Patent Publication Number: US-2005117716-A1

Title: Communication system with a connectable resource channel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to communication systems, particularly devices and methods for operating such systems.  
      Conventional communication systems provide connectivity between communication devices such as telephones. Resources of the systems have a finite bandwidth. Accordingly, when more users are on the system, more resources are being utilized, and less bandwidth results, and performance degrades.  
      Resource utilization and bandwidth have been particularly a focus of concern in recent history with the tremendous increase of users of cellular phones and Internet connectivity. Accordingly, system designers are concerned with developing systems that enhance the use of resources and bandwidth. In addition to system performance, designers are also concerned with enhancing the functionality of system to provide users with greater system versatility.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to one aspect of the invention, a communication system for interconnecting a plurality of communication devices includes a resource center and a softswitch. The resource center may include a computer such as an application server and a database of connection data. The softswitch may host a gateway that is remotely placed with respect to the resource center. The softswitch may be configured to connect a resource channel between one of the communication devices and the resource center and to connect an active channel between the same device and another one of the communication device.  
      In a number of embodiments, the softswitch may then disconnect the resource channel and reconnect the resource channel selectively upon actuation by a user. For example, a caller may actuation a resource-channel command on one of the communication. Upon receiving the command, the softswitch may cause the gateway to reconnect the resource channel. In some of the embodiments, the softswitch may store resource-channel data which may include data that enables the resource channel to be connected back to a desired level of the resource center.  
      In addition, when the resource channel is connected, the resource center is configured to enable a user to initiate applications with voice commands. For example, a user may initiate an application which connects the user with another one of the communication devices. Alternatively, other applications may include functionality of pushing, sending, or playing content to any number of contacts.  
      Accordingly, the system of the invention enable a user to utilize resources that are located at a remote location without tying up overall system resources or bandwidth because the resource channel is disconnected when not needed. When a particular application is then desired, the resource channel can then be reconnected to enable the application to be initiated.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a communication system according to a number of embodiments;  
       FIGS. 2A, 2B , and  2 C illustrate the connectivity of an active channel and a resource channel between two communication devices according to some of the embodiments;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a resource channel bridged into an active channel between communication devices;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a resource channel connected to a communication device with an active channel disconnected;  
       FIG. 5  illustrates methodology for connecting a resource channel;  
       FIG. 6  illustrates functionality of an application server according to a number of embodiments;  
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a CALL application;  
       FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a SEND application;  
       FIG. 9  is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a FAX application;  
       FIG. 10  is a flow diagram illustrating an example of an INVITE application;  
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram of a telephony system according to other embodiments. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, a telephony system  100  interconnects a plurality of communication devices  102  such as telephones or computers. For the purposes of this description, one of the communication devices  102  is referred to as an origination device  102   a  that is utilized by a caller, and other communication devices  102  are referred to as destination devices  102   b  that are utilized by users.  
      In a number of embodiments, the system  100  may include a resource center  104  and a softswitch  106 . The resource center  104  may include one or more computers  108  and one or more databases  110  for storing connection data. In some of the embodiments, the softswitch  106  may host a gateway  112 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the gateway  112  may be located remotely with respect to (i.e., physically separated from) the resource center  104 . For example, the gateway  112  may be located in New York, while the resource center  104  may be located in Los Angeles. Accordingly, for the purposes of this description, the gateway  112  is indicated as REMOTE, and the resource center  104  is indicated as LOCAL in the drawings.  
      In some of the embodiments, the softswitch  106  may be a software application that is configured for hosting a gateway and facilitating connectivity between communication devices. More specifically, with additional reference to  FIGS. 2A, 2B , and  2 C, upon actuation by the caller via the origination device  102   a,  the softswitch  106  may connect the origination device  102   a  to the resource center  104  on a resource channel  114  as shown in  FIG. 2A . Upon actuation again by the caller, the softswitch  106  may then initiate a connection between the origination device  102   a  with a destination device  102   b  on an active channel  116  as shown in  FIG. 2B . If the destination device  102   b  responds and the active connection  116  is established, then the softswitch  106  may drop or disconnect the resource channel  114  from the origination device  102   a  as shown in  FIG. 2C , thereby freeing up bandwidth in the system. Alternatively, the softswitch  106  may disconnect from the resource channel  114  upon initiating the active channel  116 .  
