Distributed Session-Based Data

• US 20080205622A1
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Robesky, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

Session-based data, such as call detail accounting information, is tracked and distributed to a plurality of servers in a distributed telephony environment. One type of session is a telephone call between participants. Session-based data includes information about a session provided by the switches along the media path. Session-based data further includes information related to the session obtained from the application layer (e.g., user input metadata). A network proxy maintains a participant list to which the session data is distributed. The network proxy sends updates to the participants and determines the network status to implement fault tolerance of data distribution.

Claims

1. A method for distributing call data, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, from a participant, a registration request including a call identifier;

receiving, at the server, from at least one of a switch and an application, call data associated with the call identifier; and

sending the call data to the participant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the call data to the participant comprises:

determining whether the call data had been previously received; and

responsive to a determination that the call data had not been previously received, sending the call data to the participant.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining whether the call data had been previously received comprises:

determining whether a timestamp assigned to the call data matches a timestamp assigned to call data that had been previously received.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the timestamp assigned to the call data is calculated by adding a time difference between a timestamp of an origin of the call data and a timestamp of a CDS instance on the server to a timestamp of the origin of the call data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the server, an end of session message; and

writing the call data to a database responsive to the end of session message.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the participant, the call data; and

storing the call data in a local data store.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein storing the call data in the local data store comprises:

determining whether the call data had been previously received; and

responsive to a determination that the call data had not been previously received, storing the call data in the local data store.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein determining whether the call data had been previously received comprises:

determining whether a timestamp assigned to the call data matches a timestamp assigned to call data that had been previously received.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the timestamp assigned to the call data is calculated by adding a time difference between a timestamp of an origin of the call data and a timestamp of a CDS instance on the participant to a timestamp of a CDS instance on the participant.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, at the participant, supplemental call data from a local participant; and

sending the supplemental call data to the server.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein sending the supplemental call data to the server comprises:

determining whether the supplemental call data had been previously received; and

responsive to a determination that the supplemental call data had not been previously received, sending the supplemental call data to the server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining whether the supplemental call data had been previously received comprises:

determining whether a timestamp assigned to the supplemental call data matches a timestamp assigned to supplemental call data that had been previously received.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the timestamp assigned to the supplemental call data is calculated by adding a time difference between a timestamp of an origin of the supplemental call data and a timestamp of a CDS instance on the participant to a timestamp of a CDS instance on the participant.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the call identifier comprises a callID.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the server includes an owning TMS process.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the participant includes a participant TMS process.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the call represents a telephone call between participants.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the server and the participant are associated with different sites.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the participant comprises one element of a group containing a switch and a server.

19. An apparatus for distributing call data, the apparatus comprising:

an interface module configured to receive, at a server, from a participant, a registration request including a call identifier; and

an update module configured to receive, at the server, from at least one of a switch and an application, call data associated with the call identifier, and to send the call data to the participant.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the update module is further configured to receive, from the participant, the-call data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

a storage module configured to store the call data in a local data store.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the interface module is further configured to receive an end of session message;

and the storage module is configured to write the call data to a database responsive to the end of session message.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the update module is further configured to receive, at the participant, supplemental session data from a local participant;

and to send the supplemental session data to the server.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a timestamp module configured to calculate a time difference between a timestamp of a CDS instance on the server and a timestamp of a CDS instance on the participant.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the call identifier comprises a callID.

26. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the server includes an owning TMS process.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the participant includes a participant TMS process.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the call represents a telephone call between participants.

29. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the server and the participant are associated with different sites.

41. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the participant comprises one element of a group containing a switch and a server.

30. An apparatus for distributing call data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a server, from a participant, a registration request including a call identifier; and

means for receiving, at the server, from at least one of a switch and an application, call data associated with the call identifier, and to send the call data to the participant.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the means for receiving call data are further configured to receive, from the participant, the call data.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising:

means for storing the call data in a local data store.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the means for receiving call data are further configured to receive, at the server, an end of session message;

and the means for storing are configured to write the call data to a database responsive to the end of session message.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the means for receiving call data are further configured to receive, from the participant, supplemental call data from a local participant;

and to send the supplemental call data to the server.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the call identifier comprises a callID.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the server includes an owning TMS process.

37. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the participant includes a participant TMS process.

38. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the call represents a telephone call between participants.

39. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the server and the participant are associated with different sites.

42. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the participant comprises one element of a group containing a switch and a server.