Method and apparatus for dynamically allocating and routing telephony endpoints

• US 20090109962A1
• Filed: 10/27/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Graham, Joseph Hosteny
• Original Assignee: David Graham, Joseph Hosteny
• Inventors: Hosteny, Joseph, Graham, David
• Application Number:
  US11/978,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109962A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A client application sends a message to an endpoint server. The message contains parameters including allocation constraints. The endpoint server allocates an endpoint, such as a PSTN number, according to those constraints. The endpoint server maintains the state of the endpoint in a database. Various authentication and credentialing information is included in the database. The endpoint server configures a route through a proxy PBX for the endpoint, and returns the endpoint to the client. When desired, the client releases the endpoint by sending another message to the endpoint server to de-allocate the endpoint. The endpoint server removes the route to the endpoint, and marks the endpoint as available in the database.

Claims

1. A method for making telephony endpoints available for procurement programmatically over a network, including the steps of:

Initiating a call from a client to a server to request an endpoint;

Performing a lookup in a database for an endpoint that meets the constraints specified in the call;

Associating an endpoint in the database with an authenticated client;

Configuring a PBX with routing information for that endpoint;

Returning the allocated endpoint to the client, along with any credential information needed to use the endpoint;

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the server is publicly addressable

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request protocol is one of a group of protocols, including at least TCP and HTTP.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the server authenticates the requests from the client

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is located on a network available to the server

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the server performs a lookup in the database for endpoints based upon constraints specified in the call from the client

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the server generates credentials valid for the current assignment of the endpoint

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the server configures the PBX to allow clients to connect with the current credentials for the endpoint generated by the server

9. An apparatus comprising:

A publicly addressable server;

A database server connected to the publicly addressable server;

A PBX connected to the publicly addressable server;