TELEPHONY APPLICATION SERVICES

• US 20110134804A1
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stéphane H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0054 Service creation techniques

Abstract

Telephony application services are provided through use of a service delivery platform (SDP) and by implementing a service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based approach. Various “widgets” of telephony functionality are selected, each widget providing functionality such as call forwarding, call blocking, conferencing, etc. These widgets provide not only call manipulation, but can provide the logic used to process a call. An application or application service thus can combine and/or compose these widgets as needed to provide telephony functionality.

Claims

1. A platform for providing network-based multimedia functions as application services, the platform comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

a plurality of widgets executing on the at least one processor, the widgets each having a reusable function for a telecommunications network application;

wherein the plurality of widgets are enabled to execute on more than one network technology such that a function of a widget is available on a first network through an application programming interface (API) function call and on a second network through a second API function call.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the platform includes a service delivery platform (SDP).

3. The platform of claim 2 wherein the SDP includes a voice access enabler such that voice dialog is enabled.

4. The platform of claim 2 wherein the reusable function on each widget conforms to a service-oriented architecture (SOA)-based approach.

5. The platform of claim 1 further including a composition of widgets wherein the composition is enabled using native code logic.

6. The platform of claim 1 further including a composition of widgets wherein the composition is through a workflow using Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL).

7. The platform of claim 1 wherein one of the widgets has a reusable function selected from the group consisting of creating a call between two parties and terminating a call between two parties.

8. The platform of claim 1 wherein one of the widgets has a reusable function selected from the group consisting of modifying a leg in a multimedia session, processing a multimedia session notification, multimedia session forwarding, directing a multimedia session to a third party, and ending a multimedia session.

9. The platform of claim 1 wherein one of the widgets has a reusable function selected from the group consisting of terminating a multimedia session, mixing multiple multimedia sessions, adapting a multimedia session, and implementing dialog management on a multimedia session.

10. The platform of claim 1 wherein one of the widgets has a reusable function selected from the group consisting of creating a media server session so that more than two parties can communicate in a call, adding a call to a media session, removing a call from a media session, and managing muting in the media server session.

11. The platform of claim 1 wherein one of the widgets has a reusable function selected from the group consisting of media processing, voice and dialog processing, queuing calls, managing queues, emergency call routing, call barring, instant messaging, transforming a message, caller line identification restriction, caller line identification presentation, anonymous call reject, diverted call reject, call recording, voice mail, legal call intercept, ring tone selection, ring back tone selection, start charging for a call, delegate charging for a call, stop charging for a call, acquire account balance information, getting a caller ID, getting a call ID for user equipment on an on-going call, discovering the telecommunications network, and obtaining a unique subscriber number.

12. A machine-readable storable medium embodying information indicative of instructions for causing one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

executing a plurality of widgets on at least one processor, the widgets each having a reusable function for a telecommunications network application;

accessing one of the widgets from a first network through a first application programming interface (API) function call; and

accessing one of the widgets from a second network through a second API call,

wherein the first and second networks utilize different protocols.

13. A computer-implemented method for providing network-based telephony functions as application services, the method comprising:

executing on a processor a plurality of widgets on at least one processor, the widgets each having a reusable function for a telecommunications network application;

accessing from a memory operatively coupled to the processor one of the widgets from a first network through a first application programming interface (API) function call; and

accessing using the processor one of the widgets from a second network through a second API call,

wherein the first and second networks utilize different protocols.

14. A computer-implemented method for implementing telephony services, the method comprising:

executing a first widget on a processor, the first widget having a reusable function for a telecommunications network application;

executing a second widget on the processor, the second widget having a reusable function for the telecommunication network application;

combining the widgets, using the processor, such that the widgets are executed in one application; and

providing the functions as telephony services on a network,

wherein the widgets are enabled to execute on more than one network technology such that a function of each widget is available on a first network through an application programming interface (API) function call and on a second network through a second API function call.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the telephony services are selected from the group consisting of legacy intelligent network services, new services, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services, virtual private branch exchange services, and conferencing.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the widgets use enablers.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the first widget selects a network upon which the first widget is executed.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the widgets have been composed using Business Process Execution Language (BPEL).

19. A telephony application server in a deployed system, the deployed system comprising:

a telephony application server (AS);

an administration portal operatively connected with the telephony AS;

an operator portal operatively connected with the telephony AS;

an end user portal operatively connected with the telephony AS;

a charging function server operatively connected with the telephony AS;

a call detail record (CDR) server operatively connected with the telephony AS;

wherein the telephony AS is deployed to interface with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) gateway, an emergency call center, a charging function, and a lawful interception server.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the telephony AS is implemented in an internet protocol multimedia system (IMS).

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the telephony AS is implemented with session border control (SBC).