Bandwidth reduction in a VoIP network using music on hold

• US 7,616,742 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Incorporated
• Inventors: Schoeneberger, Carl, Dimitroff, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US10/840,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/101.01, 37926501-26603, 370/353
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for reducing bandwidth usage in a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network that uses holding sounds such as music or announcements. When a customer call enters the network through a gateway, the call is received by a media server (VMS) and a workflow is started. When the workflow determines that the customer call is to be put on hold, the VMS sends an instruction signal to the gateway, instructing the gateway to provide an on-hold music or announcement to the customer call. When the workflow determines that the customer call is to be taken off hold, the VMS sends a second instruction signal to the gateway and the gateway stops the music or announcements and proceeds to further process the call under the direction of the workflow.

Claims

1. A method of reducing bandwidth usage in a voice over internet protocol network, the method comprising:

a. receiving a customer call in a gateway from a network;

b. routing the customer call to a media server;

c. sending an instruction signal from the media server to the gateway, wherein the instruction signal prompts the gateway to start or stop an on-hold playback from the gateway to a customer; and

d. starting a workflow operable to control operation of said media server with respect to the customer call when the customer call is routed to the media server, wherein the workflow determines when the instruction signal is sent to the gateway, an on-hold playback track, an announcement stack and an announcement frequency.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the instruction signal is a start playback signal when the customer call is put on hold, further wherein the start playback signal prompts the gateway to start the on-hold playback.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the instruction signal is an end playback signal when the customer call is taken off hold, further wherein the end playback signal prompts the gateway to stop the on-hold playback.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising saving an interruption point of the on-hold playback when the end playback signal prompts the gateways to stop the on-hold playback.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said workflow further determines when a message or a caller prompt is to be presented to said customer call by said media server, said method further comprising starting said message or caller prompt after the end playback signal is sent.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said workflow further determines when the customer call is to be connected to an agent by said media server, said method further comprising connecting the customer call to said agent after the end playback signal is sent.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein when the agent places the customer on hold, the instruction signal is re-sent from the media server to the gateway to start the on-hold playback from the gateway to the customer, and the on-hold playback starts from the interruption point and an interrupted announcement will not be restarted from the interruption point.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a local connection.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a wide area network.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network is a time division multiplexed network.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the time division multiplexed network is a public switched telephone network.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network is a voice over internet protocol network.

13. A system for reducing bandwidth usage in a voice over internet protocol network, the system comprising:

a. means for receiving a customer call from network;

b. means for routing the customer call to a server for voice interaction between said customer call and said server;

c. means for instructing the means for receiving the customer call,

wherein the instructing means prompts the means for receiving the customer call to start or stop an on-hold playback from the means for receiving the customer call to a customer; and

d. means for starting a workflow operable to control operation of said server with respect to the customer call when the customer call is routed to the server, wherein the workflow determines when the instructing means prompts the gateway, an on-hold playback track, an announcement stack and an announcement frequency.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the instructing means sends a start playback signal when the customer call is put on hold, further wherein the start playback signal prompts the gateway to start the on-hold playback.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the instructing means sends an end playback signal when the customer call is taken off hold, further wherein the end playback signal prompts the gateway to stop the on-hold playback.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising means for saving an interruption point of the on-hold playback when the end playback signal prompts the gateways to stop the on-hold playback.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said workflow further determines when a message or caller prompt is to be presented to the customer call, said system further comprising means for said server presenting said message or caller prompt to the customer call after the end playback signal is sent.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said workflow further determines when the customer call is to be connected to an agent, said system further comprising means for connecting the customer call to said agent after the end playback signal is sent.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18 wherein when the agent places the customer on hold, the instructing means prompts the gateway to start the on-hold playback from the gateway to the customer, and the on-hold playback starts from the interruption point and an interrupted announcement will not be re-started from the interruption point.

20. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the instructing means prompts the gateway over a local connection.

21. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the instructing means prompts the gateway over a wide area network.

22. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the network is a time division multiplexed network.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the time division multiplexed network is a public switched telephone network.

24. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the network is a voice over internet protocol network.

25. A system for reducing bandwidth usage in a voice over internet protocol network, the system comprising:

a. a gateway configured to receive a customer call from a network, and further configured to route the customer call;

b. a media server coupled to the gateway, wherein the media server is configured to receive the customer call from the gateway for voice interaction therewith, and further configured to send an instruction signal to the gateway,

wherein the instruction signal prompts the gateway to start or stop an on-hold playback from the gateway to a customer; and

c. a workflow operable to control operation of the media server with respect to the customer call and configured to be started when the customer call is routed to the media server, wherein the workflow determines when the instruction signal is sent to the gateway, an on-hold playback track, an announcement stack and an announcement frequency.

26. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the instruction signal is a start playback signal when the customer call is put on hold, further wherein the start playback signal prompts the gateway to start the on-hold playback.

27. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the instruction signal is an end playback signal when the customer call is taken off hold, further wherein the end playback signal prompts the gateway to stop the on-hold playback.

28. The system as claimed in claim 27 wherein the gateway records an interruption point of the on-hold playback when the end playback signal prompts the gateways to stop the on hold playback.

29. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the workflow further determines when a message or caller prompt is to be presented to the customer call by the media server, and wherein said message or caller prompt is started after the end music playback is sent.

30. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the workflow further determines when the customer call is to be connected to an agent, and wherein the customer call is connected to the agent after the end playback signal is sent.

31. The system as claimed in claim 30 wherein when the agent places the customer on hold, the instruction signal is re-sent from the media server to the gateway to start the on-hold playback from the gateway to the customer, and the on-hold playback starts from the interruption point and an interrupted announcement will not be restarted from the interruption point.

32. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a local connection.

33. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a wide area network.

34. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the network is a time division multiplexed network.

35. The system as claimed in claim 34 wherein the time division multiplexed network is a public switched telephone network.

36. The system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the network is a voice over internet protocol network.

37. A method of reducing bandwidth usage in a voice over internet protocol network, the method comprising:

receiving a customer call in a gateway from a network;

routing the customer call to a media server;

sending an instruction signal from the media server to the gateway, wherein the instruction signal prompts the gateway to start or stop an on-hold playback from the gateway to a customer; and

starting a workflow operable to control operation of said server with respect to the customer call when the customer call is routed to the media server, wherein the workflow determines when the instruction signal is sent to the gateway, an on-hold playback track, an announcement stack and an announcement frequency,

wherein the instruction signal is a start playback signal when the customer call is put on hold and the start playback signal prompts the gateway to start the on-hold playback, and further wherein the instruction signal is an end playback signal when the customer call is taken off hold and the end playback signal prompts the gateway to stop the on-hold playback.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37 further comprising saving an interruption point of the on-hold playback when the end playback signal prompts the gateways to stop the on-hold playback.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38 further comprising starting a message or a caller prompt after the end playback signal is sent.

40. The method as claimed in claim 38 further comprising connecting the customer call to an agent after the end playback signal is sent.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40 wherein when the agent places the customer on hold, the instruction signal is re-sent from the media server to the gateway to start the on-hold playback from the gateway to the customer, and the on-hold playback starts from the interruption point and an interrupted announcement will not be restarted from the interruption point.

42. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a local connection.

43. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the instruction signal is sent to the gateway over a wide area network.

44. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the network is a time division multiplexed network.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein the time division multiplexed network is a public switched telephone network.

46. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the network is a voice over internet protocol network.