System and method for providing a communication endpoint information service

• US 9,225,840 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Inventors: Malatack, Patrick, To Law, Cheuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Zuniga Abad, Jackie
• Application Number:
  US14/309,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20140376543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1013 Network architectures, gateways, control or user entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing a telephony endpoint information service at a communication platform includes obtaining information of a first endpoint through a set of information collection processes; storing the obtained information in an endpoint repository; receiving an endpoint query request of a communication event, wherein the endpoint query request specifies at least a first endpoint; accessing endpoint information for the first endpoint; and augmenting the communication event according to the accessed endpoint information.

Claims

1. A method for communicating at a communication platform comprising:

obtaining information of a first telephony phone number endpoint through a set of information collection processes, the information including endpoint device information;

in a first information collection process, adding a resource reference in a content field of a communication to a first telephony phone number endpoint, detecting access of the resource reference, and obtaining telephony phone number endpoint device information during the access of the resource reference, wherein the telephony phone number endpoint device information obtained during the access of the resource reference includes at least device type;

storing the obtained information in an endpoint repository; and

receiving an endpoint query request that is associated with a communication transmission to an outside telephony phone number endpoint, the endpoint query request being provided by a communication service and the request requesting device information of the outside telephony phone number endpoint;

responsive to the endpoint query request, accessing device information for the outside telephony phone number endpoint from the endpoint repository, the accessed device information including at least device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device associated with the outside telephony phone number endpoint;

providing the device information accessed from the endpoint repository to the communication service; and

augmenting the communication transmission for the outside telephony phone number endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the accessed endpoint device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service,

wherein obtaining telephony phone number endpoint device information during the access of the resource reference comprises inspecting a user-agent of an application accessing the resource reference and running a set of capability tests within the application.

2. A method for providing a telephony endpoint information service at a communication platform comprising:

obtaining information of a first telephony phone number endpoint through a set of information collection processes, the information including endpoint device information, obtaining information of the first telephony phone number endpoint comprising;

adding a trackable resource reference in a content field of a communication to the first telephony phone number endpoint,

obtaining device information during access of the trackable resource reference based on user-agent information included in a request to access the trackable resource reference, the request to access the trackable resource being received at the communication platform, the user-agent information identifying an application, and

running a set of capability tests within the application;

storing the obtained information in an endpoint repository;

receiving an endpoint query request of a communication event for device information of the first telephony phone number endpoint, the endpoint query request being provided by a communication service, wherein the endpoint query request specifies at least the first telephony phone number endpoint;

responsive to the endpoint query request, accessing device information for the first telephony phone number endpoint from the endpoint repository, the accessed device information including at least device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device associated with the first telephony phone number endpoint; and

providing the device information accessed from the endpoint repository to the communication service.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the communication event is augmented for the first telephony phone number endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service,

wherein the communication event is a transmission of a communication to the first telephony phone number endpoint;

and wherein augmenting the communication event comprises altering the content of the communication,

wherein altering the content of the communication comprises selecting a media format used in communication, wherein the media format is selected according to device capabilities of at least one device specified in the device information of the first telephony phone number endpoint that is accessed from the endpoint repository.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the communication event is augmented for the first telephony phone number endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service,

wherein the communication event is transmission of a communication to the first telephony phone number endpoint;

and wherein augmenting the communication event comprises selecting a communication medium format, wherein the communication medium format is selected according to device capabilities of at least one device specified in the device information of the first telephony phone number endpoint that is accessed from the endpoint repository.

5. The method of claim 2,

wherein the communication event is augmented for the first telephony phone number endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service;

wherein augmenting the communication event comprises selecting a communication route according to device information.

