Mobile Communication Device Providing N-Way Communication Through a Plurality of Communication Devices

Abstract

A device may provide N-Way communication through multiple communication services. The device may receive user data from a user interface and incoming data from a communication interface. The incoming data may be received through a first communication service. The device may combine the user data and incoming data, including through any combination of encoding or decoding processes. The device may also send the combined data using the communication interface, such as through a second communication service. The device may also receive first incoming data through a first communication service and second incoming data through a second communication service. The device may combine the first incoming data and second incoming data for display on a user interface or to send across a third communication service.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 responsive to a request for a communication session, receiving, at a network interface, incoming data for the communication session over a first communication network, the incoming data encoded according to a first encoding scheme;   encoding specified data according to a second encoding scheme for transmission over a second communication network to produce encoded specified data;   determining to combine the incoming data for the communication session with the encoded specified data;   responsive to determining that the first encoding scheme is different than the second encoding scheme, transcoding the incoming data to produce transcoded data;   combining the encoded specified data with the transcoded data to produce outgoing data; and   sending, via the network interface, the outgoing data over the second communication network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first communication network and the second communication network provide different telephony services. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first communication network comprises a circuit-switched network and the second communication network comprises a packet-switched network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where the incoming data comprises voice over internet protocol data and the outgoing data comprises cellular telephony data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the specified data from capture circuitry. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , where the capture circuitry comprises audio capture circuitry, video capture circuitry, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving reverse channel data over the second communication network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 transcoding the reverse channel data according to the first encoding scheme to produce transcoded reverse channel data;   encoding the specified data according to the first encoding scheme to produce additional encoded specified data;   combining the transcoded reverse channel data and the additional encoded specified data to produce return data; and   sending the return data over the first communication network.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising decoding the incoming data and reverse channel data for simultaneous presentation at an operator interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where transcoding the incoming data comprises de-encapsulating packetized data. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising decoding the incoming data at an operator interface for presentation of the communication session. 
     
     
         12 . A device comprising:
 network interface circuitry configured to:
 maintain a communication session with a first communication network; 
 receive first data for the communication session over the first communication 
 network encoded according to a first encoding scheme for the first network; and 
 maintain the communication session with a second communication network; 
 send combined data for the communication session over the second network; 
   encoder circuitry configured to produce second data for the communication session encoded according to a second encoding scheme for the second communication network; and   transfer circuitry configured to:   determine that the first encoding scheme is different from the second encoding scheme;
 when the first encoding scheme is different from the second encoding scheme, transcode the first data according to the second encoding scheme to produce transcoded first data; 
 combine the transcoded first data and the second data to produce combined data; and 
 cause the network interface circuitry to send the combined data over the second communication network. 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising capture circuitry configured to produce the second data. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , where the capture circuitry comprises audio capture circuitry, video capture circuitry, or both. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , where the network interface circuity is further configured to:
 receive third data for the communication session over the second communication network; and   after the third data has be transcoded to produce transcoded third data, send the transcoded third data over the first communication network.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , where
 the encoder circuitry is further configured to produce fourth data encoded according to the first encoding scheme, the fourth data and the second data encoded from the same specified data; and   the transfer circuitry is further configured to:   transcode the third data to produce the transcoded third data; and   combine the fourth data and the transcoded third data before the network interface circuitry sends the third data.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 decoder circuitry configured to decode the first data and the third data to produce decoded data; and   an operator interface configured to present the decoded data.   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising;
 receiving first data for a communication session encoded according to a first scheme for transfer over a first network;   receiving second data for the communication session encoded according to a second scheme for transfer over a second network;   responsive to determining the first encoding scheme is different than the second encoding scheme, transcoding the first data, the second data, or both to produce transcoded data; and   sending the transcoded data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 decoding the first and second data; and   presenting the first and second data at an operator interface.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 ,
 capturing specified data at capture circuitry;   encoding the specified data according to the first encoding scheme, the second encoding scheme, or both to produce encoded data; and   combining the encoded data with the transcoded data before sending the transcoded data.