U.S. patent application number 11/668054 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-31 for delivering unified user experience by automatically teaming up information appliances with general purpose pc through internet.
This patent application is currently assigned to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Min Yin, Shumin Zhai.
Application Number | 20080181197 11/668054 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39667886 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080181197 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yin; Min ; et al. |
July 31, 2008 |
Delivering Unified User Experience By Automatically Teaming Up
Information Appliances With General Purpose PC Through Internet
Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention is a method for server
side integration of communication devices and the general purpose
PC of the same user through a computer network wherein no physical
connection is required between the PC and the communication device.
The user registers with PnC (phone and computer) server for
subscribing to one or more PnC services such as drop-to-call,
conference-call-dropping service, webpage sharing, caller
kaleidoscope etc., via user interface of communications device
and/or PC. Various features for subscribing and unsubscribing to
services are provided along with authenticating the user using the
name and the phone number of the user while registering with the
server.
Inventors: |
Yin; Min; (Sunnyvale,
CA) ; Zhai; Shumin; (Los Altos, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CANTOR COLBURN, LLP - IBM ARC DIVISION
20 Church Street, 22nd Floor
Hartford
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
CORPORATION
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
39667886 |
Appl. No.: |
11/668054 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 12/66 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/352 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/66 20060101
H04L012/66 |
Claims
1.-20. (canceled)
21. A method of combining personal computer and IP phone by way of
local area network forming a device team, said method comprising:
connecting an IP phone to a local area network; connecting a
personal computer (PC) to said local area network; installing a PnC
proxy software on said personal computer (PC), said PnC proxy
software providing a plurality of user interface elements
representing said IP phone to a user; processing registration,
subscription, authentication, and a plurality of collaborative
functions between said IP phone and said personal computer (PC) on
a second server, said second server running a PnC server software;
and using said PnC server software to coordinate communications
between, an IP phone server, said IP phone, and said PnC proxy
software to effectuate said device team; using a web server to
verify said user identity, dynamically lookup an IP phone number
associated with said user, download said PnC proxy software, and
associate said PnC proxy software with said user and said IP phone
number; keeping valid a registration in case of network
communication interruptions by way of said PnC proxy software
communicating with said PnC server software to revalidate said
registration; subscribing to a service, wherein said user having
valid said registration can subscribe to said plurality of
collaborative functions; wherein said plurality of collaborative
functions includes a drop-to-dial function, a web-page-sharing
function, an information-sharing function, a
call-related-info-discovery function, and a user defined function;
wherein said drop-to-dial function further includes: initiating by
said user of a telephone number to dial request, said telephone
number to dial request being generated by way of said personal
computer (PC); sending said telephone number to dial request to
said PnC server software; said sending further comprising:
verifying said user identity; looking up an IP phone number and
corresponding authentication associated with said user; and
returning a response; forming a request of dialing based in part on
said response; sending said request of dialing to said IP phone
server; verifying at said IP phone server said request of dialing;
and effectuating placing of a telephone call wherein said telephone
number to dial request occurs when said user drags and drops said
telephone number onto said PnC proxy software desktop; wherein said
web-page-sharing function includes: said user drags and drops a web
page onto the said PnC proxy software on said PC; and triggering a
web-page-sharing request to be sent from said PnC proxy software to
said PnC server software, and from said PnC server software to said
IP Phone server, wherein said IP Phone server instructs the said we
page to be displayed on said IP Phone and the IP Phone of the party
who's in conversation with the said user; pushing a button on said
IP phone of the said conversation party; and triggering a
web-page-sharing request to be sent from said IP phone to said IP
phone server, and from said IP phone server to said PnC server
software, wherein said PnC server software instructs said personal
computer (PC) through said PnC proxy software to open a web
browser, said web-page-sharing request further comprising a
reference to a web page; and displaying on said personal computer
(PC) phone said web page; wherein said information-sharing function
includes: pushing a button on said IP phone; and triggering an
information-sharing request to be sent from said IP phone to said
IP phone server, and from said IP phone server to said PnC server
software, wherein said PnC server software instructs said personal
computer (PC) through said PnC proxy software to perform said
information-sharing request, said information-sharing request
further comprising a plurality of information; and displaying said
plurality of information as enriched, or as complimentary version
of information currently displayed on said IP phone.
