Patent ID: 8825016

Claim:
A first device comprising: a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit a query to a second device that is remote from the first device, wherein the query is configured to request data from the second device indicating whether the second device is (i) busy and cannot currently communicate with the first device or (ii) not busy and can currently communicate with the first device, and wherein the query is configured to not generate an alert to a user of the second device in response to the second device receiving the query; a receiver configured to wirelessly receive data from the second device in response to the query transmitted to the second device, wherein the data indicates whether the second device is (i) busy and cannot currently communicate with the first device or (ii) not busy and can currently communicate with the first device; and a processor configured to determine, based on whether the second device is (i) busy and cannot currently communicate with the first device or (ii) not busy and can currently communicate with the first device, whether to communicate with the second device.