Unified Communication Device

Abstract

In some implementations, a computing device may receive a user-selection to initiate a real-time communication session with a second computing device. The first computing device may authenticate user credentials. The computing device may send a request to the second computing device to initiate the real-time communication session using a web browser application. The real-time communication session may be initiated in response to receiving an acceptance message to the request. The real-time communication session may include at least one of an audio stream or a video stream.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/921,215, entitled “WebRTC” and filed on Dec. 27, 2013. Application No. 61/921,215 is fully incorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND

Despite the proliferation of computing devices, such as tablets and wireless phones, current Business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) communications are still relatively primitive. For example, most B2B or B2C communications take place in-person, over the phone, or using electronic mail (“email”).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system that includes a device with a real-time communications application according to some implementations.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device architecture that includes a real-time communications application according to some implementations.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system in which two or more devices are participating in a real-time communication session according to some implementations.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes sending a request to initiate a real-time communication session according to some implementations.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes receiving a request to initiate a real-time communication session according to some implementations.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device participating in a real-time communication session according to some implementations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system and techniques described herein enable devices to communicate with each other in real-time. For example, a real-time communications (RTC) application, such as WebRTC, may enable multiple devices to communicate with each other in real-time, thereby facilitating more meaningful B2B and B2C communications.

An RTC application may be installed or integrated into devices, such as wireless phones, tablets, and other computing devices, to provide a secure application for communication that includes voice, video, chat, document access, and other types of communication. For example, an RTC application may be customized to provide communications between patients and healthcare professionals, such as doctors and nurses. To illustrate, a patient may be provided with a patient device that includes a customized RTC application. The user interface (UI) may enable the patient to initiate a communication (e.g., audio and/or video) session with a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or a nurse. The RTC application may request the patient's credentials (e.g., username and password), authenticate the patient's identity, retrieve a set of document(s) associated with the patient, and display the document(s) to the healthcare professional. The document(s) that are displayed may include a document that includes confidential information, e.g., information that may be shared with a select number of individuals but may not be shared with other individuals. In some cases, the doctor may view at least one document that the patient is not capable of viewing. For example, the doctor may view a scan (e.g., an ultrasound, or a radiological scan) that includes annotations from another physician (e.g., radiologist). The doctor may share a portion of the document with the patient. For example, the doctor may share the scan but not the physician annotations with the patient. The documents that are displayed may be retrieved using various criteria. For example, the patient may use the RTC application at a first point in time. When the patient initiates a call to the healthcare professional at a second point in time, the RTC application may identify and retrieve patient data (e.g., blood test results, results from an x-ray or ultrasound, etc.) associated with the patient that were created after the first point in time. Thus, when the patient initiates a communication session with the healthcare professional, the RTC application may determine an identity of the patient, and retrieve and display patient data associated with the patient to the healthcare professional.

The healthcare professional may view the patient data on a device in which the RTC application (e.g., WebRTC) has been installed. For example, the healthcare professional may receive a request from a patient to initiate an audio or video communication session. When the healthcare professional accepts the request, the audio or video communication session may begin. After the communication session begins, the RTC application may display the patient data on the device. In addition, the RTC application may enable the healthcare professional to retrieve additional patient data. For example, after the RTC application displays a current test result, the doctor may use the RTC application to retrieve and display a previous test result. The patient data that the doctor can view using the RTC application may include patient data (e.g., test results, x-ray images, ultrasound videos, etc.) stored in a database and real-time patient data. For example, the patient may wear a monitoring device that, substantially in real-time, periodically (e.g., at a pre-determined interval) measures various physiological signs and transmits them securely to the patient's device. The physiological signs that are measured and transmitted may include body temperature, blood pressure level, blood sugar level, heart rate, another physiological measurement associated with a human, or any combination thereof. When the patient initiates a communication session with the doctor, the RTC application may enable the doctor to view the physiological signs being received by the patient device. The physiological signs transmitted from the monitoring device to the patient device may be stored on the patient device. In some cases, the patient device may periodically transmit the stored physiological signs to a remote server, such as a hospital database.

The RTC application may enable multi-user communication sessions (e.g., audio or video conference call) between two or more people. For example, while communicating with a patient, a doctor may use the RTC application to create a three-way communication session with a specialist (e.g., cardiologist, nephrologist, or other medical specialist) by initiating a communications request to the specialist. As another example, a nurse may use the RTC application to create a three-way communication session with a doctor. As yet another example, a nurse may create a 3-way communication session with a doctor and the doctor may create a 4-way communication session by initiating communications with a specialist. The RTC application may enable a subset of the parties included in the communication session to temporarily engage in a discussion while excluding one or more of the parties. For example, during a 3-way communication between the patient, the nurse, and the doctor, the doctor may temporarily exclude the patient while the doctor discusses a matter with the nurse. As another example, during a 4-way communication between the patient, the nurse, the doctor, and the specialist, the doctor and the specialist may temporarily exclude the patient and the nurse from the discussion. For example, the doctor and the specialist may discuss treatment options while temporarily excluding the patient and the nurse from the discussion.