Description
[0001] IBM.RTM. is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., U.S.A. Other names used herein
may be registered trademarks, trademarks or product names of
International Business Machines Corporation or other companies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a method for server side
integration of communication devices and the general purpose PC of
the same user through a computer network wherein no physical
connection is required between the PC and the communication device.
In particular, the user registers with PnC (phone and computer)
server for subscribing to one or more PnC services such as
drop-to-call, conference-call-dropping service, webpage sharing,
caller kaleidoscope etc., via user interface of communications
device and/or PC. Various features for subscribing and
unsubscribing to services are provided along with authenticating
the user using the name and the phone number of the user while
registering with the server.
[0004] 2. Description of Background
[0005] Information appliances are special purpose computers
dedicated to particular functions. For example, IP Phones are
designed primarily for voice communication, but with its
computation power and a screen, IP Phones can also be used to query
a directory, broadcast messages, or surf the web.
[0006] There are efforts on making the general purpose PC more
versatile and take over information appliances, either virtually
(through software) or physically (through hardware). For example,
many soft phones have been developed and U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,214
describes physically incorporating a phone into a laptop.
[0007] But despite these efforts, as technology advances, our
office desks are equipped with even more powerful (regarding CPU,
memory, storage, screen, and Internet connectivity) information
appliances, usually sitting near a general PC (desktop or laptop).
This is because information appliances offer advantages a general
PC can not provide, including high reliability, easy maintenance,
and form factors targeted at special tasks.
[0008] Although an information appliance and general purpose PC are
both present at the same user's desk, they work by themselves, not
aware of the other one's presence. This can be very inconvenient to
the user. For example, to dial a number listed in an email, a file,
or a webpage in the general purpose PC, the user has to first
memorize the number and then manually punch them on the phone. In
contrast, to team up information appliances and a general purpose
PC as a group enables smooth and seamless information flow and
optimized resource allocation and function distribution.
[0009] Some prior art proposes to physically connect the PC and
information appliance like devices with cable, dock, or special
connecters. Physical connectors may be machine or brand specific
thus may not work on other information appliances. To physically
connect and/or disconnect the two may be inconvenient to the user.
Bluetooth can connect two devices wirelessly, but it also requires
a device discovery phase and makes no effort on delivering a
unified user experience over connected devices.
[0010] There is a long felt need for a system and method that
delivers a unified user experience by automatically teaming up the
information appliances and the general purpose PC of the same user
through an Internet-base approach that in part gives rise to the
present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and
additional advantages are provided through the provision of a
method of combining a personal computer and an IP phone by way of
local area network forming a device team, the method comprising:
connecting an IP phone to a local area network; connecting a
personal computer (PC) to the local area network; installing a PnC
proxy software on the personal computer (PC), the PnC proxy
software providing a plurality of user interface elements
representing the IP phone to a user; processing registration,
subscription, authentication, and a plurality of collaborative
functions between the IP phone and the personal computer (PC) on a
server running a PnC server software; and using the PnC server
software to coordinate communications between, an IP phone server,
the IP phone, and the PnC proxy software to effectuate the device
team.
[0012] System and computer program products corresponding to the
above-summarized methods are also described and claimed herein.
[0013] Additional features and advantages are realized through the
techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects
of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered
a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the
invention with advantages and features, refer to the description
and to the drawings.
