System and method for providing a micro-services communication platform

• US 9,906,607 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Twilio, Inc.
• Inventors: Lawson, Jeffrey, Wolthius, John
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US15/297,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/38 Telephone uniform resource identifier [URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2589 over a relay server, e.g. traversal using relay for network address translation [TURN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 : for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 : based on trigger specification

Abstract

A multi-tenant media communication platform system and methods. The platform system includes media communication micro-services and micro-service configuration for a plurality of entities configured for use of the platform system. Enrolling an entity in the platform system includes setting entity configuration for use of the platform system by the entity. A micro-service request is processed according to the entity configuration. The micro-service request is a request for use of at least one micro-service of the platform system on behalf of the entity. Use of each micro-service is accounted for on behalf of the entity. Billing information for the entity is generated based on the accounting for the use of each micro-service on behalf of the entity. Entity configuration includes micro-service configuration, and micro-service configuration specifies at least one of: an endpoint mapping to at least one application logic URI, an event callback URI, and an event application logic URI.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a multi-tenant

communication platform system;

enrolling a first platform entity by setting first micro-service configuration for use of a first micro-service of a plurality of micro-services of the multi-tenant communication platform system by the first platform entity, wherein each micro-service is constructed to be independently configured and metered for the first platform entity, and independently configured and metered for a second platform entity;

generating a first micro-service application programming interface (API) resource for interaction between the first micro-service and the enrolled first platform entity, wherein the first API resource is accessible via a public API of the multi-tenant communication platform system;

processing a first micro-service request for use of the first micro-service for a peer-to-peer first communication session between a first communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint according to the first micro-service configuration; and

accounting for use of the first micro-service for the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein media of the first communication session is communicated between the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint via a communication stream outside of the multi-tenant communication platform by using a public IP address of the first communication endpoint and a public IP address of the second communication endpoint, and

wherein the first platform entity and the second platform entity interact with the micro-services by using different API resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform system receives the first micro-service configuration from a first system of the first platform entity via an account management interface of the platform system, wherein the first system is external to the platform system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first system is external to the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first platform entity is an entity managed by an account system of the platform system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first micro-service is constructed for peer-to-peer communication between at least the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform system includes the first micro-service configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint is behind a network address translator (NAT).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first micro-service establishes the first communication session by performing STUN signaling negotiation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the multi-tenant

communication platform system;

enrolling the second platform entity by setting second micro-service configuration for use of the first micro-service by the second platform entity;

generating a second micro-service API resource of the first micro-service for the enrolled second platform entity, wherein the second API resource is accessible via the public API, and wherein the second API resource is different from the first API resource;

processing a second micro-service request for use of the first micro-service for a peer-to-peer second communication session between a third communication endpoint and a fourth communication endpoint according to the second micro-service configuration; and

accounting for use of the first micro-service for the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein processing the first micro-service request comprises using the first micro-service to establish the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein accounting for use of the first micro-service for the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity comprises:

accounting for use of the first micro-service for establishing the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein processing the second micro-service request comprises using the first micro-service to establish the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity, and

wherein accounting for use of the first micro-service for the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity comprises;

accounting for use of the first micro-service for establishing the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity.

11. The method of claim 9,

wherein processing the first micro-service request comprises using the first micro-service to process media of the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein accounting for use of the first micro-service for the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity comprises:

accounting for use of the first micro-service for processing media of the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein processing the second micro-service request comprises using the first micro-service to process media of the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity,

wherein accounting for use of the first micro-service for the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity comprises;

accounting for use of the first micro-service for processing media of the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity.

12. The method of claim 9,

wherein processing the first micro-service request comprises using the first micro-service to establish the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein accounting for use of the first micro-service for the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity comprises:

accounting for use of the first micro-service for establishing the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein processing the second micro-service request comprises using the second micro-service to process media of the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity, and

wherein accounting for use of the second micro-service for the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity comprises;

accounting for use of the second micro-service for processing media of the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second micro-service is not used on behalf of the first platform entity.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the multi-tenant

communication platform system;

enrolling the second platform entity by setting second micro-service configuration for use of a second micro-service by the second platform entity,;

generating a second micro-service API resource of the second micro-service for the enrolled second platform entity, wherein the second API resource is accessible via the public API, and wherein the second API resource is different from the first API resource;

processing a second micro-service request for use of the second micro-service for a peer-to-peer second communication session between a third communication endpoint and a fourth communication endpoint according to the second micro-service configuration; and

accounting for use of the second micro-service for the second communication session on behalf of the second platform entity.

15. A multi-tenant communication platform system comprising:

an application programming interface (API) system;

a first operational service;

a second operation service;

a plurality of micro-services, wherein each micro-service is constructed to be independently configured and metered for a first platform entity of the multi-tenant communication platform system, and independently configured and metered for a second platform entity of the multi-tenant communication platform system, and wherein the plurality of micro-services include at least a first micro-service;

first micro-service configuration for the first platform entity enrolled at the multi-tenant communication platform system; and

a first micro-service application programming interface (API) resource for interaction between the first micro-service and the first platform entity, wherein the first API resource is accessible via the API system,

wherein the second operational service is constructed to enroll the first platform system entity by setting the first micro-service configuration and generating the first micro-service API resource,

wherein the first micro-service configuration is for use of the first micro-service by the first platform entity,

wherein the API system is constructed to process a first micro-service request for use of the first micro-service for a peer-to-peer first communication session between a first communication endpoint and a second communication endpoint according to the first micro-service configuration,

wherein the first operational service is constructed to account for use of the first micro-service for the first communication session on behalf of the first platform entity,

wherein media of the first communication session is communicated between the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint via a communication stream outside of the multi-tenant communication platform by using a public IP address of the first communication endpoint and a public IP address of the second communication endpoint, and

wherein the first platform entity and the second platform entity interact with the micro-services by using different API resources.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an account management interface, wherein the account management interface is constructed to receive the first micro-service configuration from a first system of the first platform entity, and wherein the first system is external to the platform system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first system is external to the first communication endpoint and the second communication endpoint.