Systems and methods for connecting telephony communications

• US 9,444,944 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Efrati, Tzahi, Macomber, Gavin, Russo, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US14/822,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/22 Synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Systems and methods performed by an IP telephony system are designed to determine when two parties to a recently terminated telephony communication are simultaneously calling each other in an attempt to re-establish a telephony communication. When the IP telephony system determines that this situation is occurring, the IP telephony system acts to connect the two parties, rather than have both of them see their new call setup attempt fail because the other party'"'"'s telephony device is indicated to be busy.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first telephony device to setup a telephony communication with a second telephony device, comprising:

sending, from the first telephony device, an outgoing telephony communication setup request to a telephony system, where the outgoing setup request asks for the setup of a telephony communication with the second telephony device;

receiving, subsequent to performing the sending step, an instruction from the telephony system to cancel the outgoing setup request;

checking to determine if the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated,

canceling the outgoing setup request in response to receipt of the cancellation instruction from the telephony system only when it is determined that the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated;

receiving, from the telephony system, an incoming telephony communication setup request to establish a telephony communication with the second telephony device; and

setting up the telephony communication with the second telephony device in response to receipt of the incoming telephony communication setup request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction to cancel the outgoing setup request is received because the telephony system determined that the first telephony device was attempting to setup a telephony communication with the second telephony device at substantially the same time that the second telephony device was attempting to setup a telephony communication with the first telephony device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking step is performed by consulting a call log maintained by the first telephony device.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions which, when performed by one or more processors of a telephony device, cause the telephony device to perform a method comprising:

sending an outgoing telephony communication setup request to a telephony system, where the outgoing setup request asks for the setup of a telephony communication with the second telephony device;

receiving, subsequent to performing the sending step, an instruction from the telephony system to cancel the outgoing setup request;

checking to determine if the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated,

canceling the outgoing setup request in response to receipt of the cancellation instruction from the telephony system only when it is determined that the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated;

receiving, from the telephony system, an incoming telephony communication setup request to establish a telephony communication with the second telephony device; and

setting up the telephony communication with the second telephony device in response to receipt of the incoming telephony communication setup request.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the instruction to cancel the outgoing setup request is received because the telephony system determined that the first telephony device was attempting to setup a telephony communication with the second telephony device at substantially the same time that the second telephony device was attempting to setup a telephony communication with the first telephony device.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the checking step is performed by consulting a call log maintained by the first telephony device.

7. A method performed by a second telephony device for establishing a telephony communication between the second telephony device and a first telephony device comprising:

receiving, at the second telephony device, a first incoming telephony communication setup request from the first telephony device via an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system while attempting to setup an outgoing telephony communication to the first telephony device identified in the first setup request;

checking to determine if the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated;

cancelling the outgoing telephony communication setup attempt directed toward the first telephony device when it is determined that the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated; and

responding to the incoming telephony communication setup request by setting up a telephony communication with the first telephony device.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions which, when performed by one or more processor of a telephony device, cause the telephony device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at the second telephony device, a first incoming telephony communication setup request from the first telephony device via an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system while attempting to setup an outgoing telephony communication to the first telephony device identified in the first setup request;

checking to determine if the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated;

cancelling the outgoing telephony communication setup attempt directed toward the first telephony device when it is determined that the first and second telephony devices were engaged in a telephony communication that was recently terminated; and

responding to the incoming telephony communication setup request by setting up a telephony communication with the first telephony device.