TECHNICAL EFFECTS
[0014] As a result of the summarized invention, technically we have
achieved a solution which the user registers with PnC (phone and
computer) server for subscribing to one or more PnC services such
as drop-to-call, conference-call-dropping service, webpage sharing,
caller kaleidoscope etc., via user interface of a communications
device and/or a PC.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent
from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates one example of an IP phone and general
purpose PC can form a PnC team talking advantage of both
devices;
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the computer and phone
virtual integration;
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the PnC system view;
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates one example of the graphical phone proxy
on the PC desktop;
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates one example of caller kaleidoscope phone
screenshot;
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates one example of the caller kaleidoscope PC
view;
[0022] FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate one example of a method of combining
personal computer and IP phone by way of local area network forming
a device team;
[0023] FIG. 8 illustrates one example of drop-to-dial function,
which is one of a plurality of collaborative functions;
[0024] FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate examples of web-page-sharing
function, which is one of a plurality of collaborative functions;
and
[0025] FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate examples of
information-object-sharing function, which is one of a plurality of
collaborative functions.
[0026] The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments
of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of
example with reference to the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, specialized
computers as information appliances have been proposed as a
solution to the complexity and usability problems of the PC. There
are also counter arguments against such a proposition. In an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, instead of pitting
information appliances and the PC against each other, embodiments
implement a device teaming approach that takes advantage of both
types of devices: the familiar and high bandwidth user interface of
the PC, and the task specific form factors of an information
appliance.
[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention, we designed and
developed a PnC (phone n' computer) by teaming up an IP phone with
a general-purpose PC. Functions are distributed between the two
devices according to their characteristics. Users can also transfer
information objects between the two devices. PnC provides new and
richer user experiences including drop-to-call, sharing visual
information, and caller information display.
[0029] Information appliances, or computers designed with
specialized functions and form factors, have been advocated as a
solution to the ever increasing complexity and user frustration of
the PC by many. Such a proposition is not without opposition. While
information appliances tend to be more reliable and simpler to use,
at least for the most basic functions, the general purpose PC
offers savings at many levels: highly commoditized powerful
hardware, space, and the time invested in learning one set of
interaction skills common to all software applications.
[0030] A PC has three types of usability advantages over
appliances. First, the GUI conventions and de facto standard
operations help a user to rely on past experience to operate a new
software application. In contrast there has been little
standardization to performing operations on an appliance,
particularly if the operation is beyond the most basic. For example
recording a greeting message on different phones often requires
different operation procedures. Second, PCs have powerful/high
bandwidth input (mouse and keyboard) and output (large display)
devices that most specialized devices can't have. Third,
information (e.g., a phone number send over email) related to a
daily task is often stored in applications on a PC that can be more
easily shared among applications on the same machine.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated one example of an
IP phone and a general purpose PC forming a PnC team talking
advantage of both devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the IP
phone, rapidly deployed in many corporations due to the cost
savings in networking, is a particularly interesting case of an
information appliance.
[0032] First, due to its specialized purpose and narrow function,
the reliability of an IP phone can be higher than a general purpose
PC which can halt due to failures in the numerous programs, device
drivers, and processes. The management and maintenance (e.g.,
software upgrade) of IP phones, especially in a large corporation,
is also easier. In case of a crash, a special purpose computer
reboots much faster than a PC with a complex operating system to
boot and many applications to launch. Second, because of its size
and form, and IP phone offer better affordances for making and
receiving calls. When the phone rings, one can immediately pick up
the handset of a hardware phone with a fixed location on the desk.
In contrast responding to an alert from a PC often involves finding
the right window, reading the message, and figuring out which
control to push.
[0033] The drawbacks of an IP phone as an information appliance are
also easily observable. Beyond making and receiving calls, it is
often not obvious how to perform operations such as making a
multi-party conference call. Without a keyboard and a large
display, inputting entries to the speed dial menu/phone book is
difficult. It is not convenient to copy phone numbers stored in a
PC (email, web page, etc) to dial a call on the phone.