Of course, other types of communications besides doctor-patient communications are possible. Other examples of communication sessions that may be facilitated with the RTC application include customer-salesperson communications, teacher-student communications, lawyer-client communications, etc. For example, in a customer-salesperson communication session, the RTC application may enable the salesperson to view the customer's purchase history, information about previous purchases, etc. while communicating with the customer. In a teacher-student communication session, the teacher may view a lesson plan along with the student, review test results, conference in another person (e.g., a guidance counselor, another teacher, the school principal, the student's patent(s), etc.).

The RTC application may also provide additional features, such as capture (e.g., recording) and playback of communication sessions. For example, a patient may record a communication session with a doctor when the doctor is providing advice (e.g., “Take one pill in the morning and another pill at night”) to enable the patient to playback the session and refresh the patient's memory regarding the doctor's advice. The RTC application may also enable signature capture, image capture, and other features to capture and store audio, video, images, or any combination thereof.

To provide secure communications, a layer of security may be added to access the RTC application. For example, a token-based security system may require a caller (e.g., patient) to enter a code before a communication session can be initiated. An Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) stack may provide authentication, provisioning, and other services. In some cases, a vendor may provide a customized IMS stack for a specific usage scenario. For example, a first customized IMS stack may be provided for medical usage (e.g., doctor-patient communications), a second customized IMS stack may be provided for sales usage (e.g., customer-salesperson communications), a third customized IMS stack may be provided for student-teacher usage, and so on.

In some implementations, a vendor, such as a network service provider, may provide a customized RTC application for download. In other implementations, the vendor may hard code a customized RTC application into devices. For example, the customized RTC application may be integrated into a firmware of the device or an operating system of the device such that the customized RTC application can be modified by authorized personnel (or an authorized software agent) but cannot be modified by an end user. As another example, the customized RTC application may be stored in a protected portion of memory that can be modified by authorized personnel (or an authorized software agent) but cannot be modified by an end user.

Thus, a vendor (e.g., a network service provider) may provide an RTC application for download or integrate the RTC application into a computing device to enable two or more people to participate in a communication session. The vendor may customize the RTC application for a particular type of business, a particular type of situation, particular types of participants, etc. The communication session may enable a participant to present various types of data to other participants, including one or more of audio data, video data, still images, stored data, real-time data, and/or other types of data. The communication session may be secured (e.g., securely transmitted) such that non-participants cannot access the data that is being exchanged or accessed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 that includes a device with a real-time communications application according to some implementations. The system 100 includes one or more computing devices 102(1) to 102(N) (where N>0) that are communicatively coupled to a server 104 via a network 106. The network 106 may include one or more wireless networks and/or wired networks. The wireless networks may use various protocols, such as one or more of global system for mobile (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), long term evolution (LTE), general packet radio system (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), 802.11, Bluetooth, and the like. The wired networks may use various protocols, such as one or more of data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS), digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber optics, Ethernet, or similar protocols.

Each of the computing devices 102 may include one or more processors 108 and one or more computer readable media 110. The one or more processors 108 may include one or more hardware devices, such as integrated circuits, capable of executing software instructions. The computing devices 102 may include a wireless phone, a tablet computing device, a media playback device, a still and/or video camera, another type of computing device or any combination thereof. The one or more computer readable media 110 may include various types of non-transitory memory storage devices, such as one or more of read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), solid state drives (SSD), disk-based storage, etc.

The computer readable media 110 may be used to store instructions 112 that are executable by the processors 108 to perform various functions, such as, for example, establishing a secure communications session between two or more of the computing devices 102. The computer readable media 110 may also include a communications application 114, an authentication layer 116, a security layer 118, a real-time communication (RTC) application 120, a browser 122 (e.g., web browser application), and an internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) 124. The communications application 114 may be used to establish secure communications between two or more of the computing devices 102. The secure communications may include both real-time communications and accessing stored data.

The authentication layer 116 may authenticate credentials of a user associated with the computing device. In some cases, based on an identity of the user, particular features and/or applications may be available while other features and/or applications may be unavailable. For example, after authenticating a doctor's credentials, the authentication layer 116 of the computing device 102(1) may enable the doctor to access patient data associated with multiple patients (e.g., the doctor's patients). After authenticating a patient's credentials, the authentication layer 116 of the computing device 102(2) may enable the patient to access the patient's own data but not patient data associated with the doctor's other patients. Credentials may be provided by a user using an input device such as (i) a keyboard (e.g., by entering a username, password, etc.) or (ii) a biometric input device, such as a fingerprint scanner, retinal or iris scanner, or an imaging device (e.g., for use with facial recognition). Of course, other types of input devices may be used for providing input for authentication of a user.

