Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing media communications in a communication system that includes communication devices managed and mediated by a communication server, wherein the communication devices are communicable over a plurality of configurable channels. A communication server receives, from a first communication device, a request to immediately communicate with one or more other communication devices over a channel configured for direct media communications between the first and one or more other communication devices. The request includes a means for identifying the one or more other communication device. The communication server determines a current channel to which the one or more other communication devices are set and automatically switches the channel to which the one or more other communication devices are set from the current channel to the channel configured for direct media communications between the first and one or more other communication devices.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for tracking location data among a plurality of communication devices communicable with a communication server. A plurality of communication devices may be linked into a group. The communication server may receive location data for each of the plurality of communication devices and calculate a distance and heading data between each of the plurality of communication devices. This data may be distributed to each of the plurality of communication devices in the group. A first communication device in the group may include a ring of light emitting diodes (LEDs), a microphone, and a speaker but lack a display screen. The first communication device may receive the location, distance, and heading data from the communication server while also determining its own orientation via a magnometer. The first communication device may calculate a heading offset between its orientation and a second communication device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for responding to a pre-recorded inbound voice message in a communication system that includes communication devices and a communication server. In a first communication device, a pre-recorded inbound voice message is received from a sender communication device via a communication server. A reply mode is set for a response voice message from a plurality of reply modes. The response voice message is recorded and a reply mode flag is inserted into a message header. The response voice message is then sent to the communication server where it determines the reply mode. When the reply mode is reply to all, the response voice message is sent to the sender communication device and other recipient communication devices. When the reply mode is reply to sender, a direct channel communication link is established between the first communication device and the sender communication device and the response voice message is sent directly to the sender communication device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing inbound voice messages in a communication system that includes communication devices and a communication server. A communication device receives an inbound voice message that is associated with a voice message temporal mode that includes a message mode and a live mode. The communication device may then determine the voice message temporal mode for the inbound voice message as well as a device temporal mode associated with the receiving communication device. The device temporal mode also includes a message mode and a live mode. When the voice message temporal mode is determined to be message mode, the communication device may provide a message received notification on the receiving communication device. When the device temporal mode is determined to be message mode, the communication device may provide a message received notification on the receiving communication device regardless of the voice message temporal mode.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing outbound voice messages in a communication system that includes communication devices and a communication server. A temporal mode of either live mode or message mode and a recipient mode of either group mode or direct mode are selected and set for an outbound voice message. Based on the selected settings for temporal mode and recipient mode the originating communication device records a voice message that is relayed to the communication server where it is distributed to other communication devices according to the rules or parameters associated with the temporal and recipient mode selected.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing a panic mode for a communication device. The communication device may trigger a panic mode causing the communication device to emit an audible alert while simultaneously causing the communication device to capture any detected sound at a frequency below the audible alert. The communication device may also collect metadata including a date stamp, a time stamp, and a location that may be associated with any captured audio and stored locally or streamed to a communications server for storage. The communication device may also send a message to one or more other endpoints indicative of the communication device having engaged panic mode.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing communication channels in a communication system that includes communication devices and a communication server. In one embodiment, first and second near field communication (NFC) equipped communication devices are put into a designated temporary channel and placed into close enough proximity to cause an NFC transaction. The NFC transaction may generate a transaction identifier that may be included in a channel establishment message sent from the first and second communication devices to the communication server. The communication server receives the transaction identifiers from the first and second NFC equipped communication devices and when they match, the communication server creates a temporary communication channel accessible to the first and second NFC equipped communication devices.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing communication channels in a communication system that includes communication devices and a communication server. In one embodiment, a communication device may receive an invitation to join a new communication channel, the invitation comprising a universal resource locator (URL) link to a location that contains instructions for joining the new communication channel. The communication device may then launch a companion application in response to activating the URL link where the companion application may be associated with an account administered by a communications server. The companion application may be configured to manage one or more communication devices. A user may select from among the communication devices managed by the companion application to be added to the new communication channel and send, to the communication server, an acceptance to the invitation to join the new communication channel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-radio communication apparatus capable of remote communication exchanges with a cloud based communication server. The communication server, in turn, may be communicable with one or more content or other customer servers to allow data exchanges between the multi-radio communication apparatus and virtually any cloud based server. The multi-radio communication apparatus may comprise processors, data storage components, a plurality of RF transceivers and corresponding antennas, and logic, at least a portion of which is implemented in circuitry. The logic may implement a mesh module configured to communicate with other apparatuses directly using a dedicated one of the plurality of RF transceivers. The logic may further implement a caching module configured to store data to be exchanged with a communication server at a later date.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for mediating a communication session between a communication device operating asynchronously and a communication device operating synchronously. A communications server receives a first set of audio data segments transmitted asynchronously from an asynchronous communication device over a first communication link and converts the audio data segments into a first synchronous stream of audio data. The communications server then establishes a synchronous audio media channel between itself and the synchronous device over a second communication link before transmitting the first synchronous stream of audio data to the second communication device over the established synchronous audio media channel. The communications server may also receive a second synchronous stream of audio data from the synchronous communication device and convert the second synchronous stream of audio data into a second set of audio data segments.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed for responding to voice commands within an existing telephony call between two or more end user communication devices mediated by an IP based communications server. The server is mediating a telephony call among the two or more end user communication devices where each end user communication device has its own communication link to the server. The server may detect a trigger event from one of the end user communication devices. Upon detecting the trigger event, the server may receive voice input over the communication link from the end user communication device that generated the trigger event. The received voice input may be parsed into one or more voice commands. The server may then cause the one or more voice commands to be executed. In other embodiments, much of the intelligence and processing may be carried out on the end user communication device directly.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein are generally directed to systems and methods for intelligently structuring, handling, and enhancing communication sessions between or among communication devices including traditional telephony endpoints (e.g., phones) and non-traditional endpoints (e.g., automobiles, accessory devices, wearable accessory devices) among others. Some embodiments are particularly directed to call forwarding policies for providing the ability to make and receive telephone calls intended for a specific telephony endpoint (e.g. mobile phone, VoIP phone, POTS phone) on an accessory device using the telephony endpoint's identity (e.g., telephone number) even when the accessory device and mobile phone (or other telephony endpoint) are separated by great distances or when the mobile phone (or other telephony endpoint) is otherwise unavailable. Various embodiments described herein may enable selective implementation of the call forwarding policies.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed for responding to voice commands within an existing telephony call between two or more end user communication devices mediated by an IP based communications server. The server is mediating a telephony call among the two or more end user communication devices where each end user communication device has its own communication link to the server. The server may detect a trigger event from one of the end user communication devices. Upon detecting the trigger event, the server may receive voice input over the communication link from the end user communication device that generated the trigger event. The received voice input may be parsed into one or more voice commands. The server may then cause the one or more voice commands to be executed. In other embodiments, much of the intelligence and processing may be carried out on the end user communication device directly.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed for responding to voice commands within an existing telephony call between two or more end user communication devices mediated by an IP based communications server. The server is mediating a telephony call among the two or more end user communication devices where each end user communication device has its own communication link to the server. The server may detect a trigger event from one of the end user communication devices. Upon detecting the trigger event, the server may receive voice input over the communication link from the end user communication device that generated the trigger event. The received voice input may be parsed into one or more voice commands. The server may then cause the one or more voice commands to be executed. In other embodiments, much of the intelligence and processing may be carried out on the end user communication device directly.