Patent Publication Number: US-8983041-B2

Title: Conserving call logic during handoff

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/469,876 entitled “Conserving Call Logic During Handoff” filed May 21, 2009, which issued on Oct. 1, 2013 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,547,931, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     In a multi-server environment, a call may reach a receiving server. The receiving server, however, may determine that it cannot handle the call and may transfer the call to a transfer server so that the call can be serviced. In conventional systems, however, the call is not transferred with enough context and information so that the transfer server receiving the transferred call can seamlessly pick up from where the receiving server left off. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this Summary intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter&#39;s scope. 
     Conserving call logic during handoff may be provided. First, a call may be received at a first server. Next, it may be determined that the call cannot be handled by the first server. Then the call may be transferred to a second server with enough information so that the second server can take up the call where the first server left off. 
     Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing general description and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an operating environment; 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method for conserving call logic during handoff; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating conserving call logic during handoff for a fax; and 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a system including a computing device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While embodiments of the invention may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. 
     Conserving call logic during handoff may be provided. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, in a multi-server environment, a call may reach a first server. The first server may determine that it cannot handle the call, but it may know that a second server can handle the call. Consequently, the first server may transfer the call to the second server so that the call may be serviced by the second server. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, the call may be transferred with enough context and information so that the second server may seamlessly pick up the call from where the first server left off. This may be important for user experience because, if enough context and information is not sent along with the call, the user making the call may hear a second ringing tone and may be forced to re-enter data already entered into the first server. In other words, the user may have to start over from the beginning of a menu even though the user has already progressed in the menu and may be somewhere deep inside a state machine. Embodiments of the invention may achieve a seamless handoff using a session initiation protocol (SIP) environment using SIP aware devices. 
     Embodiments of the invention may use a SIP protocol method to transfer enough context in mid-call to enable the second server to begin processing the call from where the first server left off. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, the REFER mechanism along with a REFERRED-BY Header may be used to pass adequate call context logic in a call transfer. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an operating environment  100  consistent with embodiments of the present invention. Operating environment  100  may comprise a calling console  105  (e.g. a telephone), a gateway  110 , a first server  115 , a network  120 , and a second server  125 . Calling console  105  may comprise a session initiation protocol (SIP) enabled telephone. SIP is a signaling protocol widely used for setting up and tearing down multimedia communication sessions such as voice and video calls over the Internet for example. Gateway  110  may comprise a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway. VoIP is a general term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet or other packet-switched networks. Either or both of first server  115  and second server  125  may be implemented using a computing device  400  as described in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 4 . Network  120  may comprise, but is not limited to, the Internet, any packet-switched network, or any other type network. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart setting forth the general stages involved in a method  200  consistent with an embodiment of the invention for conserving call logic during a call handoff. Method  200  may be implemented using, for example, first server  115  and second server  125 . Ways to implement the stages of method  200  will be described in greater detail below. 
     Method  200  may begin at starting block  205  and proceed to stage  210  where first server  115  may receive a call. For example, a user may make the call using calling console  105 . The call may comprise a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call. The call may come into gateway  110 , which may be setup so that all new calls are sent from gateway  110  to first server  115 . 
     From stage  210 , where first server  115  receives the call, method  200  may advance to stage  220  where first server  115  may determine that the call cannot be handled by first server  115 . For example, when the call comes in, first server  115  services may ask the user to enter an extension of a called party. First server  115  may then look up (e.g. query) the entered called party extension in a database. The database may be located on first server  115  or located on network  120 . At this point first server  115  may determine, for example, that the entered called party extension is not one serviced by first server  115 . For example, first server  115  may determine that a voice mail box associated with the entered called party extension is not located on first server  115 . Information obtained by the aforementioned database query may indicate, for example, that the voice mail box associated with the entered called party extension is not located on the first server  115 , but rather on second server  125 . In other words, first server  115  may determine that the call may be handled by second server  125 . For example, the voice mail box associated with the called party associated with the call may be located on second server  125 . 