The security layer 118 may provide secure communications by encrypting data that is sent from the computing devices 102 and decrypting data received by the computing devices. For example, during a communications session between computing devices 102(1) and 102(2), the security layer 118 of the computing device 102(1) may encrypt data being transmitted from the computing device 102(1) and decrypt data received from the computing device 102(2). The security layer 118 may provide security using one or more techniques, including token-based security.

The RTC application 120 may enable a user to establish a real-time communication session with one or more other users. The RTC application 120 may support browser-to-browser applications for voice calling, video chat, and peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing without the use of browser plug-ins. The RTC application 120 may use the browser 122 to access a camera, a microphone, a keyboard, a stylus, or other input device associated with the computing devices 102 to capture images, audio, and/or video media. The RTC application 120 may use the browser 122 to share data between two or more of the computing devices 102 via peer-to-peer networking.

The server 104 may include one or more processors 126 and one or more computer readable media 128. The computer readable media 128 may store instructions 130, one or more databases 132, a content manager 134, a directory 136, a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy 138, and a module 140 for interactive connectivity establishment (ICE), Session Traversal Utilities for Network address translation (STUN), and Traversal Using Relays around Network address translation (TURN). The instructions 130 may be executable by the one or more processors 126 to perform various functions, including enabling a secure communications session between two or more of the computing devices 102. The database 132 may be used to store (e.g., record) data associated with RTC sessions, user data (e.g., patient data, sales data, test data, test results data, etc.), or other types of data. The content manager 134 may manage the content associated with an RTC session, including managing the audio streams, managing video streams, etc. The directory 136 may enable accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. For example, when a patient, using the computing device 102(1), requests (e.g., initiates) a communications session with a doctor, the directory 136 may be used to identify an IP address associated with the computing device 102(N) associated with the doctor.

ICE may enable a browser (e.g., the browser 122) to connect with peers, e.g., by bypassing firewalls that would prevent opening connections, providing a unique address if one of the computing devices 102 does not have a public internet protocol (IP) address, and relaying data if a router does not permit direct connection with peers. STUN may discover a public IP address and determine any restrictions that would prevent a direct connection with a peer. Network address transaction (NAT) may be used to provide one of the computing devices 102 with a public IP address. For example, a router may have a public IP address while devices connected to the router may have private IP addresses. When a P2P connection is requested, the request may be translated from the computing device's private IP address to the router's public IP along with a unique port identifier. In this way, a device is discoverable on the network 106 without having a unique public IP address.

Some routers using NAT employ a restriction called ‘Symmetric NAT’ where the router will only accept connections from peers with which a computing device has previously connected. TURN may enable a computing device to bypass a Symmetric NAT restriction by opening a connection with a TURN server and relaying all information through TURN.

One or more monitoring devices 142 may be connected to the network 106. For example, in a medical setting, the monitoring devices 142 may include a device that monitors a patient's physiological conditions (e.g., body temperature, blood pressure level, blood sugar level, heart rate, etc.). The monitoring devices 142 may generate real-time data 144 that is capable of being viewed using the RTC application 120. For example, during a communication session between a doctor and a patient, the doctor may access and view the real-time data 144 associated with one or more of the monitoring devices 142 that are monitoring physiological conditions of the patient.

One or more additional databases 146 may be connected to the network 106. For example, the additional databases 146 may include one or more of patient information databases, sales information databases, student information databases, customer/client information databases, or the like.

When two or more of the computing devices 102 establish a RTC session using the RTC application 120, the computing devices 102 may exchange data substantially in real-time. For example, the computing device 102(1) may send first data 148 substantially in real-time to the computing device 102(N). The computing device 102(N) may send second data 150 substantially in real-time to the computing device 102(1). The first data 148 and the second data 150 may include audio data (e.g., provided by an audio input device, such as a microphone), video data (e.g., provided by an imaging sensor, such as a camera), still frames (e.g., provided by the imaging sensor), data from the monitoring devices 142, data from the database 132, data from the additional databases 146, data from input devices (e.g., mouse, trackball, keyboard, stylus, and the like) associated with the computing devices 102, other types of data, or any combination thereof. The first data 148 and the second data 150 may include data sent substantially in real-time, non-real-time data (e.g., data stored in the databases 132 and/or the additional databases 146), or both.

Thus, a vendor, such as a network service provider, may customize the RTC application 120 for RTC sessions with multiple users in various situations, including doctor-patient communications, student-teacher communications, client-salesperson communications, or attorney-client communications. The RTC application 120 may be downloadable or may be pre-loaded and pre-configured before the computing devices 102 are provided to users. The RTC application 120 may be loaded onto the computing devices 102 in such a way that the RTC application 120 can be modified by authorized personnel or authorized software applications but cannot be modified (or tampered with) by unauthorized personnel or by unauthorized software applications.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device architecture 200 that includes a real-time communications application according to some implementations. The computer readable media 110 of the computing device 102(N) (where N>0) may include the RTC application 120, the browser 122, a web application programming interface (API) 202, an RTC API 204, a session management module 206, an audio engine 208, a video engine 210, a transport engine 212, and audio capture/render module 214, a video capture/render module 216, and a network input/output (I/O) module 218.

