Method and apparatus for sharing a communication among wireless devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for enabling a communication intended for a device to be automatically conveyed to a group of other devices within proximity of the device. A method may include determining at least one communication directed to at least one device and one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device. The method also comprises causing a conveying of the at least one communication to at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
 determine at least one communication directed to at least one device; 
 determine one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device; 
 cause, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to at least one device of the one or more other devices; and 
 cause, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to the at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on at least one of: a device identity associated with the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a group identity of a group of devices including the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one device of the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof,
 wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata, context information, spatial information, historical information and/or user information associated with at least one of: the at least one communication of the at least one device, a user of the at least one device, the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a user of the at least one device of the one or more other devices or a combination thereof. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the relaying, the forwarding, or the combination thereof of the at least one communication is based, at least in part, on the device identity associated with at least one device of the one or more other devices. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the relaying, the forwarding, or the combination thereof of the at least one communication is based, at least in part, on the group identity of the group of devices including at least one device of the one or more other devices. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata associated with at least one of: the communication, the at least one device, the at least one device of the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 cause, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include an identifier of the at least one device, a user associated with the at least one device, a communication account associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof,   cause, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include a request for authentication information,   wherein the authentication information is provided by the at least one of the one or more other devices to cause, at least in part, an initiation of (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication; (b) a presentation of additional information; or (c) a combination thereof,   wherein the additional information includes at least in part, an originator of the at least one communication, metadata associated with the at least one communication, or a combination thereof,   cause, at least in part, (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication, (b) the transmission of the at least one notification, or (c) a combination thereof via peer-to-peer networking, ad-hoc mesh networking, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         6 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine at least another communication directed to the least one of the one or more other devices while the at least one of the one or more other devices is engaged in at least one communication; and   cause, at least in part, a transmission of at least another notification of the at least another communication to other ones of the one or more other devices.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication is one of a voice call, a video call, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia message, a data feed, an e-mail, or a combination thereof,
 wherein the one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata associated with the communication.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine the proximity based, at least in part, on a number of hops in an ad-hoc mesh network, a range of wireless communication radio, a predetermined bounded area, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication include, at least in part, a voice call, a video call, a messaging session, a multimedia session, a data feed, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 determining at least one communication directed to at least one device;   determining one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device;   causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to at least one device of the one or more other devices; and   causing, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to the at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on at least one of: a device identity associated with the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a group identity of a group of devices including the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof,
 wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata, context information, spatial information, historical information and/or user information associated with at least one of: the at least one communication the at least one device, a user of the at least one device, the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a user of the at least one device of the one or more other devices or a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method of  claim 10 , wherein the relaying, the forwarding, or the combination thereof of the at least one communication is based, at least in part, on the device identity associated with at least one device of the one or more other devices. 
     
     
         12 . A method of  claim 10 , wherein the relaying, the forwarding, or the combination thereof of the at least one communication is based, at least in part, on the group identity of the group of devices including at least one device of the one or more other devices. 
     
     
         13 . A method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata associated with at least one of: the communication, the at least one device, the at least one device of the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 causing, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include an identifier of the at least one device, a user associated with the at least one device, a communication account associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof,   causing, at least in part, a generation of the at least one notification to include a request for authentication information,   wherein the authentication information is provided by the at least one of the one or more other devices to cause, at least in part, an initiation of (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication; (b) a presentation of additional information; or (c) a combination thereof,   wherein the additional information includes at least in part, an originator of the at least one communication, metadata associated with the at least one communication, or a combination thereof,   causing, at least in part, (a) the relaying, the forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication, (b) the transmission of the at least one notification, or (c) a combination thereof via peer-to-peer networking, ad-hoc mesh networking, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining at least another communication directed to the least one of the one or more other devices while the at least one of the one or more other devices is engaged in at least one communication; and   causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least another notification of the at least another communication to other ones of the one or more other devices.   
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one communication is one of a voice call, a video call, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia message, a data feed, an e-mail, or a combination thereof,
 wherein the one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata associated with the communication.   
     
     
         17 . A method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining the proximity based, at least in part, on a number of hops in an ad-hoc mesh network, a range of wireless communication radio, a predetermined bounded area, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         18 . A method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one communication include, at least in part, a voice call, a video call, a messaging session, a multimedia session, a data feed, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the steps of:
 determining at least one communication directed to at least one device;   determining one or more other devices within a proximity of the at least one device;   causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least one notification of the at least one communication to at least one device of the one or more other devices; and   causing, at least in part, a relaying, a forwarding, or a combination thereof of the at least one communication from the at least one device to the at least one of the one or more other devices based, at least in part, on at least one of: a device identity associated with the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a group identity of a group of devices including the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a determination of a request to receive the at least one communication by the at least one of the one or more other devices, or a combination thereof,
 wherein one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established by based on metadata, context information, spatial information, historical information and/or user information associated with at least one of: the at least one communication of the at least one device, a user of the at least one device, the at least one device of the one or more other devices, a user of the at least one device of the one or more other devices or a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one communication is one of a voice call, a video call, a short messaging service (SMS) message, a multimedia message, a data feed, an e-mail, or a combination thereof,
 wherein the one or more conditions for the relaying, forwarding, or combination thereof of the at least one communication is/are established based on metadata associated with the communication.