Automated and integrated call control server

• US 6,891,929 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Lian, Guttigoli, Sheetal
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/930,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20030039345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.01, 379/9, 379/9.01, 379/9.02, 379/14, 379/10.01, 379/10.02, 379/10.03, 379/15.01, 379/19, 379/21, 379/22, 379/27.01, 379/29.01, 379/29.02, 379/27.04, 455/423, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/67.15, 455/67.7
• US Class Current: 379/29.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/323 for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation)

Abstract

Allowing a tester of a telephonic device to issue call control commands to a call control server using an intuitive set of commands and using both data lines for data call control commands, and voice lines for touch tone or “DTMF” call control commands. The user may initiate a call control command by either entering the call control command in a command line of a program executed at a telephonic device, or by crafting a function call using an Application Program Interface (API) that allows for more intuitive function calls that are more descriptive of the call control command. During execution, the more descriptive user-entered command or function call is converted into a form that recognized by the call control server. The converted call control command is then transmitted to the call control server.

Claims

1. In a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, a method for allowing call control using data commands provided over a data line, the method comprising the following:

a specific act of receiving a call control command from a data line,

a specific act of interpreting the call control command;

a specific act of determining one or more acts that would need to be accomplished to comply with the call control command;

a specific act of scheduling the one or more acts by performing,

a specific act of placing one or more higher priority acts of the one or more acts in a queue for expedited execution; and

a specific act of placing one or more lower priority acts of the one or more acts in a database for delayed execution; and

a specific act of implementing the one or more acts as scheduled on one or more voice lines or one or more data lines.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the following:

a specific act of executing the one or more higher priority acts; and

a specific act of executing the acts in the database after the queue has been emptied.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the call control command is a first call control command, wherein the one or more acts are a first set of one or more acts, the method further comprising the following:

a specific act of receiving a second call control command from a voice line;

a specific act of interpreting the second call control command;

a specific act of determining a second group of one or more acts that would need to be accomplished to comply with the second call control command; and

a specific act of implementing the second group of one or more acts.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the specific act of receiving the call control command from a data line comprises the following:

receiving the call control command from the data line via a Telephony Application Program Interface.

5. In a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, a method for allowing call control using data commands provided over a data line, the method comprising the following:

a specific act of receiving a call control command from a data line;

a step for processing so as to fulfill the call control command on one or more voice lines or one or more data lines, said processing step comprising identifying acts of higher and lesser priority;

storing higher priority acts in a first location for more immediate execution; and

storing lower priority acts in a second location for less immediate execution.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the step for processing so as to fulfill the call control command comprises the following:

a specific act of interpreting the call control command;

a specific act of determining one or more acts that would need to be accomplished to comply with the call control command; and

a specific act of implementing the one or more acts on one or more voice lines.

7. A computer program product for use in a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, the computer program product for allowing call control using data commands provided over a data line, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for detecting the receipt of a call control command from a data line;

computer-executable instructions for interpreting the call control command;

computer-executable instructions for determining one or more acts that would need to be accomplished to comply with the call control command;

computer-executable instructions for scheduling the one or more acts, and which comprise,

computer-executable instructions for placing one or more higher priority acts of the one or more acts in a queue for expedited execution; and

computer-executable instructions for placing one or more lower priority acts of the one or more acts in a database for delayed execution; and

computer-executable instructions for implementing as scheduled the one or more acts on one or more voice lines or one or more data lines.

8. A computer program product in accordance with claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium is one or more physical storage media.

9. A call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, the call control server comprising the following:

one or more data lines;

one or more voice lines;

means for processing a call control command received on one of the data lines so as to implement the call control command on one or more voice lines or one or more data lines, said means for processing a call control command comprising a command interpreter for identifying acts of higher and lesser priority;

a queue for storing higher priority acts received from the command interpreter for more immediate execution; and

a database for storing lower priority acts received from the command interpreter for less immediate execution.

10. A call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, the call control server comprising the following:

one or more data lines;

one or more voice lines;

a command interpreter configured to interpret call control commands received over at least the data lines, and wherein the command interpreter is configured to prioritize the one or more acts; and

an action scheduler configured to implement one or more acts needed to implement the call control commands on the voice lines or the data lines.

11. A call control server in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the following:

a queue for storing higher priority acts received from the command interpreter for more immediate execution.

12. A call control server in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the following:

a database for storing lower priority acts received from the command interpreter for less immediate execution.

13. In a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, a method for allowing a human to use a set of commands that are more intuitive to the human in order to control the call control server, even though the call control server does not directly recognize the intuitive set of commands, the method comprising the following:

a specific act of receiving a function call issued by a set of one or more program modules, wherein the function call represents a request for the call control server to emulate a telephonic scenario, the request being in a form that is not recognized by the call control server; and

a specific act of translating the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the method is implemented on the same machine as the call control server, the method further comprising the following:

a specific act of passing the translated request to the call control server.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the method is implemented on a different machine as the call control server, the method further comprising the following:

a specific act of transmitting the translated request to the call control server.

16. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the specific act of translating the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server comprises the following:

a specific act of translating the request into a sequence represented by the characters of a telephonic keypad including the characters 0 Through 9, # and *.

17. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the specific act of translating the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server comprises the following:

a specific act of translating the request into a DTMF sequence.

18. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call includes a handle that identified a connection with the call control server.

19. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call comprises a request to stay connected for a predetermined period of time.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the request to stay connect for a predetermined period of time comprises the following:

a first field representing the time that the call control server should remain connected before hanging up.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCStayConnected(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

22. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call comprises a request to have the call control server call back.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the request to have the call control server call back comprises the following:

a first field representing a telephone number to call back;

a second field representing an interval between call backs; and

a third field representing a period of time over which to call back.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCOrderCallBack(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

25. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call comprises a request to echo data.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the request to echo data comprises the following:

a first field representing the data to echo; and

a second field representing the number of times to echo.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCEcho(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

28. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call comprises a request to download a file.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the request to download a file comprises the following:

a first field representing the name of the file to be downloaded.

30. A method in accordance with claim 29, wherein the request takes the form BOOL CCCDownload(HCALL hcall, LPCTSTR &

szFileName).

31. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call comprises a request to add a client telephonic device to a call list of the call control server.

32. A method in accordance with claim 31, wherein the request to add a client telephonic device to a call list of the call control server comprises the following:

a first field representing a telephone number of the client telephonic device;

a second field representing how long the call control server should keep the telephone number; and

a third field representing actions that the client telephonic device is interested in.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32, wherein the request takes the form BOOL CCCAddClient(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam, ActionInterest actMask).

34. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the function call is generated by a user-entered data in a command line.

35. A method in accordance with claim 34, wherein the function call is for a teleconference to be initiated.

36. A method in accordance with claim 35, wherein the user-entered data is of the form CCSMakeConf followed by an identification of two lines that are to be involved in the teleconference.

37. A method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the function call is for the call control server to call back.

38. A method in accordance with claim 37, wherein the user-entered data is of the form CCSCallBack followed by an identification of a telephone number to call back.

39. In a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, a method for allowing a human to use a set of commands that are more intuitive to the human in order to control the call control saver, even though the call control server does not directly recognize the intuitive set of commands, method comprising the following:

a specific act of generating a function call that represents a request for the call control server to emulate a telephonic scenario, the request being in a form that is not recognized by the call control server; and

a specific act of passing the function call to a set of one or more program modules for translation of the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server.

40. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call includes a handle that identified a connection with the call control server.

41. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call comprises a request to stay connected for a predetermined period of time.

42. A method in accordance with claim 41, wherein the request to stay connect for a predetermined period of time comprises the following:

a first field representing the time that the call control server should remain connected before hanging up.

43. A method in accordance with claim 42, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCStayConnected(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

44. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call comprises a request to have the call control server call back.

45. A method in accordance with claim 44, wherein the request to have the call control server call back comprises the following:

a first field representing a telephone number to call back;

a second field representing an interval between call backs; and

a third field representing a period of time over which to call back.

46. A method in accordance with claim 45, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCOrderCallBack(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

47. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call comprises a request to echo data.

48. A method in accordance with claim 47, wherein the request to echo data comprises the following:

a first field representing the data to echo; and

a second field representing the number of times to echo.

49. A method in accordance with claim 48, wherein the request is generated from source code that takes the form BOOL CCCEcho(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam).

50. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call comprises a request to download a file.

51. A method in accordance with claim 50, wherein the request to download a file comprises the following:

a first field representing the name of the file to be downloaded.

52. A method in accordance with claim 51, wherein the request takes the form BOOL CCCDownload(HCALL hcall, LPCTSTR &

szFileName).

53. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the function call comprises a request to add a client telephonic device to a call list of the call control server.

54. A method in accordance with claim 53, wherein the request to add a client telephonic device to a call list of the call control server comprises the following:

a first field representing a telephone number of the client telephonic device;

a second field representing how long the call control server should keep the telephone number; and

a third field representing actions that the client telephonic device is interested in.

55. A method in accordance with claim 54, wherein the request takes the form BOOL CCCAddClient(HCALL hcall, CCCParam &

cccParam, ActionInterest actMask).

56. A computer program product for use in a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, the computer program product for allowing a human to use a set of commands that are more intuitive to the human in order to control the call control server, even though the call control server does not directly recognize the intuitive set of commands, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for receiving a function call issued by a set of one or more program modules, wherein the function call represents a request for the call control server to emulate a telephonic scenario, the request being in a form that is not recognized by the call control server; and

computer-executable instructions for translating the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server.

57. A computer program product in accordance with claim 56, wherein the computer-readable medium is one or more physical storage media.

58. A computer program product in accordance with claim 56, wherein the computer-readable medium further has stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for causing the translated request to be accessible to the call control server.

59. A computer program product for use in a telephone network that includes a telephonic device that is network connectable to a call control server, the call control server configured to recognize and respond to commands issued by the telephonic device to thereby accomplish telephonic tasks, the computer program product for allowing a human to use a set of commands that are more intuitive to the human in order to control the call control server, even though the call control server does not directly recognize the intuitive set of commands, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for generating a function call that represents a request for the call control server to emulate a telephonic scenario, the request being in a form that is not recognized by the call control server; and

computer-executable instructions for passing the function call to a set of one or more program modules for translation of the request into a form that is recognized by the call control server.

60. A computer program product in accordance with claim 59, wherein the computer-readable medium is one or more physical storage media.