The web API 202 may provide an application programming interface for a web server, a web browser, or both. The RTC API 204 may provide an application programming interface for real-time communications applications, such as the RTC application 120. The session management module 206 may manage multiple communications sessions, with each communications session including two or more devices.

The audio engine 208 may provide functions associated with the audio included in RTC sessions. For example, a speech coder/decoder (CODEC) 220 may be used to compress/decompress digital audio signals that include speech. For example, the digital audio signals may be compressed by the computing device 102(1) prior to transmission and decompressed by the computing device 102(N) after the transmission is received and prior to playback. The audio engine 208 may include an equalization module 222 to provide multiple bands of frequency equalization. For example, the equalization module 222 may boost and/or cut certain frequency bands to improve the intelligibility of speech. The audio engine 208 may include noise reduction module 224 to reduce noise present in the digital audio streams that are included in an RTC session. The noise reduction module 224 may provide echo suppression, echo cancellation, extraneous noise removal, another type of noise reduction, or any combination thereof.

The video engine 210 may include a video CODEC 226, a video buffer 228, and an image enhancement module 230. The video CODEC 226 may be used to compress/decompress digital video signals included in RTC sessions. For example, the computing device 102(1) may include an imaging device, such as a camera, that generates a video signal. The video CODEC 226 may compress the video signal from the imaging device prior to transmission. The computing device 102(N) may receive the compressed video signal from the computing device 102(1). The video CODEC 226 of the computing device 102(N) may decompress the received video signal prior to playback of the video signal.

The transport engine 212 may include a Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) module 232, a multiplexer 234, and a peer-to-peer (P2P) module 236. The SRTP module 232 may enable SRTP compliant communications, including providing encryption, message authentication and integrity, and replay protection to the data streams in the RTC sessions. For example, the SRTP module 232 may encrypt the audio data, the video data, and other types of data that are exchanged in an RTC session to prevent non-participants from accessing the audio data, the video data, and other types of data. The SRTP module 232 may authenticate data that is received in an RTC session and provide data integrity by compensating for data corruption or data loss (e.g., using checksums or another type of data integrity mechanism). The SRTP module 232 may provide protection from a replay attack, in which a valid data transmission is maliciously or fraudulently repeated or delayed. The P2P module 236 may provide various services associated with peer-to-peer connectivity, such as, for example, STUN, TURN, ICE, etc.

The audio capture/render module 214 may capture audio (e.g., using a microphone connected to the computing device 102(N)), render digital audio data received during an RTC session, or both. The video capture/render module 216 may capture video (e.g., using an imaging device, such as a video camera, that is connected to the computing device 102(N)), render digital video data received during an RTC session, or both. The network I/O module 218 may enable the computing device 102(N) to initiate or engage in RTC sessions with other computing devices via a network, such as the network 106 of FIG. 1.

Thus, a user of the computing device 102(N) may use the RTC application 120 to participate in RTC sessions in which data, including audio data and/or video data may be sent and received substantially in real-time.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system 300 in which two or more devices are participating in a real-time communication session according to some implementations. Each of the computing devices 102 may be connected to one or more display devices 302 and one or more input devices 304. The input devices 304 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, an imaging device (e.g., camera), an audio transducer (e.g., microphone), a gesture recognition device, a biometric input device (e.g., fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, retinal scanner, imaging device for use with facial recognition software, or the like), another type of input device, or any combination thereof.

The computing device 102(1) may initiate an RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2) using a real-time communications application, such as the RTC app 120 of FIG. 1. For example, a patient may use the computing device 102(1) to initiate the RTC session 306 with a doctor that is associated with the computing device 102(2). The patient or the doctor may add an additional participant, e.g., associated with the computing device 102(3), to the RTC session 306.

The RTC session 306 may enable each participant to see (and hear) video data associated with other participants in the RTC session 306. For example, a first participant associated with the computing device 102(1) may view a window 308(1) associated with a second participant (e.g., associated with the computing device 102(2)) and view a window 308(2) associated with a third participant (e.g., associated with the computing device 102(3)). The second participant may view the first participant using the window 308(3) and the third participant using the window 308(4). The third participant may view the first participant using the window 308(5) and the second participant using the window 308(6). The windows 308 may be used to play an audio stream, a video stream, a graphics stream, an image stream, a document stream, another type of media stream, or any combination thereof.

The RTC session 306 may enable the second participant to view additional data, such as, for example, the real-time data 144, history 310, and documents 312. For example, a doctor talking to a patient using the RTC session 306 may view confidential data, such as the patient's history 310 and the patient's documents 312 (e.g., blood tests, scans, and other documents associated with the patient). The doctor may view the real-time data 144 from a monitoring device (e.g., blood pressure monitor, blood glucose monitor, heart rate monitor, or other monitoring device) associated with the patient.