     Once first server  115  determines that the call cannot be handled by first server  115  in stage  220 , method  200  may continue to stage  230  where first server  115  may transfer the call to second server  125  with enough information so that second server  125  can take up where first server  115  left off. For example, first server  115  may transfer the call to second server  125  through gateway  110 . First server  115  may send a REFER to gateway  110  asking gateway  110  to call second server  125 . In this process, first server  115  may add a REFERRED-BY header including the entered called party extension. The following is an example of how such a message in SIP might look: REFER-TO: &lt;sip:66242@10.197.92.86;transport=tcp;user=phone&gt; REFERRED-BY: &lt;sip:66250@10.197.118.188&gt;. In addition, first server  115  may also pass, in the REFERRED-BY header, an optional context token to pass second server  125  some extra information if needed. Gateway  110  upon receiving the REFER may copy the REFERRED-BY header and the context token into a new INVITE for gateway  110  to send out to second server  125 . 
     After first server  115  transfers the call in stage  230 , method  200  may proceed to stage  240  where second server  125  may receive the transferred call. For example, second server  125  may receive the call from gateway  110  and second server  125  services may now service the received transferred call. Accordingly, the call may be transferred to second server  125  with enough context and information so that second server  125  may seamlessly pick up the call from where first server  115  left off by using data from the REFERRED-BY header. The REFERRED-BY header, for example, may include the telephone extension number of the user extension associated with the called party associated with the call. Second server  125 , upon getting the aforementioned INVITE, may look for the token in the REFERRED-BY header. If this REFERRED-BY header is present, then second server  125  may consume the REFERRED-BY header to transition to the appropriate point in the Finite State Machine and directly take the transferred user to the pin-enter prompt. Consequently, the user may be switched to second server  125  from the same point at which the user left first server  115 . Accordingly, second server  125  may seamlessly pick up the call from where first server  115  left off. In other words, this process may hand off the call to a different location and yet may preserve the context of the call so that the call can be logically carried on from that point. Once second server  125  receives the transferred call in stage  240 , method  200  may then end at stage  250 . 
     An embodiment consistent with the invention may comprise a system for conserving call logic during a call handoff. The system may comprise a memory storage and a processing unit coupled to the memory storage. The processing unit may be operative to receive a call at a first server, determine that the call cannot be handled by the first server, and transfer the call to a second server with enough information so that the second server can take up the call where the first server left off. 
     Another embodiment consistent with the invention may comprise a system for conserving call logic during a call handoff. The system may comprise a memory storage and a processing unit coupled to the memory storage. The processing unit may be operative to determine that a call cannot be handled by a first server. In response to the processing unit determining that the call cannot be handled by the first server, the processing unit may determine that the call can be handled by a second server. The processing unit may be operative to transfer the call to the second server with enough information so that the second server can take up the call where the first server left off. The processing unit being operative to transfer the call may comprise the processing unit being operative to place the enough information in a REFERRED-BY header send the REFERRED-BY header to the second server. 
