Patent Application
20070288600
The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:
Turning now to the drawings and more particularly,
Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, users carrying on conversations over the SIP endpoints 102, 104 can initiate remote file transfers to each other between respective file transfer agent systems 110, 112. Further, the file transfer may be initiated from the SIP endpoints 102, 104 without either user directly accessing the file transfer agent systems 110, 112. So, the SIP endpoints 102, 104 can be at separate geographical locations from each respective file transfer agent systems 110, 112. Each file transfer agent system 110, 112 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), running a File Transfer Application Agent (FTAA) application. So, each SIP endpoint 102, 104 passes commands to a respective transfer agent system 110, 112. The FTAA locates pre-selected files and manages the transfer.
So for example, voice communications at each of the SIP endpoints 102, 104, may be associated with a unique Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the form 102x@y.z, 104x@y.z. Similarly, the file transfer agent systems 110, 112 are configured with a special URI that has the format ft.102x@y.z, ft.104x@y.z. The FTAA provides the file transfer agents 110, 112 with a number of special capabilities in addition to SIP capabilities. During a normal voice conversation, for example, the respective file transfer agent 110, 112 can search a configured subset of files in the computer file system for files that may be transferred. Also, a voice user can select of those files from a respective SIP endpoint 102, 104 through SIP audio or a computer user interface. Preferably, to provide for selecting these files, the SIP endpoints 102, 104 may include additional phone keys 114 that are also configured as SIP endpoints to act as next/previous/select functions. The URI of each of these endpoints is next. 102x@y.z/previous. 102x@y.z/select. 102x@y.z, and next. 104x@y.z/previous. 104x@y.z/select. 104x@y.z, respectively. Also, each SIP endpoint 102, 104 may include a file transfer indicator 116. Each transfer agent system 110, 112 may include a file selection window 118 and mouse 119.
Activating an appropriate key on each of these endpoints initiates a SIP call to the FTAA. The respective file transfer agent system 110, 112 answers the call to start the transfer process and, immediately, releases the SIP call. Similarly, once the file transfer is complete, the respective file transfer agent system 110, 112 releases SIP call related resources.
In step 130, if the call is being placed through the voice interface in SIP endpoint 102, then for example, the audible menu presented in step 130 may begin with the message “Please press select to choose computer or next for more options.” If nothing is entered in the respective SIP endpoint 102 within a set time period, then the file transfer agent 110 uses a default response. Likewise, if the “next” button is pressed to select the same response, the audio menu plays the message “for audio press select or press previous.” If the “select” button is chosen, the file transfer agent 110 enters file transfer selection mode. In file transfer selection mode an audible list of transferable files are presented that can be traversed using the next/previous/select keys 114 to navigate and select one or more files.
If however, in step 130, the call is being placed through the computer interface in SIP endpoint 102, then for example, the audible menu presented in step 130 may begin with the message “Please press select to choose computer or next for more options.” Again, if nothing is entered in the respective SIP endpoint 102 within a set time period, then the file transfer agent 110 uses a default response. Likewise, if the “select” button is chosen to select the same response, the file transfer agent 110 enters file transfer selection mode and the file transfer agent 110 presents a file selection window. Files are then selected from the file selection menu 118 using a suitable input device, e.g., using the mouse 119.
Advantageously, the present invention provides a communications system for transferring files between the parties involved in a SIP voice call with the push of a button on the SIP phone. The transfers can be made regardless of whether the parties have access to their computers during the entire file transfer process. Further, both the party initiating the file transfer and the recipient(s) can transfer the file(s) without even knowing, much less entering, the IP addresses of devices involved in the file transfer.
While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It is intended that all such variations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims. Examples and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