The RTC session 306 may provide remote access 314 to additional data (include confidential data). For example, a participant may use the remote access 314 to access data stored in the databases 132, the additional databases 146, or other data that is not stored on the computing device 102(2).

Of course, the RTC session 306 may be configured according to the type of services being offered. For example, in a financial advisor-client RTC session, the real-time data 144 may include real-time stock information, the history 310 may include a trading history associated with a client, the documents 312 may include monthly or quarterly statements, a prospectus associated with an investment vehicle, etc. In an attorney-client RTC session, the real-time data 144 may include real-time legal events, the history 310 may include a history of the client (e.g., when the client has spoken to the attorney, for how long, regarding which matters, etc.), and the documents 312 may include court documents, affidavits, and the like. In a salesperson-client RTC session, the real-time data 144 may include real-time information relevant to a potential sale, the history 310 may include a history of the client (e.g., when the client acquired items, how much the client has paid, etc), and the documents 312 may include invoices, sales contracts, and the like. The RTC session may provide authentication and access restrictions. For example, at least some of the data being accessed in an RTC session, such as confidential data, may have restricted access such that some, but not necessarily all, of the participants in the RTC session may access certain types of data. To illustrate, the identity of a user of a computing device may be authenticated and the type of data that the user is permitted to access may be determined based on the user's identity. For example, after a doctor's identity has been authenticated, the RTC session may provide the doctor access to multiple patient records. In contrast, after a patient's identity has been authenticated, the RTC session may provide the patient access to the patient's own records but not the records of other patients. In addition, the patient may be provided with access to a subset of the patient's records, e.g., only those patient records that the doctor designates that the patient can access. Thus, the doctor may determine which of the patient's own records the patient can access and which records the patient cannot access. As another example, in a financial setting, after the identity of a financial advisor has been authenticated, the financial advisor may have access to the records associated with clients of the financial advisor. After the identity of a particular client has been authenticated, the client may access only those records associated with the client that the financial advisor has designated as shareable documents. As a further example, in a legal setting, after the identity of an attorney has been authenticated, the attorney may have access to the records associated with clients of the attorney. After the identity of a particular client has been authenticated, the client may access only those records associated with the client that the attorney desires to share with the client. As a further example, for collaboration purposes, the RTC session may (i) permit a first set of participants to view but not create, modify, or delete a file, (ii) permit a second set of participants to view and modify but not create or delete the file, and (iii) permit a third set of participants to create, view, modify, and delete the file.

The authentication of each participant in an RTC session may be performed using a number of different techniques. For example, a user of a computing device may be prompted to enter a username, a password, a passcode, another input, or any combination thereof. As another example, the user may be prompted to provide biometric input, such as a fingerprint scan, an iris scan, a retinal scan, a facial scan, another type of biometric input, or any combination thereof. The input may be authenticated to verify an identity of the user before enabling the user to participate in the RTC session. In addition, the identity of each participant may determine a level of access to data items. Depending on the level of access the RTC session provides, a participant may be (i) unable to access a file (e.g., the participant may not be able to see that the file exists or the participant may be to see the file but unable to view the contents of the file), (ii) able to create a file, (iii) able to view a file, (iv) able to modify a file, (v) able to delete a file, or any combination thereof.

Thus, two or more users may participate in the RTC session 306. Each participant may be capable of viewing audio and/or video from other computing devices associated with other participants. The RTC session 306 may enable each participant to view various types of data, including real-time data and stored data. The data that a particular participant can view in the RTC session 306 may be determined by the particular participant's credentials. For example, some types of participants, such as patients or clients, may be able to view data associated with the participant but may not be able to view other data associated with other users. However, some participants, such as doctors, attorneys, salespersons etc., may be able to view data associated with all their patients or all their clients.

In the flow diagrams of FIGS. 4 and 5, each block represents one or more operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks represent computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform the recited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, modules, components, data structures, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The order in which the blocks are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes. For discussion purposes, the processes 400 and 500 are described with reference to the systems 100, 200, and 300, as described above, although other models, frameworks, systems and environments may implement these processes.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process 400 that includes sending a request to initiate a real-time communication session according to some implementations. The process 400 may be performed by a computing device, such as the computing devices 102 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

At 402, a user-selection to initiate a real-time communication session with a second computing device may be received. For example, in FIG. 3, a user may instruct the computing device 102(1) to initiate the RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2).