     Yet another embodiment consistent with the invention may comprise a system for conserving call logic during a call handoff. The system may comprise a first server and a second server. The first server may comprise a first memory storage and a first processing unit coupled to the first memory storage. The first processing unit may be operative to receive, from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway, a call comprising a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call and determine that the call cannot be handled by the first server. The first processing unit may be further operative to determine that the call can be handled by a second server and to transfer, through the VoIP gateway, the call to the second server with enough information so that the second server can take up the call where the first server left off. The first processing unit being operative to transfer the call to the second server with enough information so that the second server can take the call up where the first server left off comprises the first processing unit being operative to place the enough information in a REFERRED-BY header and send the REFERRED-BY header to the second server. The second server may comprise a second memory storage and a second processing unit coupled to the second memory storage. The second processing unit may be operative to receive the transferred call from the first server. 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram  300  illustrating conserving call logic during handoff for a fax. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, a user may have a single phone number that may also provide voicemail and fax. Once a messaging server receives the call and the call transitions to fax mode, the messaging server may need to handoff this call to a fax server for the fax server to process the call and take delivery of the fax. Later the fax server may send the recipient the fax it received by delivering it to the user&#39;s e-mail inbox for example. Similar to the process described above with respect to  FIG. 2 , a call may be handed off to the fax server so that the fax server can continue taking the fax.  FIG. 3  illustrates the call sequence diagram for the fax example described above. In the  FIG. 3  process, the REFER is sent along with a REFERRED-BY header, for example: Referred-By:
         sip:exum1.exdc.contoso.com; msExchUMFaxRecipient=smtp:jdoe@contoso.com; msExchUMCallingNumber=3457859756. This extra information passed in the REFERRED-BY header may give enough context to the fax server to properly compose a fax message for the intended recipient and later deliver it back to the messaging server. Consequently, embodiments of the invention may pass enough context to build the message appropriately and may pass enough context so that the fax server can continue where the call left off. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, the caller may be unaware that the caller has been talking to some other server (e.g. the fax server.)       

       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a system including computing device  400 . Consistent with an embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned memory storage and processing unit may be implemented in a computing device, such as computing device  400  of  FIG. 4 . Any suitable combination of hardware, software, or firmware may be used to implement the memory storage and processing unit. For example, the memory storage and processing unit may be implemented with computing device  400  or any of other computing devices  418 , in combination with computing device  400 . The aforementioned system, device, and processors are examples and other systems, devices, and processors may comprise the aforementioned memory storage and processing unit, consistent with embodiments of the invention. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , a system consistent with an embodiment of the invention may include a computing device, such as computing device  400 . In a basic configuration, computing device  400  may include at least one processing unit  402  and a system memory  404 . Depending on the configuration and type of computing device, system memory  404  may comprise, but is not limited to, volatile (e.g. random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (e.g. read-only memory (ROM)), flash memory, or any combination. System memory  404  may include operating system  405 , one or more programming modules  406 , and may include a program data  407 . Operating system  405 , for example, may be suitable for controlling computing device  400 ′s operation. In one embodiment, programming modules  406  may include, for example, a handoff application  420 . Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in conjunction with a graphics library, other operating systems, or any other application program and is not limited to any particular application or system. This basic configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 4  by those components within a dashed line  408 . 
     Computing device  400  may have additional features or functionality. For example, computing device  400  may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in  FIG. 4  by a removable storage  409  and a non-removable storage  410 . Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. System memory  404 , removable storage  409 , and non-removable storage  410  are all computer storage media examples (i.e., memory storage). Computer storage media may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store information and which can be accessed by computing device  400 . Any such computer storage media may be part of device  400 . Computing device  400  may also have input device(s)  412  such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound input device, a touch input device, etc. Output device(s)  414  such as a display, speakers, a printer, etc. may also be included. The aforementioned devices are examples and others may be used. 
     Computing device  400  may also contain a communication connection  416  that may allow device  400  to communicate with other computing devices  418 , such as over a network in a distributed computing environment, for example, an intranet or the Internet. Communication connection  416  is one example of communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein may include both storage media and communication media. 
     As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in system memory  404 , including operating system  405 . While executing on processing unit  402 , programming modules  406  (e.g. handoff application  420 ) may perform processes including, for example, one or more method  200 &#39;s stages as described above. Handoff application  420  may be executed on either one of or both of first server  115  and second server  125 . The aforementioned process is an example, and processing unit  402  may perform other processes. Other programming modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may include electronic mail and contacts applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or computer-aided application programs, etc. 
     Generally, consistent with embodiments of the invention, program modules may include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that may perform particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, embodiments of the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. 
     Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems. 
     Embodiments of the invention, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. 
     Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 
     While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present invention have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods&#39; stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the invention. 
     All rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose. 
     While the specification includes examples, the invention&#39;s scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the invention.