Call handling mechanism

• US 6,504,913 B1
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patterson, David John Martin, Leon, Jean-Michel Gerard, Markson, Thomas Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/326,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.04, 379/88.07, 379/88.08, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/70, 379/15.02, 379/15.03, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.12, 379/207.02, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/93.09
• US Class Current: 379/88.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A call handling mechanism provides a resource manager for controlling the allocation of functional modules to process a received call. Each of the functional modules can be implemented as a software application, preferably implemented in the form of a bean, such as a Java bean. The resource manager allocates the functional modules in accordance with the priority order. Different types of applications are given priority numbers within different ranges so that, for example, a voice application such as a voicemail application will always precede a facsimile application, which in turn will precede a data application. In this manner, reliable call answering can be provided using third party supplied call handling applications which are pre-allocated priority numbers in an appropriate range for the type of application.

Claims

1. A call handling mechanism for a telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each assigned a respective priority such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls, the resource manager being configured to determine which of the plurality of the functional modules processes the received call in order of priority.

2. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, wherein the resource manager maintains a set of parameters for each functional module including a priority indicator for each functional module.

3. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one functional module is an object providing at least one method defining a telephony processing function.

4. The call handling mechanism of claim 3, wherein at least one functional module is a bean object.

5. The call handling mechanism of claim 4, wherein at least one functional module is a bean object of the type provided in the Java language environment.

6. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, wherein each functional module is registered with the resource manager, the resource manager being configured to be operable to obtain parameters of each functional module, including the priority assigned thereto.

7. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, wherein the resource manager is operable to offer a call to a functional module, and to offer the call to a next functional module in order of priority when the call is returned by the functional module without the call having been handled.

8. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, additionally comprising at least one functional module.

9. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, wherein a functional module is operable to determine whether it is able to handle a call, and, if not, to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

10. The call handling mechanism of claim 1, including at least one of the following functional modules:

a voice module for processing voice calls;

a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions;

a facsimile module for processing facsimile calls; and

a data module for processing data calls.

11. The call handling mechanism of claim 10, wherein any voice module has a higher priority than any facsimile module and any facsimile module has a higher priority than any data module.

12. The call handling mechanism of claim 10, wherein the resource manager is operable to offer a received call to any voice module before any facsimile module and to offer a received call to any facsimile module before any data module.

13. The call handling mechanism of claim 10, wherein a voice module is configured to respond to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

14. The call handling mechanism of claim 10, wherein any facsimile module is operable to discriminate data calls and to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

15. The call handling mechanism of claim 10, wherein multiple modules of a given type are each assigned different priorities, and the resource manager offers a received call to the modules of the given type in order of the respective priorities.

17. A call handling mechanism according to claim 1 in the form of computer software on a carrier medium.

16. A call handling mechanism for telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising resource management means for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each assigned a respective priority such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls, the allocation of the functional modules being effected in order of priority.

18. A computer software call handling mechanism on a carrier medium, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each assigned a respective priority such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls, the resource manager being operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority.

19. A functional module for a call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, where a plurality of functional modules are each assigned a respective priority such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls, and the resource manager is operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, the functional module being operable to determine whether it is able to handle a call, and, if not, to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

20. The functional module of claim 19 for processing a voice call, the functional module being operable to respond to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

21. The functional module of claim 19 for processing a facsimile call, the functional module being operable to be responsive to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

22. The functional module according to claim 19 in the form of computer software on a carrier medium.

23. A telecommunications apparatus comprising at least one telephony resource for connection to a telecommunications network and a call handling mechanism, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a call received by the telephony resource from the telecommunications network, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each assigned a respective priority such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls, the resource manager being operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority.

24. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 23, wherein the telephony resource is an interface to the telecommunications network.

25. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 23, wherein the telephony resource is a modem.

26. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 23, wherein the functional modules comprise call processing applications.

27. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 26, wherein the call processing applications comprise at least one application selected from:

a call answering application;

a voicemail application;

a facsimile application; and

a data application.

28. A method of handling calls in a telecommunications apparatus, the method comprising:

assigning respective priorities to a plurality of functional call handling modules such that a functional module that processes voice calls has a higher priority than a functional module that processes non-voice calls; and

allocating the call for handling to the functional modules in order of priority.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the telecommunications apparatus comprising at least one telephony resource for connection to a telecommunications network, and the method includes responding to receipt of a call by the telephony resource to allocate the call for handling to a functional module having the highest priority.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the telephony device provides an interface to a telecommunications network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the telephony device is a modem.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the following functional modules is selected from the following list of functional modules:

a voice module for processing voice calls;

a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions;

a fax module for processing facsimile calls; and

a data module for processing data calls.

33. A call handling mechanism for a telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and include at least one of a voice module for processing voice calls, a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions, a facsimile module for processing facsimile calls, and a data module for processing data calls,

the resource manager being configured to be operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, wherein any voice module has a higher priority than any facsimile module and any facsimile module has a higher priority than any data module.

34. A call handling mechanism for a telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and include at least one of a voice module for processing voice calls, a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions, a facsimile module for processing facsimile calls, and a data module for processing data calls,

the resource manager being configured to be operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority and to offer a received call to any voice module before any facsimile module and to any facsimile module before any data module.

35. A call handling mechanism for a telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and include at least one of a voice module for processing voice calls, a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions, a facsimile module for processing facsimile calls, and a data module for processing data calls,

the resource manager being configured to be operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, wherein a voice module is configured to respond to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

36. A call handling mechanism for a telecommunications apparatus, the call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and include at least one of a voice module for processing voice calls, a voicemail module for providing voicemail functions, a facsimile module for processing facsimile calls, and a data module for processing data calls,

the resource manager being configured to be operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, wherein any facsimile module is operable to discriminate data calls and to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

37. A functional module for a call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and the resource manager is operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, the functional module being operable to determine whether it is able to handle a call, and if not, to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority, and

wherein the functional module processes a voice call and is operable to respond to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.

38. A functional module for a call handling mechanism comprising a resource manager for controlling allocation of a functional module to process a received call, wherein a plurality of functional modules are each allocated a respective priority and the resource manager is operable to allocate the functional modules in order of priority, the functional module being operable to determine whether it is able to handle a call, and if not, to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority, and

wherein the functional module processes a facsimile call and is operable to be responsive to detection of facsimile or data tones to return a call without the call having been handled for allocation to any functional module of lower priority.