Abstract:
A wireless communication device maintains a communication contact. The wireless communication device receives media session quality data for the communication contact. The wireless communication device receives a request for a media session with the communication contact and responsively identifies estimated media session quality with the communication contact based on the media session quality data for the communication contact. The wireless communication device displays a session activation icon for the media session request that visually indicates the estimated media session quality for the media session with the communication contact. The wireless communication device receives a user selection of the session activation icon and responsively establishes the media session with the communication contact.

Description:
RELATED CASES 
     This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/072,420 that was filed on Nov. 5, 2013 and is entitled, “SESSION QUALITY DISPLAY IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/072,420 is hereby incorporated by reference into this patent application. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL BACKGROUND 
     Wireless signal strength varies according to how far a wireless communication device is away from its access point. Including RF interfaces such as cellular or Wi-Fi, the quality of a wireless link may be impacted by radio noise and obstructions to line of sight. The strength of a wireless link&#39;s signal is measured when received by a wireless communication device or a base station. The received signal strength is correlated to the overall quality of a media session, but signal strength is not the only factor that determines session quality. A high quality session has few transmission failures, such as lost or late payload or retransmissions. 
     In various wireless communication devices such as mobile phones, signal strength is displayed bars. A displayed signal strength indicates the strength of the wireless link between the device and its access point. In various scenarios the signal strength of the connecting wireless link is insufficient to indicate the quality of a media session. The counter-party on the other side of the call may also be connected wirelessly, in which case the session quality may depend on conditions of two wireless networks. Congestion on a backhaul or backbone may also impact session quality. 
     TECHNICAL OVERVIEW 
     A wireless communication device maintains a communication contact. The wireless communication device receives media session quality data for the communication contact. The wireless communication device receives a request for a media session with the communication contact and responsively identifies estimated media session quality with the communication contact based on the media session quality data for the communication contact. The wireless communication device displays a session activation icon for the media session request that visually indicates the estimated media session quality for the media session with the communication contact. The wireless communication device receives a user selection of the session activation icon and responsively establishes the media session with the communication contact. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a wireless communication system that delivers visual indications of session quality. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a wireless communication system that delivers visual indications of session quality. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate incoming and outgoing calls. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a wireless communication device with a session icon. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a wireless communication device with a session icon. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates session icons. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a wireless communication device with multiple session icons. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a wireless communication device with multiple session icons. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an internal configuration of a wireless communication device that displays session icons. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an internal configuration of a session quality server system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates wireless communication system  100  using session quality server system  150  to obtain and transfer communication status data. Session quality server system  150  identifies communication contact  160  and wireless communication device  110 . System  150 , contact  160 , and device  110  may use communication networks  140  to communicate with each other using links  170 ,  180 , and  190 . Session quality server system  150  uses link  170  to obtain the communication status data of communication contact  160 . Session quality server system  150  identifies wireless communication device  110  as interested in the communication status data of a set of identifiable communication contacts that includes communication contact  160 . 
     Session quality server system  150  delivers over link  180  the communication status data of the set of identifiable communication contacts. Data delivered over link  180  is received and remembered by wireless communication device  110 . Later wireless communication device  110  receives a session request indicating that communication contact  160  may participate in a media session with the user. Examples of a session request for a media session include an alert for an incoming call from the given contact or the appearance of a button that can call the given contact. 
     In reaction to wireless communication device  110  receiving a session request indicating a communication contact, display  120  shows session icon  130  in a way that visually indicates the communication status for a possible media session to be conducted on link  190 . When the user activates session icon  130 , perhaps by pressing it, the media session is established. For example the session icon may be the button that answers an incoming call. The incoming call may be a voice call to be carried on link  190 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates wireless communication system  200 , which is also an example of system  100 . Content requests arrive at CDN  211  over either of link  274  or  272  depending on which long haul ISP  207  and  208  is used for the selected IP address. Communication contact  260  connects to communication networks  240  thru access network  230 . Since access network  230  is wireless in this example, communication contact  260  has a wireless communication device. Session quality server system  250  obtains communication status data for communication contact  260 . This communication status data may include data regarding the quality and availability of links  231  and  280 , access network  230 , and communication contact  260 . For example the signal quality or received signal strength of link  231  or  280  could be included in the communication status data that system  250  receives on link  280 . The type of access network  230  may be Wi-Fi, cellular, or other wireless technology. The type of access network  230  may be included in the communication status data that is delivered on link  280 . 
