US 10,104,236 B1Granted

IPBX control interface for distributed networks

Assignee8x8, Inc.

InventorsZhishen Liu, Bryan R. Martin

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Abstract

Apparatus and methods concerning routing of calls in an IPBX are disclosed. As an example, one apparatus includes an IPBX server configured to route VoIP calls for a plurality of end-users having respective VoIP-enabled devices communicatively coupled to the IPBX via a network. A user-activity detection circuit is communicatively coupled to the IPBX server. The user-activity detection circuit is configured to receive activity data indicating activity of end-users in a virtual office environment and receive event messages indicating statuses of pending calls in the IPBX server. The user-activity detection circuit determines user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data and event messages. A computing server is communicatively coupled to the user-activity detection circuit and is configured to provide a set of services for one or more of the plurality of users as a function of the determined user-activity statuses of the end-user.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A communication system, including:

a call routing circuit configured and arranged to route calls for a plurality of switchboard interfaces, each switchboard interface corresponding to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-enabled device of a respective receptionist;
and
a call control circuit coupled to the call routing circuit and configured and arranged to provide a call-control subscription between an internet-protocol private branch exchange (IPBX) server and the plurality of switchboard interfaces by:
initiating a subscription for the switchboard interface in response to a subscription request from one of the switchboard interfaces, the subscription request implemented using a protocol that requests current state and state updates of a pending call of the corresponding switchboard interface from the IPBX server;
providing an event message indicating a status of a pending call of one of the plurality of the switchboard interfaces having an active subscription, in response to a change in a status of the pending call;
and
in further response to the subscription request from one of the switchboard interfaces, communicating a pseudo-event message indicating a status of pending calls to the switchboard interface including historical data of the pending call for each of the pending calls.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

routing, using a call routing circuit of an internet-protocol private branch exchange (IPBX) server, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls for a plurality of switchboard interfaces, the switchboard interfaces corresponding to VoIP-enabled devices of a plurality of end-users and communicatively coupled to the IPBX via a circuit-based communications network;
initiating a subscription, using a call control circuit coupled to the call routing circuit, for one of the switchboard interfaces in response to a subscription request from the switchboard interface;
in response to an identification of the subscription as a previously established call-control subscription, identifying a plurality of additional pending VoIP calls for the switchboard interface, wherein pending calls include active or previously requested calls;
and
for each of the plurality of additional pending VoIP calls, restoring the statuses of each respective pending call using a pseudo-event message indicating a status of the pending VoIP call, the pseudo-event message including historical data of the pending call.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/702,131Filed 12 Sep 2017 · continuation
Priority: 17 Mar 2015
Granted: 16 Oct 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04M 7/009
Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres: in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
H04L 65/1053
Architectures or entities: iP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements
H04M 3/42314
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: in private branch exchanges
H04M 7/0006
Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks: where voice calls cross both networks

Family

Application62/134,474Us provisional application · filed 17 Mar 2015
Application14/661,902Parent of this division · filed 18 Mar 2015
Application14/670,174Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Mar 2015
US 9,762,737 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Sep 2017
Application14/670,174Parent of this division
US 9,949,000 B1Related patent
US 10,104,236 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.