System and method for running a multi-module telephony application

• US 9,210,275 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Inventors: Lawson, Jeff, Wolthuis, John, Cooke, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US14/076,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 379111-141, 379/114.03, 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/38 Telephone uniform resource identifier [URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based

Abstract

A system and method of a telephony application platform can include receiving a communication session request specifying a destination endpoint, connecting the communication session through a first application module according to the destination endpoint, receiving an instruction to transition communication control to a second application module, transitioning communication control of the communication session to the second application module, independently metering resource usage of the communication session of each application module, and accounting the metered usage of the communication session.

Claims

1. A method of a communication application platform comprising:

receiving a communication call request with at least one communication endpoint and establishing a call session on behalf of the communication call request;

directing communication control of the call session to a first module, wherein the first module controls communication of the call session according to a first set of application logic, wherein the first module includes a first set of permitted platform resources;

during communication control of the call session by the first module, receiving a module identity code that directs communication control of the call session to a second module;

transitioning communication control of the call session to the second module during the call session, wherein the second module controls communication of the call session according to a second set of application logic, wherein the second module includes a second set of permitted platform resources, and wherein the first set of application logic is different from the second set of application logic;

metering use of the first module during the call session and metering use of the second module during the call session; and

accounting the metered use of the first module according to a first usage plan and accounting the metered use of the second module according to a second usage plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a module identity code comprises receiving an application programming interface (API) request that directs the communication control to be directed to the second module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a module identity code comprises executing an instruction within the application logic of the first module that indicates a directive to transition communication control to the second module.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising during communication control of the call session by the second module, receiving a second module identity code that directs communication control of the call session to the second module, and transitioning communication control of the call session to the first module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of permitted platform resources includes a set of telephony application processing resources, and directing communication control of the call session to the first module comprises retrieving application instructions and executing telephony instructions during the call session;

and wherein the second set of permitted platform resources includes communication routing services, and transitioning communication control of the call session to the second module comprises routing the call session between the at least one communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint outside of the set of telephony application processing resources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of permitted platform resources includes communication routing services, and directing communication control of the call session to the first module comprises routing the call session between the at least one communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint;

and wherein the second set of permitted platform resources includes telephony application processing resources, and transitioning communication control of the call session to the second module comprises retrieving application instructions and executing telephony instructions during the call session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein routing the call session between the at least one communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint comprises bridging at least one leg of the call session over a session initiation protocol (SIP) connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the call session has a unique identifier, and wherein the metered use of the first module and the second module are accounted for by the unique identifier of the call session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein accounting the metered use of the first module according to a first usage plan comprises aggregating use of the first module during the call session;

and wherein accounting the metered use of the second module according to a second usage plan comprises aggregating use of the second module across the call session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first usage plan is accounted at a rate different from the second usage plan.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising charging an account according to a combined accounted resource usage.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication call request comprises receiving the communication call request as an inbound call to the communication application platform.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication call request comprises receiving the communication call request as an application programming interface request to establish an outbound call session connected to the at least one communication endpoint.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the call session is a voice session.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the call session is a video session.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the call session is a bi-directional multi-media messaging session.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising during communication control of the call session by the second module, receiving a second module identity code that directs communication control of the call session to the first module, and transitioning communication control of the call session to the first module.

18. A method comprising:

initiating an instance of a bi-directional synchronous call session within a communication platform, wherein a mapping specifies an initial module for the call session;

connecting the call session through a first module upon receiving direction to transfer application control to the first module, the first module controlling the call session in a first operational state and including a first set of platform resources;

connecting the call session through a second module upon receiving direction to transfer application control of the call session to the second module, wherein functionality of the first module is different from functionality of the second module, and wherein the second module controls the call session in a second operational state and includes a second set of platform resources;

metering platform resource usage of the call session when connected through the first module during the call session;

metering platform resource usage of the call session when connected through the second module during the call session; and

accounting the metered platform resource usage according to a first usage plan of the first module and a second usage plan of the second module;

wherein the call session is connected through the first module and at least the second module at different portions of the call session.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting the call session through a third module upon receiving direction to transfer application control to the third module, wherein functionality of the third module are different from the functionality of the first module and the second module;

metering platform resource usage of the call session when connected through the third module; and

accounting the metered platform resource usage according to the first usage plan of the first module, the second usage plan of the second module, and a third usage plan of the third module.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein connecting the call session through the first module comprises routing the call session between a first communication endpoint and at least a second communication endpoint;

wherein connecting the call session through a second module comprises retrieving application instructions and executing telephony instructions during the call session; and

wherein connecting the call session through the third module comprises executing service-level application logic during the call session.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first usage plan, the second usage plan, and the third usage plan are different;

and further comprising charging an account according to a combined accounted resource usage.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the bi-directional call session is a voice session.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the bi-directional call session is a video session.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the bi-directional call session is a multi-media messaging conversation session.