At 404, user credentials may be authenticated. For example, in FIG. 3, in response to receiving the instruction to initiate the RTC session 306, the computing device 102(1) may prompt the user to enter user credentials (e.g., type in a username and a password, scan a fingerprint, scan an iris or a retina, provide an image of the user's face for facial recognition, or the like). The computing device 102(1) may authenticate the user credentials after the user has entered the user credentials to verify the user's identity. For example, authenticating the user credentials may prevent unauthorized personnel from requesting a real-time communication session with the second computing device. To illustrate, during authentication, the user of the computing device 102(1) may be verified as being a patient of a doctor prior to sending a request to initiate the RTC session 306.

At 406, a request to initiate the real-time communication session may be sent to the second computing device. For example, in FIG. 3, the computing device 102(1) may send a request to establish the RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2).

At 408, the real-time communication session may be initiated. For example, in FIG. 3, if the computing device 102(2) sends a response accepting the request to establish the RTC session 306, the computing device 102(1) may initiate the RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2).

At 410, at least one of an audio stream or a video stream may be included in the real-time communication session. For example, in FIG. 1, the first data 148 and the second data 150 may include at least one of an audio stream or a video stream.

At 412, a file hosted by the second computing device may be accessed by the first computing device using peer-to-peer file sharing included in the real-time communication session. For example, the computing device 102(1) may retrieve a document hosted by the computing device 102(2) using a peer-to-peer file sharing feature of the RTC session 306.

Thus, when a user instructs a first computing device to initiate an RTC session with a second computing device, the first computing device may prompt the user for credentials, authenticate the credentials to verify an identity of the user, and then send a request to the second computing device to initiate the RTC session after verifying that the user is authorized to communicate with a second user associated with the second computing device. The RTC session may include one or more media streams, such as a video stream and/or an audio stream. A device participating in the RTC session may access files hosted by another device that is participating in the RTC session using a peer-to-peer file sharing feature of the RTC session.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes receiving a request to initiate a real-time communication session according to some implementations. The process 500 may be performed by a computing device, such as the computing devices 102 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

At 502, a request to initiate a real-time communication session between a first computing device and a second computing device may be received. For example, in FIG. 3, the computing device 102(1) may send a request to establish the RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2).

At 504, user credentials may be authenticated. For example, in FIG. 3, in response to receiving a request from the computing device 102(1) to initiate the RTC session 306, the computing device 102(2) may prompt the user to enter user credentials (e.g., username and password). The computing device 102(2) may authenticate the user credentials after the user has entered the user credentials to verify the user's identity. For example, authenticating the user credentials may prevent unauthorized personnel from accepting a request to initiate a real-time communication session. To illustrate, during authentication, the user of the computing device 102(2) may be verified as being a doctor of a patient that is requesting the RTC session prior to accepting the request to initiate the RTC session 306.

At 506, the real-time communication session may be initiated. For example, in FIG. 3, if the computing device 102(2) sends a response accepting the request to establish the RTC session 306, the computing device 102(1) may initiate the RTC session 306 with the computing device 102(2).

At 508, a request may be sent (e.g., either from the first computing device or the second computing device) to a third computing device to include the third computing device in the RTC session. For example, in FIG. 3, the computing device 102(1) or the computing device 102(2) may send a request to the computing device 102(3) asking whether a user of the computing device 102(3) desires to join the RTC session 306.

At 510, the third computing device may be included in the RTC session. For example, if a user of the computing device 102(3) accepts the request to join the RTC session 306, the computing device 102(3) may be included in the RTC session 306. The RTC session 306 may include one or more media streams (e.g., audio and/or video streams) that are exchanged between the computing device 102(1), the computing device 102(2), and the computing device 102(3).

At 512, a file hosted by the second computing device may be retrieved. For example, in FIG. 3, the computing device 102(1) or the computing device 102(2) may retrieve a document hosted by the computing device 102(2) using a peer-to-peer file sharing feature of the RTC session 306.

Thus, when a user instructs a first computing device to initiate an RTC session with a second computing device, the first computing device may prompt the user for credentials, authenticate the credentials to verify an identity of the user, and then send a request to the second computing device to initiate the RTC session after verifying that the user is authorized to communicate with a second user associated with the second computing device. The second computing device may request and authenticate second credentials received from the second user to verify that the second user is authorized to communicate with the first user.

