SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING TELEPHONY ENDPOINT INVENTORY

• US 20140376389A1
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Inventors: Milliron, Timothy S., Ballai, Adam, Cocoran, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/229 Wire identification arrangements; Number assignment determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider

Abstract

A system and method for managing an endpoint repository of a communication platform that includes managing a set of telephone endpoints that can be in an allocated state or an unallocated state; classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers; evaluating endpoint inventory across a set of endpoint classification groupings and detecting at least one classification grouping that, based in part on the allocated and unallocated state of corresponding endpoints, satisfies an inventory update condition; generating an endpoint transfer request that specifies the endpoint classifiers of the classification grouping; and selectively adding endpoints from the inventory source to the endpoint repository.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining quality of available endpoints in a communication platform comprising:

managing a set of telephony endpoints that can be in an allocated state and an unallocated state, wherein an endpoint in an allocated state is mapped to a user of the communication platform and an endpoint in an unallocated state is unmapped;

classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers including at least a numbering plan area code classifier, a mobile capability classifier, and a quality classifier;

evaluating endpoint inventory across a set of endpoint classification groupings and detecting at least one classification grouping that, based in part on the allocated and unallocated state of corresponding endpoints, satisfies an inventory update condition;

generating an endpoint transfer request that specifies the endpoint classifiers of the classification grouping;

upon fulfillment of the endpoint transfer request, adding a set of new endpoints to the communication platform in an unavailable unallocated state;

executing automated quality testing on the set of new endpoints; and

for a sub-set of endpoints that satisfy the automated quality testing from the set of new endpoints, setting the subs-set of endpoints to an available unallocated state.

2. A method for managing an endpoint repository of a communication platform comprising:

managing a set of telephone endpoints that can be in an allocated state or an unallocated state;

classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers;

evaluating endpoint inventory across a set of endpoint classification groupings and detecting at least one classification grouping that, based in part on the allocated and unallocated state of corresponding endpoints, satisfies an inventory update condition;

generating an endpoint transfer request that specifies the endpoint classifiers of the classification grouping; and

selectively adding endpoints from the inventory source to the endpoint repository.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers comprises executing quality testing on an endpoint and generating a quality store classifier for the endpoints.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers comprises classifying a first endpoint along a set of inherent endpoint properties, wherein the set of classifiers for inherent endpoint properties include numbering plan area code classifier, a mobile capability classifier, and a number pattern classifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein classifying endpoints of the set of telephone endpoints with a set of classifiers comprises executing quality testing on the first endpoint and generating a quality store classifier for the first endpoints.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of classifiers comprises at least a NPA-NXX classifier, a mobile capability classifier, and a quality classifier.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving an endpoint inventory trigger;

wherein evaluating endpoint inventory across a set of endpoint classification groupings is initiated in response to the endpoint inventory trigger.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving an endpoint inventory trigger comprises detecting a change in the quality of at least one endpoint in the inventory repository.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a change in the quality of at least one endpoint comprises receiving quality feedback notification through an application programming interface (API).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a change in the quality of at least one endpoint comprises periodically executing automated quality testing of an endpoint.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving an endpoint inventory trigger comprises processing a request to transition an allocated inventory endpoint to an unallocated state in the inventory repository.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving an endpoint inventory trigger comprises processing a request to allocate an inventory endpoint to an entity and transition the inventory endpoint to an allocated;

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the inventory trigger is a scheduled trigger;

14. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively adding endpoints comprises executing automated quality testing on the endpoints from the inventory.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein selectively adding endpoints comprises adding an endpoint to the endpoint repository in an available unallocated state with limited communication capabilities.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the limited communication capability comprises excluding messaging communication when in an allocated state.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the limited communication capability comprises excluding voice communication when in an allocated state.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein executing automated quality testing comprises monitoring activity of an endpoint while in a quarantined state and generating a dirtiness score from the monitoring and testing quality of communication capabilities.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein selectively adding endpoints comprises verifying endpoints from the inventory source conforms to characteristics of the requested endpoint category.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the endpoints are telephone numbers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the telephone numbers include short codes.

22. A communication platform comprising:

a telephony endpoint management service that manages the allocated and unallocated state of telephony endpoints;

a telephony endpoint repository;

an endpoint testing system that includes a endpoint quaranteened testing system and a capability testing system;

an application programming interface into endpoint management and information; and

endpoint inventory monitor that integrates with changes in the endpoint repository and interfaces with at least one endpoint inventory provider.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising an endpoint classification verification system that operates on obtained endpoints from the at least one endpoint inventory provider.