     Session quality server system  250  also obtains communication status data about wireless communication device  210 , which is delivered over links  221  and  290  and wireless access network  220 . Session quality server system  250  considers the raw communication status data regarding contact  260  and device  210  and determines a visual representation that summarizes the communication status to indicate session quality. The visual representation is the communication status data that session quality server system eventually delivers over links  290  and  221 , to wireless communication device  210 . Wireless communication device  210  receives and remembers the last communication status data it receives for each communication contact. If for example the party at communication contact  260  attempts to originate a voice call, wireless communication device  210  receives on link  221  a control page indicating an incoming call. Wireless communication device  210  considers the received control page as announcing a session request. Device  210  reacts to the session request by displaying session icon  214 , which may be an answer button. Session icon  214  visually indicates the communication status data that device  210  earlier received regarding contact  260 . 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates scenario  301  for an outbound call originated by user  310 . Session quality server system  330  identifies a set of communication contacts and obtains communication status data about communication contact  350 . The identification of a set of contacts may be originally supplied to system  330  by device  320  during ( 360 ), or the identification of a contact set may originate from elsewhere. Since system  330  may obtain ( 361 ) communication status data before or after the original identification of the contact set,  360  and  361  may be simultaneous as shown in  FIG. 3A , or assume any relative ordering between them. System  330  produces communication status data that includes visual details summarizing the raw data ( 361 ). The communication status data with the visual details is sent ( 362 ) to device  320 , and device  320  remembers this data. At this time device  320  likely is not showing a session icon, although device  320  has the communication status data needed to visually present the session icon. 
     User  310  prepares ( 361 ) to call contact  350 , perhaps by viewing in a contacts manager the contacts information of the party reachable at contact  350 . Device  320  reacts to this by displaying ( 364 ) the session icon, which in this example is a button to call contact  350 . Implementations may differ on how to visualize the communication status data in the session icon. For example the communication status data may include the color gray to indicate poor session quality. As such gray would appear on the session icon in such a way as to be meaningful to user  310 . Even though the call quality is poor, user  310  attempts ( 365 ) to originate the call by pressing the session icon. The media session for the voice call is established ( 366 ) when the party reached at contact  350  accepts the call. 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates scenario  301  with another call between user  310  and contact  350 . Device  320  receives communication status data as before ( 360 - 62 ). In scenario  301  the session request originates ( 367 ) from contact  350 , hence this announces an incoming call for user  310  to accept. In this example the session icon is an answer button for accepting the incoming call and colored ( 368 ) according to communication status data about contact  350 . The incoming call is accepted when user  310  presses ( 369 ) the answer button. The media session is established ( 370 ) when the call is accepted. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates wireless communication device  400  that colors a session icon according to session quality. In this example an incoming call is being announced in display  410 , which may be a touch screen. Device  400  previously received communication status data from a session quality server system. Announcing the incoming call includes displaying session icon, which is answer button  422  in this example. Answer button  422  is colored according to the color data included in the communication status data about contact  350 . According to the color legend of  FIG. 4 , green is the color specified by the communication status data and presented in answer button  422 . Green may indicate a high quality media session. If the quality of the media session were moderate instead of high, the communication status data would specify yellow instead of green, and answer button  421  would be colored yellow. A low quality media session would be indicated by coloring answer button  423  red. 
     Communication status data can be visualized without color. For example  FIG. 5  illustrates wireless communication device  500  that sizes a session icon according to session quality. Screen  510  announces an incoming call, including displaying answer button  520  as a session icon. Answer button  520  is big because the call quality is high, and so the communication status data includes size data that specifies a big size. If the call quality is moderate instead of high, the communication status data specifies medium size, and answer button  521  is medium sized. If the call quality is low, then answer button  522  is small. 
       FIG. 6  shows other exemplary ways of visualizing communication status data in a session icon without relying on color. Session icons  600  and  601  show a lightly shaded portion that fills vertically according to a fill level given in the communication status data. Session icon  602  shows the fill level as a lightly shaded border that expands inward as the fill level rises to indicate better session quality. Session icon  603  shows the fill level in discrete geometric increments akin to signal bars, but arranged radially. As shown in session icons  610  and  611  a pictorial image within the session icon may be resized according to the fill level given in the communication data. Session icon  610  indicates low quality, and session icon  611  indicates high quality. 
     The visual indications included in the communication status data need not be numeric as fill level is. The communication status data may include flags such as a high definition (HD) voice indicator. The HD flag shown in session icon  630  might for example be included when both communication devices that would participate in a media session support HD voice and the involved networks can carry HD voice. The two parties of a media session may be connected to different access networks. The type of access network of the counter party contact may be included in the communication status data, such that a party may be shown a session icon that visually indicates the access network type of the counter party contact. A visual indication of access network type may be included in communication status data as a pictorial icon. For example session icon  620  shows that a communication contact is connected to a Wi-Fi access network. Session icon  621  shows that a communication contact is connected to a cellular network. Session icon  622  shows that a communication contact is connected by a land line. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates multiple session icons  730 - 32  appearing on touch screen display  710  in exemplary wireless communication device  700 . As shown device  700  runs a contacts manager application. The user is currently viewing contact information  720  of party Chris Cross. What is not shown is how the user navigated to contact information  720 . For example if the user began by launching the contacts manager application, then the user might initially be shown a list of parties. When the user selects Chris Cross from the list of parties, device  700  reacts by showing contact information  720  and further handling the user&#39;s selection as one or more session requests. Since contact information  720  includes three communication contacts, the user&#39;s navigation to contact information  720  is recognized by device  700  as three session requests, one session request for each communication contact. Reacting to three session requests causes this example to show three session icons  730 - 32 , one for each communication contact of Chris Cross. 