In some cases, a request may be sent (e.g., either by the first computing device or the second computing device) to the third computing device requesting the third computing device to join the RTC session. In response to the third computing device accepting the request, the third computing device may join the RTC session that includes the first computing device and the second computing device. The first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device may exchange one or more media streams with each other. A device participating in the RTC session may access files hosted by another device that is participating in the RTC session using a peer-to-peer file sharing feature of the RTC session.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram 600 illustrating a computing device participating in a real-time communication session according to some implementations. When a computing device, such as the computing device 102(n), is participating in an RTC session (e.g., the RTC session 306), one or more windows, such as the windows 308(1), 308(2), and 308(3) may be displayed. Each of the windows 308(1), 308(2), and 308(3) may display a media stream (e.g., including audio and/or video) associated with each of the participants in the RTC session 306. The RTC session 306 may provide functions 602, such as, for example, a record session function 604, a secure file sharing function 606, and other functions 608. The record session function 604 may enable the RTC session 306 to be recorded and stored. For example, in a medical setting, the RTC session 306 may be recorded for regulatory compliance, such as compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. As another example, a doctor may record an RTC session with a patient in which (i) the doctor reviews the risks involved with a medical procedure and/or (ii) the patient provides consent for the medical procedure. The secure file sharing 606 may enable files to be securely shared between two or more participants in the RTC session 306. The secure file sharing 606 may enable non-persistent file streaming. The other functions 608 may include toggling between a full screen view of the RTC session 306 and a smaller sized view, a mute function, a dialing function to initiate a request to include an additional participant in the RTC session 306, a search engine, etc. For example the search engine may search a local (e.g., stored on the computing device 102(N)) directory of contacts, such as contacts 610, a directory of contacts stored at a hospital server with which the computing device 102(n) is wirelessly communicating, an internet search, another type of search, or any combination thereof.

The contacts 610 may provide a directory of contacts. For example, in a medical context, the contacts 610 may include the names and contact information associated with medical professionals (doctors, nurses, administrative staff, lab technicians, etc.) and/or patients. The contacts 610 may display presence information, e.g., indicating which of the contacts is currently available to participate in the RTC session 306.

A messaging window 612 may enable a user of the computing device 102(N) to send and receive messages substantially in real-time (“instant messaging”) with one or more of the contacts 610. A customer relationship manager (CRM) 614 may include business process integration and the ability to organize and view customer-related data. In a medical context, the customer-related data may include data associated with other medical professionals, data associated with patients, etc. For example, the CRM 614 may provide tabbed views of data, such as viewing medical professionals by specialization, viewing patients by a type of illness (e.g., patients with heart-related issues, patients with cancer, etc.), or other types of views. The CRM 614 may display customer details 616 associated with the information managed by the CRM 614.

A document collaboration application 618 may enable one or more participants in the RTC session 306 to modify a document, such as the document 622. A document retrieval window 620 may enable the retrieval of documents, such as the document 624. In some cases, the document 624 may be automatically retrieved and displayed on the computing device 102(N) after the RTC session 306 is established. For example, in a medical setting, a most recent document associated with a patient may be automatically retrieved when the RTC session 306 is established. The document retrieval window 620 may enable a user of the computing device 102(N) to retrieve documents (e.g., including documents with confidential information) associated with one or more of the other participants. For example, a doctor may use the document retrieval window 620 to retrieve an additional document 624, such as a previous blood test.

From a user's perspective, the computing device 102(N) may provide an integrated experience in which the computing device 102(N) includes the functionality of a phone, a video conferencing application, a contacts directory, a messaging application, a CRM application, etc. Thus, the user can carry a single device that provides an integrated environment instead of carrying multiple devices and use a single application instead of multiple applications. The computing device 102(N) may provide an integrated corporate communications portal (e.g., web-based or using a tablet application). The computing devices 102 may be sold as a turnkey solution where a company, such as a hospital, purchases pre-configured tablet computers, customized applications, service, and support from a single vendor. The computing devices 102 may provide single-device access to a variety of enterprise communications and collaboration tools including voice, video, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, file access and exchange, etc. The computing device 102(N) may enable a user to interact with internal customers (e.g., medical professionals) and external customers (e.g., patients). The computing device 102(N) may enable everything from 1-to-1 communications to 1-to-many communications, corporate directory access, presence awareness, integration with business tools (e.g., CRM, etc), etc. The vendor may provide a turnkey solution that is customized for each client. For example, the customization may include customization for each type of business (e.g., medical services, financial services, legal services, etc.) and for the way in which the business operates.

The type of companies that may purchase a customized turnkey solution may include medical services providers (e.g., hospitals, clinics, and the like), corporations, schools, legal services, financial services, and other types of services. For example, the turnkey solution for a hospital may include patient record management, patient interaction with medical staff at each hospital bed (e.g., including two-way video and audio capability). Medical staff may be provided with the ability to remotely view (e.g. via a computing device) real-time data provided by equipment monitoring various physiological functions of the patient. For a doctor receiving a call from a patient, the doctor's computing device may access and display the patient's most recent records and provide the doctor access to the patient's older records. Patients who are no longer staying in a medical facility (e.g., hospital) may be provided with a downloadable application that enables the patient to communication with the doctor using the patient's computing device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, etc.). The vendor and the hospital may use metered billing, in which a patient is charged based on a length (e.g., in minutes, in seconds, etc.) of their communication session. For example, an RTC session between a patient and a doctor may be billed at $M dollars per rounded-up minute. The money received from the patient may be divided between one or more of (i) the doctor, (ii) the hospital, and (iii) the vendor. For example, the doctor may receive 60% of the money paid by the patient, the hospital 30%, and the vendor 10%. The vendor may provide billing services to companies that purchase a turnkey solution.

