features including the creation and/or removal of device identification, TCM authentication, group IDs and the like. 
     The registration of the guest device to an already created group includes automatically searching and registering any nearby TCM devices. The process also includes maintaining the status of all online devices and unregistering a device that moves out of the range of the TCM group. 
     Finally, the TCM authentication includes a user creating a TCM authentication scheme during the subscription of the TCM service. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an MO collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an MO collaborative system  300  is illustrated, where the MO collaborative system  300  includes a TCM master device  310 , a relay device  320 , a TCM client device  330  and a base station  340 . 
     A detailed description of the elements of each of the devices, as illustrated in  FIG. 3  and of the base station  340  has already been provided with respect to  FIG. 1  and therefore a detailed description of these elements is not provided herein. For example, the TCM master device  310  corresponds to the TCM master device  110 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the TCM client device  330  corresponds to the TCM client device  130 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and the relay device  320  corresponds to the relay device  120 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when an incoming call is received at the TCM master device  310  of the MO collaborative system  300 , the TCM master device  310  broadcasts control signals  350  to all nearby TCM devices, such as for example the TCM client device  330 . Thereafter, all registered devices perform a notification action, such as playing a TCM ringtone, and/or displaying a visual notification. However, it is to be noted that the notification action is not limited thereto and many other forms of notifying the user of the master device  310  may be performed. A user of the TCM client device  330  is then able to answer the incoming call upon passing an authentication. 
     The authentication (e.g., a TCM authentication) is performed by the TCM master device  310  and/or the TCM client device  330  and may be the same as the authentication performed by the TCM master device  110  and/or the TCM client device  130 . The user may pass the TCM authentication in order to unlock and answer the incoming call in any of the devices registered in the TCM subscription system. Further, it is noted that the call history may be updated only in the master device  310 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an MT collaborative system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , an MT collaborative system  400  is illustrated, where the MT collaborative system  400  includes a TCM master device  410 , a relay device  420 , a TCM client device  430  and a base station  440 . 
     A detailed description of the elements of each of the devices, as illustrated in  FIG. 4  and of the base station  440  has already been provided with respect to  FIG. 1  and therefore a detailed description of these elements is not provided herein. For example, the TCM master device  410  corresponds to the TCM master device  110 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the TCM client device  430  corresponds to the TCM client device  130 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and the relay device  420  corresponds to the relay device  120 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , when the user wishes to place a call, the user may pick up any of the devices (e.g., the TCM client device  430 ) registered in the TCM subscription system and place the call using the connection between the base station  440  and the TCM master device  410 . In order for the TCM client device  430  to place the call, signals  450  are transmitted to the TCM master device  410  from the TCM client device  430 . Furthermore, in order for the TCM client device  430  to place the call, an unlock authentication is required and only TCM functions may be accessible in the TCM client device  430  upon passing the unlock authentication. It is also noted that although the call history is updated, the update may occur only in the TCM master device  410 . 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of a TCM subscription system including various groups according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a TCM subscription system  500  is illustrated, where the TCM subscription system  500  includes two groups, Group  1  and Group  2 . Each group may include an admin device and several guest devices. For example, Group  1  includes three devices, p 1 - 1 , p 1 - 2  and p 1 - 3 , one of which is the admin device and the remaining devices being guest devices. Similarly, Group  2  may also include various devices, p 2 - 1 , p 2 - 2 , p 2 - 3  and p 2 - 4 , one of which is the admin device and the remaining devices being guest devices. Each of the device of Group  1  may communicate with each other using an SRW network (e.g., WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.) and each of the devices of Group  2  may communicate with each other using an SRW network (e.g., WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.). 
     It is noted that one device may belong to more than one group. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , device p 1 - 1  may belong to Groups  1  and  2 . Telephony functionality sharing is based on the TCM groups. As such, device p 1 - 1  can subscribe to multiple groups and therefore, it may share the resources from either Group  1  or Group  2 . Additionally, for example, device p 1 - 1  can communicate to the devices of Group  1  and Group  2  using an SRW network (e.g., WiFi, BT, NFC, etc.). 
     The TCM subscription system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure promotes sharing existing resources of cellphones without adding new hardware costs to the system. In addition, the TCM subscription system connects cellphones together into one or multiple groups, which can be either cloud based or locally managed. Further, the TCM subscription system aims at collaborating not only just simple voice call functions but messaging and other cellphone functions. Finally, the technology behind telephony collaboration is much more dynamic and advanced. 
     In the TCM subscription system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an admin device is a TCM device that has created a TCM group and can add or remove other TCM devices from the TCM group. Each TCM group may only have one admin device. A guest device is another TCM device that has joined the TCM group. There may be many guest devices that have joined the TCM group. A new guest device sends a subscription requests to the admin device and becomes a member after approval. 
     In the TCM subscription system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after TCM groups are formed, TCM collaboration may be performed. When referring to TCM collaboration, a master device is a device that is, for example, owned by a user but is out of reach and is the device that handles incoming or outgoing cellular calls. Further, when referring to TCM collaboration, a client device is a device that is picked by the user to receive an incoming call or make an outgoing call using the SRW connection to the master device. An admin device may be a master device and client device and a guest device may also be a master device and a client device. 
     While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.