6. The method of claim 2,

further comprising detecting an original resource reference and replacing the original resource reference with the trackable resource link;

and wherein obtaining device information during access of the resource reference comprises inspecting endpoint device information during access of the tracking link and redirecting to the original resource reference,

wherein the original resource reference is an internet URI and the trackable resource reference is a redirection URI.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in a second information collection process, monitoring endpoint usage activity, and generating endpoint usage pattern information as part of the information of the first telephony phone number endpoint.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring endpoint usage activity comprises processing content of a communication message;

and wherein generating endpoint usage pattern information comprises generating at least one property of the information of the first telephony phone number endpoint from the content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring endpoint usage activity comprises processing content of a synchronous communication session;

and wherein generating endpoint usage pattern information comprises generating at least one property of the information of the first telephony phone number endpoint from the content.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising extracting information from a message notification response, detecting device information from incoming media communication, and retrieving information of the first telephony phone number endpoint from an outside data management source.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting an original resource reference;

and wherein monitoring endpoint usage activity comprises processing a target application resource of the original resource reference and determining at least one property of information of the first telephony phone number endpoint implied through the expected access of the resource reference.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining device information of the first telephony phone number endpoint across multiple devices used with the first telephony phone number endpoint, the device information being accessed from the endpoint repository.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein collecting device information further comprises determining device preference within the set of devices according to frequency of usage.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information of the first telephony phone number endpoint includes capability properties;

and

wherein capability properties are mapped to a particular device of the first telephony phone number endpoint.

15. The method of claim 2,

further comprising providing an HTTP communication telephony phone number endpoint interface to the stored information of the first telephony phone number endpoint,

wherein providing the communication telephony phone number endpoint interface comprises receiving an information request for the first telephony phone number endpoint, the request received asynchronous to a communication with the first telephony phone number endpoint, and responding to the request with information of the first telephony phone number endpoint that is accessed from the endpoint repository.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein information stored in the endpoint repository includes information obtained for telephony phone number endpoints managed by the communication platform;

and wherein information stored in the endpoint repository includes information obtained for telephony phone number endpoints that are communicated with by telephony phone number endpoints managed by the communication platform.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the device information accessed from the endpoint repository indicates at least one media format capability of at least one device associated with the first telephony phone number endpoint.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein, the communication service is at least one of a PSTN, SIP, video, screen sharing, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, and media messaging communication service.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the device information accessed from the endpoint repository indicates at least one of an SMS and a MMS messaging capability of at least one device associated with the first telephony phone number endpoint.

20. The method of claim 2,

wherein the communication service is a communication service of the communication platform, and

wherein the communication platform includes a call router.

21. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

augmenting the communication event for the first telephony phone number endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service.

22. A method for providing a telephony endpoint information service at a communication platform comprising:

obtaining information of a first internet protocol (IP) communication address endpoint through a set of information collection processes, the information including endpoint device information, obtaining information of the first IP communication address endpoint comprising;

adding a trackable resource reference in a content field of a communication to the first IP communication address endpoint,

obtaining device information during access of the trackable resource reference based on user-agent information included in a request to access the trackable resource reference, the request to access the trackable resource being received at the communication platform, the user-agent information identifying an application, and

running a set of capability tests within the application;

storing the obtained information in an endpoint repository;

receiving an endpoint query request of a communication event for device information of the first IP communication address endpoint, the endpoint query request being provided by a communication service, wherein the endpoint query request specifies at least the first IP communication address endpoint;

responsive to the endpoint query request, accessing device information for the first IP communication address endpoint from the endpoint repository, the accessed device information including at least device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device associated with the first IP communication address endpoint; and

providing the device information accessed from the endpoint repository to the communication service.

23. The method of claim 22,

wherein the communication event is augmented for the first IP communication address endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service,

wherein the communication event is a transmission of a communication to the first IP communication address endpoint,

wherein augmenting the communication event comprises altering the content of the communication,

wherein altering the content of the communication comprises selecting a media format used in communication, and

wherein the media format is selected according to device capabilities of at least one device specified in the device information of the first IP communication address endpoint that is accessed from the endpoint repository.

24. The method of claim 22,

wherein the communication service is at least one of a PSTN, SIP, video, screen sharing, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, and media messaging communication service,

wherein the device information accessed from the endpoint repository indicates at least one of an SMS and a MMS messaging capability of at least one device associated with the IP communication address endpoint,

wherein the communication service is a communication service of the communication platform, and

wherein the communication platform includes a call router.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

augmenting the communication event for the first IP communication address endpoint according to at least one of device type and device capabilities of at least one endpoint device specified in the device information accessed from the endpoint repository, the augmenting being performed by the communication service.