IPBX control interface for distributed networks

• US 10,104,236 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Zhishen, Martin, Bryan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/702,131
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0042 where the data service is a text-based messaging service H04M7/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/627 Details

Abstract

Apparatus and methods concerning routing of calls in an IPBX are disclosed. As an example, one apparatus includes an IPBX server configured to route VoIP calls for a plurality of end-users having respective VoIP-enabled devices communicatively coupled to the IPBX via a network. A user-activity detection circuit is communicatively coupled to the IPBX server. The user-activity detection circuit is configured to receive activity data indicating activity of end-users in a virtual office environment and receive event messages indicating statuses of pending calls in the IPBX server. The user-activity detection circuit determines user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data and event messages. A computing server is communicatively coupled to the user-activity detection circuit and is configured to provide a set of services for one or more of the plurality of users as a function of the determined user-activity statuses of the end-user.

Claims

1. A communication system, including:

a call routing circuit configured and arranged to route calls for a plurality of switchboard interfaces, each switchboard interface corresponding to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-enabled device of a respective receptionist; and

a call control circuit coupled to the call routing circuit and configured and arranged to provide a call-control subscription between an internet-protocol private branch exchange (IPBX) server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by;

initiating a subscription for the switchboard interface in response to a subscription request from one of the switchboard interfaces, the subscription request implemented using a protocol that requests current state and state updates of a pending call of the corresponding switchboard interface from the IPBX server;

providing an event message indicating a status of a pending call of one of the plurality of the switchboard interfaces having an active subscription, in response to a change in a status of the pending call; and

in further response to the subscription request from one of the switchboard interfaces, communicating a pseudo-event message indicating a status of pending calls to the switchboard interface including historical data of the pending call for each of the pending calls.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the call control circuit is configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription by:

identifying pending calls for each respective switchboard interface;

in response to identification of the pending calls, generating the pseudo-event messages for each respective pending call; and

wherein for a duration of the subscription, the IPBX server provides to each respective switchboard interface, event messages indicating changes in status of the pending calls for the respective switchboard interface.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switchboard server communicatively coupled to the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces and configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by, for each of the plurality of switchboard interfaces:

communicating event messages and pseudo-event messages indicating status of pending calls to the switchboard interface, where the pseudo-event messages include regenerated event messages of the pending calls; and

communicating control commands for the pending calls to the IPBX server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the call control circuit is configured and arranged to restore a previously established call-control subscription by:

identifying the pending calls associated with the previously established call-control subscription; and

restoring the statuses of each respective pending call using the pseudo-event messages for the pending calls.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the switchboard server is further configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by:

receiving respective user-activity statuses of a plurality of end-users specified in a directory for the IPBX server; and

in response to receiving a user-activity status of one end-user of the plurality of end-users, providing the user-activity status to one or more of the plurality of switchboard interfaces.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a user-activity detection circuit communicatively coupled to the IPBX server and configured and arranged to determine the respective user-activity statuses by:

receiving activity data indicating activity of the plurality of end-users in a virtual office environment,

receiving event messages, from the IPBX server, indicating statuses of pending calls in the IPBX server; and

determining the respective user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data and event messages.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the switchboard server is further configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by:

receiving non-voice communications including short-message-service (SMS) messages, instant messages, electronic memos, email, or combinations thereof; and

forwarding the non-voice communications to respective end-users included in the directory.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the switchboard server is further configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by:

automatically answering incoming calls routed to the respective receptionist, when an auto-answer mode is enabled;

enabling the auto-answer mode in response to a frequency of incoming calls to the receptionist being greater than a threshold frequency; and

disabling the auto-answer mode in response to a frequency of incoming calls to the receptionist being less than the threshold frequency.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein

each of the plurality of switchboard interfaces has a respective contact list, and

the switchboard server is further configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by providing user-activity status of one end-user of a plurality of end-users specified in a directory for the IPBX server, to ones of the switchboard interfaces having the one end-user in the respective contact list.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein for at least one of the plurality of switchboard interfaces, the respective contact list includes a set of public contacts that are included in each of the contact lists and includes a set of private contacts that are exclusive to the respective contact list.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the switchboard server is further configured and arranged to provide the call-control subscription between the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by displaying a status of pending calls for the switchboard interface on a web-page configured to implement the switchboard interface;

and

restoring statuses of pending calls displayed on the web-page following reset by the web-page and in response to receipt of the pseudo-event messages for pending calls by the switchboard interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the switchboard interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) having a mechanism for selecting an action for a pending call for a switchboard interface, the action including answering the call, hanging up the call, placing the call on hold, sending the call to voicemail, forwarding the call to an end-user indicated in a directory, parking the call, or combinations thereof.

13. A method comprising:

routing, using a call routing circuit of an internet-protocol private branch exchange (IPBX) server, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls for a plurality of switchboard interfaces, the switchboard interfaces corresponding to VoIP-enabled devices of a plurality of end-users and communicatively coupled to the IPBX via a circuit-based communications network;

initiating a subscription, using a call control circuit coupled to the call routing circuit, for one of the switchboard interfaces in response to a subscription request from the switchboard interface;

in response to an identification of the subscription as a previously established call-control subscription, identifying a plurality of additional pending VoIP calls for the switchboard interface, wherein pending calls include active or previously requested calls; and

for each of the plurality of additional pending VoIP calls, restoring the statuses of each respective pending call using a pseudo-event message indicating a status of the pending VoIP call, the pseudo-event message including historical data of the pending call.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the switchboard interface corresponds to a respective VoIP-enabled device of a receptionist, and the method further includes:

displaying, using the switchboard interface, statuses of a plurality of end-users included in a directory of the IPBX server, wherein each of the plurality of switchboard interfaces has a respective contact list; and

providing an option for directing at least one of the pending VoIP calls for the switchboard interface to respective end-users in the respective contact list that are available to receive incoming calls based on user-activity statuses of the plurality of end-users.

15. The method claim 14, furthering including determining at least one of the plurality of end-users is not available to receive incoming VoIP calls in response to a user-activity status of at least one end-user including one of:

on phone, out of office, and unknown.

16. The method of claim 13, further including:

communicating event messages and pseudo-event messages, using a switchboard server communicatively coupled to the IPBX server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces, indicating status of pending VoIP calls of the switchboard interface to the switchboard interface; and

communicating, using the switchboard server, control commands for the pending VoIP calls to the IPBX server.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

identifying nodes in the subscription request;

checking for call statuses for the identified nodes; and

generating the pseudo-event message indicating the status of the pending VoIP call in response to identifying nodes in the subscription request and the call status.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the switchboard interface correspond to a respective VoIP-enabled device of a receptionist, the method further including:

enabling an auto-answer mode based on a status of the respective receptionist; and

automatically answering an incoming VoIP call routed to the switchboard interface in response to the enabled auto-answer mode.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the pending VoIP calls is pending for at least two of the plurality of switchboard interfaces, the method furthering including:

placing the respective pending VoIP call in a queue shared by the at least two switchboard interfaces; and

communicating the call event for the respective pending VoIP call to each of the at least two switchboard interfaces.

20. The method of claim 13, further including:

providing a web-page, using a web server, configured and arranged to implement the switchboard interface when executed on a respective web-browser an end-device;

displaying a status of pending VoIP calls for the switchboard interface; and

wherein communicating of the pseudo-event messages indicating a status of the pending VoIP calls to the switchboard interface further includes restoring statuses of pending calls displayed by the switchboard interface following reset by the web-browser.