Corporations may purchase a customized turnkey solution to enable more effective and efficient communications between employees to facilitate collaboration and efficient access to data. The turnkey solution may be sold or leased as a package that includes computing devices (e.g., tablet devices) configured with custom software, along with services (e.g., customization services, installation services, etc.), and technical support. The turnkey solution may provide single-screen access to a host of enterprise communications and collaboration tools including voice, video, IM and text messaging to facilitate interact with internal and external customers.

Schools, colleges, and universities may purchase a customized turnkey solution to enable interaction between teachers and students, to facilitate collaboration between students, etc. Legal advisors and financial advisors may purchase a customized turnkey solution to enable efficient and secure communications with clients.

Thus, a customized turnkey solution may provide users with single-screen access to a host of enterprise communications and collaboration tools, including voice, video, IM and text messaging, access to corporate directories and client files, presence awareness, etc. The integration of CRM applications may enable efficient management of clients, customers, patients, or the like. For example, when a call is received, relevant client data may be identified and retrieved from a CRM application, corporate databases, etc.

The various techniques described above are assumed in the given examples to be implemented in the general context of computer-executable instructions or software, such as program modules, that are stored in computer-readable storage and executed by the processor(s) of one or more computers or other devices such as those illustrated in the figures. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., and define operating logic for performing particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.

Other architectures may be used to implement the described functionality, and are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although specific distributions of responsibilities are defined above for purposes of discussion, the various functions and responsibilities might be distributed and divided in different ways, depending on particular circumstances.

Similarly, software may be stored and distributed in various ways and using different means, and the particular software storage and execution configurations described above may be varied in many different ways. Thus, software implementing the techniques described above may be distributed on various types of computer-readable media, not limited to the forms of memory that are specifically described.

Furthermore, although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors configured with specific instructions, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, a user-selection to initiate a real-time communication session with a second computing device;

authenticating, at the first computing device, user credentials;

sending a request to the second computing device to initiate the real-time communication session using a web browser application;

initiating the real-time communication session in response to receiving an acceptance message to the request, the acceptance message received from the second computing device; and

securely displaying a document that is associated with the real-time communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication session includes at least one of:

a first video stream being sent from the first computing device to the second computing device substantially in real-time;

a video audio stream being sent from the second computing device to the first computing device substantially in real-time;

a first audio stream being sent from the first computing device to the second computing device substantially in real-time; or

a second audio stream being sent from the second computing device to the first computing device substantially in real-time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first user is associated with the first computing device;

a second user is associated with the second computing device; and

the document includes confidential information associated with at least one of the first user or the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the second user is capable of viewing the document; and

the first user is incapable of viewing the document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the second user is capable of viewing and annotating the document; and

the first user is capable of viewing but not annotating the document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication session is established without using a browser plugin.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time communication session comprises a WebRTC session.

8. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

authenticating, using biometric authentication, one or more user credentials;

requesting a real-time communication session between a first computing devices and a second computing device using a web browser without using browser plugins;

initiating the real-time communication session;

retrieving a document associated with the communication session, the document including confidential information associated with a first user associated with the first computing device; and

displaying the document on the second computing device.

9. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the user credentials include at least one of a username, a password, a passcode, or a biometric input.

10. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the first user is incapable of viewing the document.

11. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8, the acts further comprising:

receiving, from the second computing device, annotations associated with the document.

12. The one or more computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the first user is capable of viewing the document but incapable of viewing the annotations.

13. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the real-time communication session includes a security layer to encrypt an outgoing media stream and to decrypt an incoming media stream.

14. A tablet computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to display a user interface comprising:

a real-time communication application to initiate a real-time communication session;

a viewing window to view multiple media streams associated with the real-time communication session;

a document retrieval window to display one or more documents associated with the real-time communication session;

a document sharing window to display documents that are securely shared between the tablet computing device and other computing devices participating in the real-time session;

a collaboration application to enable two or more of the other computing devices participating in the real-time communication session to modify a document; and

a calendar application to schedule appointments and provide reminders of the scheduled appointments.

15. The tablet computing device of claim 14, the user interface further comprising:

a recording application to: record the multiple media streams associated with the real-time communication session to create a recorded session; and store the recorded session for playback at a later point in time.

16. The tablet computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

an imaging device to generate a video stream for transmission to the second computing device and to the third computing device.

17. The tablet computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

a microphone to generate an audio stream for transmission to the second computing device and to the third computing device.

18. The tablet computing device of claim 14, wherein the real-time communication session uses peer-to-peer networking for communications between the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device.

19. The tablet computing device of claim 18, wherein the peer-to-peer networking is achieved using at least one of:

Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE);

Session Traversal Utilities for Network address translation (STUN); or

Traversal Using Relays around Network address translation (TURN).

20. The tablet computing device of claim 14, the user interface further comprising:

a customer relationship manager to display a plurality of views of contacts.