[0034] Fortunately an IP phone, as an information appliance and a
general purpose PC are not necessarily mutually exclusive,
especially since they can be identified with the same user on the
network and are physically near each other. By teaming up
information appliances with PCs, one can approach the best of both
worlds: the special form, size and affordances of an information
appliance and the powerful I/O and GUI capabilities of a general
PC.
[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, a PnC (phone n' computer)
system, as a team between a phone and a computer, provides stronger
functionality and usability than each of the two devices alone.
Some functions are particularly suited for the phone to handle. For
example, in addition to making and receiving voice calls, calendar
notifications, alerts, announcements, and data to be tracked and
monitored frequently are particularly suited for the phone to
display due to its spatial constancy. In contrast, when a large
amount of graphical or text information needs to be displayed, or
complex actions that require a large GUI and efficient input to
operate, the task should go to the PC.
[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a
function will appear either on the phone or on the PC by default in
light of these analyses. Furthermore, we have developed user
interfaces to support easy manual transfer of information and
function between the two devices by the user.
[0037] One design criteria for the PnC is elimination of direct
physical connection between the PC and the phone and removing
additional device discovery steps before users can use the system.
Instead, a server-side integration approach is used where the
server, as illustrated in FIG. 2, considers the PC and the Phone of
a same user as a virtual PnC team. Due to the increasing Internet
connectivity, such an approach is easy, convenient, flexible, and
cost effective.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 3 there is illustrated one example of the
PnC system view. In an exemplary embodiment this system, PnC is
offered as a set of functional software services.
[0039] In operation, the user first needs to register with the PnC
Server via a web interface and then subscribe to one or more PnC
services, such as Drop-to-Call, Conference-call-dropping, Caller
Kaleidoscope as detailed further below, Multicast for certain
groups, etc. Alternative to individual registration, PnC function
can be also pre-installed and configured based on information in
for example a corporate database. During registration, a PnC server
verifies a user's name and phone number with IP Phone Manager
Server, authenticates the user by means of, for example, an
intranet password, initializes the user's phone, and later delivers
the subscribed services to the same phone. The PnC server keeps a
list of available PnC services and a list of subscribers with their
individual subscriptions. The Subscription Management Module allows
a subscriber to modify, customize, or cancel his/her subscriptions.
For each PnC service, the complete service delivery is defined as
two parts: one delivered through the PC Interface to the
subscriber's computer and the other part through the phone
interface to the IP Phone. The Service Management Module manages
and maintains these services to ensure their successful
collaborative delivery to the PC and to the IP phone.
[0040] On the subscriber's PC, a small PnC proxy is needed to
receive PnC service delivery and collect user input through the
PC's keyboard and mouse. On the IP phone side, services are
delivered through the standard IP phone service platform provided
by the IP Phone vendor.
User Interface from the PC to the Phone
[0041] There are many possible interface designs for manually
transferring information objects from the PC to the phone. One uses
a "toss-over" metaphor. An edge of the PC screen near the phone is
dedicated as boundary between the two devices, any objects that are
dragged over the edge goes to the phone. Another interface is a
pop-up menu attached to each information object that can be
transferred to the phone by a right mouse click and selection. An
interface design called "graphical proxy" uses a dedicated
window/icon as a virtual representation of the phone on the PC
screen. Any object dropped on the proxy will be interpreted and
transferred to the phone. One example of which is illustrated in
FIG. 4.
User Interface from the Phone to the PC
[0042] There are also many possible interface designs for
transferring information objects from the phone to the PC. One
embodiment is a simple button-based "shovel" mechanism. If a user
presses a button with the label "To-PC", the object on the phone
screen is transferred and displayed on the PC. Functions available
in embodiments of the invention are described below.
Drop-to-Call
[0043] The first service is Drop-to-Call, which enables the user to
drag and drop a phone number in a PC application onto the graphical
phone proxy, causing the IP phone to automatically dial that
number.