     Each of session icons  730 - 32  regards a separate communication contact and so visually indicates separate communication status data. If the session quality is encoded as shading data in the communication status data, then the dark shading of session icon  732  may suggest that activating session icon  732  would originate a higher quality call than would the activation of session icon  730  or  731 . The communication status data of session icons  730 - 31  visually indicate a lower call quality, perhaps because device  700  can only reach the communication contacts of these session icons by connecting to a cellular access network of lower call quality. Whereas session icon  732  might be darker because device  700  can reach the communication contact of session icon  732  by connecting to a Wi-Fi access network of higher call quality. Those are examples of the access network of device  700  affecting the communication status data that is processed by the session quality server system. 
     However a communication contact may also connect to an access network that affects communication status data. The communication status data given to wireless communication device  700  is an integration of communication status data of device  700  and the communication status data of the communication contact of session icon  732 . As such it is possible that session icon  730  or  731  is lightly shaded because of communication status data of the corresponding communication contact. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates wireless communication device  800 , which may be a smart phone with touch screen  810  or other device that can display interactive icons and has a wireless transceiver. The user is viewing call history  820 . Each call in the call history appears as a shaded or unshaded horizontal stripe, which are session icons  830 - 835  that originate a call when activated. Session icons  832  and  834  may be shaded because the communication status data given to wireless communication device  800  included shading to indicate a low quality media session. Perhaps the media quality is low because only for session icons  832  and  834  does device  800  connect to a Wi-Fi network with a weak signal. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates wireless communication device  900 . Wireless communication device  900  may have the same configuration of other wireless communication devices  110 ,  210 ,  320 ,  400 ,  500 ,  700 , or  800 , although these other devices could use alternative configurations. Wireless communication device  900  comprises communication interfaces  910 , user interface  920 , and processing system  940 . Processing system  940  is linked to communication interfaces  910  and user interface  920 . Processing system  940  includes processing circuitry  950  which is connected to storage system  960  that stores operating software  970 . Wireless communication device  900  may include other well-known components such as a battery and enclosure that are not shown for clarity. Wireless communication device  900  may be a telephone, computer, mobile Internet appliance, game console, or some other wireless communication apparatus—including combinations thereof. 
     Communication interfaces  910  comprises RF communication circuitry and an antenna. The RF communication circuitry typically includes an amplifier, filter, RF modulator, and signal processing circuitry. Communication interfaces  910  may also include a memory device, software, processing circuitry, or some other communication device. Communication interfaces  910  use various protocols, such as CDMA, EVDO, WIMAX, GSM, LTE, Wi-Fi, HSPA, Bluetooth, 1×RTT or some other wireless communication format. 
     User interface  920  comprises components that interact with a user to receive user inputs and to present media and/or information. User interface  920  includes display  930  and may also include a speaker, microphone, buttons, lights, touch screen, touch pad, scroll wheel, communication port, or some other user input/output apparatus—including combinations thereof. 
     Processing circuitry  950  comprises microprocessor and other circuitry that retrieves and executes operating software  970  from storage system  960 . Storage system  960  comprises a non-transitory storage medium, such as a disk drive, flash drive, data storage circuitry, or some other memory apparatus. Processing circuitry  950  is typically mounted on a circuit board that may also hold storage system  960  and portions of communication interfaces  910  and user interface  920 . Operating software  970  comprises computer programs, firmware, or some other form of machine-readable processing instructions. Operating software  970  may include an operating system, applications, drivers, and session status logic tailored according to desired features. Operating software  970  may also include utilities or some other type of software. When executed by processing circuitry  950 , operating software  970  directs processing system  940  to operate wireless communication device  900  as described herein. 
     The session status logic of wireless communication device  900  may comprise an aggregation of software modules such as the following. Communication module  982  may drive communication interfaces  910  to send and receive communication status data. Display module  986  may render session icons for delivery to display  930  and handle user interactions. Session status module  984  may send and receive communication data through communication interfaces  910 . Session status module  984  may also remember the most recently received communication status data for each communication contact known to wireless communication device  900 . Implementations of the session status logic of wireless communication device  900  have flexibility as to how many software modules are present and how responsibilities are distributed amongst the modules. 
     The above description and associated figures teach the best mode of the invention. The following claims specify the scope of the invention. Note that some aspects of the best mode may not fall within the scope of the invention as specified by the claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described above can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.