[0044] Drop-to-Call also allows the user to drop a directory entry
onto the phone proxy. The phone will dial the number in the entry
when there is no ambiguity. When multiple phone numbers (e.g.,
office number, mobile number, etc.) are contained in the entry, the
user will be prompted to select one of them through a pop-up
menu.
Sharing Web Pages
[0045] During a phone call it is common to refer to a web site for
sharing some visual information. To achieve this today, one has to
read the URL over the phone, which is often tedious, send an email,
or open an instant text-messaging channel. A PnC function
facilitates sharing web pages. During the call, either of the two
parties with PnC installed can drag and drop a web page from the
web browser of the PC onto the phone proxy, which causes an image
of the page displayed on both phone screens. If interested in more
detail, the recipient can shovel the page from the phone display to
the PC screen, which displays the page in a web browser. What is
transferred in the last step is really the URL of the web page,
although the appearance is that the "page" is copied from one PC to
another via two phones.
Caller Information Display--Kaleidoscope
[0046] When receiving a call, it is often useful to have some
background information about the caller on display. There is a
small bit of such information with the conventional caller ID
(identification) in the form of a phone number and caller's name. A
PnC service, referred to as Kaleidoscope, provides a variety of
information on the caller and some collaboration and communication
documents between the caller and the receiver. With this service,
when one receives a call, an enhanced version of the commonly used
Caller-ID is displayed on the phone screen, including: name,
affiliation, email address, as well as shared calendar entry and
shared activities. If interested in seeing more detailed
information during the call, the receiver can shovel the
information to the PC and display a full size Kaleidoscope
interface on the PC screen. Depending on availability, the
Kaleidoscope displays the caller's home page, corporate directory
information and most recent email exchanged with the caller.
[0047] The information displayed in Kaleidoscope is collected by
the Caller Kaleidoscope service, which once subscribed, starts to
monitor the inbound calls of the subscriber's IP Phone. Whenever a
call comes in, the service detects the calling party's caller ID
(if it is available), the service will then collect various kinds
of information about the caller. This service is especially
valuable in a corporate environment where information such as the
caller's location, department, manager, and position can be easily
found in the corporate directory. If the caller is from outside of
the receiver's corporation, Caller Kaleidoscope can search
information on the web and present whatever is found to the
receiver. Referring to FIG. 5 there is illustrated one example of a
screenshot of the caller kaleidoscope delivered to the receiver's
IP Phone. A full-sized version of Kaleidoscope on the PC is
illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 7A-7B there is illustrated one example of
a method of combining personal computer and IP phone by way of
local area network forming a device team. In this regard, FIGS.
7A-7B blocks 1002-1016 further detail an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 8 there is illustrated one example of
drop-to-dial function, which is one of a plurality of collaborative
functions. In this regard, FIG. 8 blocks 2002-2012 further details
an exemplary embodiment of the present inventions drop-to-call
function.
[0050] Referring to FIGS. 9A-9B, there are illustrated examples of
sharing information. FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate examples of
web-page-sharing functions, which is one of a plurality of
collaborative functions.
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 10A-10B, there are illustrated examples
of information-object-sharing function, which is one of a plurality
of collaborative functions. FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate examples of
object-sharing functions.
[0052] The capabilities of the present invention can be implemented
in software, firmware, hardware or some combination thereof.
[0053] As one example, one or more aspects of the present invention
can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more
computer program products) having, for instance, computer usable
media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer
readable program code means for providing and facilitating the
capabilities of the present invention. The article of manufacture
can be included as a part of a computer system or sold
separately.
[0054] Additionally, at least one program storage device readable
by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of
instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities
of the present invention can be provided.
[0055] The flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples. There
may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps (or
operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of
the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a
differing order, or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of
these variations are considered a part of the claimed
invention.
[0056] While the preferred embodiment to the invention has been
described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art,
both now and in the future, may make various improvements and
enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which
follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper
protection for the invention first described.
* * * * *