      The caller may then cause the softswitch  106  to reconnect the resource channel  114  upon providing a resource-activation command on the origination device  102   b.  For example, the softswitch  106  may bridge the resource channel  114  into the active channel  116  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, the softswitch  106  may drop or disconnect the active channel  116  between the devices  102  and reconnect the resource channel  114  with the origination device  102   a  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Accordingly, the resource channel  114  may connect the resource center  104  to and disconnect the resource center from the origination device  102   a  in response to a resource-activation command.  
      To describe the softswitch  106  and resource channel  114  in more detail, reference is made to  FIG. 5 . In a number of embodiments, a caller or connected user  118  may initiate  120  a connection request. If a resource channel  114  has not yet been connected, the connection request may be a telephone number associated with the resource center  104 . In embodiments where the resource channel  114  has already been connected, the connection request may be made by dialing a resource-activation command on a standard keypad of a telephone, e.g., any combination of 1, 2, . . . , 9, 0, #, and *, such as ##, **, or 55. Upon receiving the resource-activation command, the gateway  112  may request  122  the resource channel  114 . The softswitch  106  in turn may access or retrieve  124  resource-channel data from memory  126 . The softswitch  106  may then utilize the resource-channel data to resolve  128  a path to an application and request  130  an application from the resource center  104 . The resource center  104 , which may include an application server  132 , may then run  134  the requested application.  
      For the purposes of this description, the resource-channel data may include data indicative of the resource channel  114  that has been previously connected. The data may stored in session information and may include a softswitch ID, trunk and channel ID, customer account bill-to number, number or IP address to connect to, event ID, automatic number identification (ANI), flag for new or returning call, and last used application or grammar path statement.  
      If the caller desires the resource channel  114  to be bridged into the active channel  116  as shown in  FIG. 3 , then a predetermined resource-activation command specific to such a function may be actuated by a caller, such as ##. If the caller desired the resource channel  114  to be connected and the active channel  116  to be disconnected, then a predetermined resource-activation command specific to this function may be actuated by the caller, such as **. If it is desired drop the last call added to a conference call, then a predetermined resource-activation command specific to this drop function may be actuated by the caller, such as #0.  
      Reference is made to  FIG. 6  with regard to a number of embodiments of the application server  132  of the resource center  104 . The application server  132  may include one or more servers and databases, such as a speech server  136 , a web server, and a database  140 . The speech server  136  may be configured to interact with the caller by outputting  142  user response requests and receiving voice commands or user responses input  144  from the caller. Accordingly, in a number of embodiments the speech server  136  may include an application  146  with output logic  148  and response logic  150 . Accordingly, the application  146  enables interaction with the caller by voice or speech when initialized  152 . Depending upon the user response input  144 , the web server  138  may be configured to create  154  dynamic grammar applications. The web server  138  may then request grammar items  156  from an application database  158  of the application-server database  140 .  
      The grammar applications may include an extranet grammar and an intranet grammar. An extranet grammar may be configured to allow a user to define a set of voice commands that, when spoken on the resource channel  114 , enable the user to achieve a desired result to interact with an application. An intranet grammar may be configured to allow a user to define a password-protected set of words that, when spoken on the resource channel  114 , enable the user to initiate any number of applications. Examples of such application follow in more detail below.  
      As mentioned above, the application server  132  may be configured to run one of a plurality of applications based on input from the caller. For example, the caller may make a number of voice commands which the speech server  136  is configured to recognize. For example, the voice commands may include commands for causing the application server  132  to call one of the communication devices  102  (i.e., a contact associated with one of the devices), to send an object (e.g., a document, a photograph, an email, a facsimile, an invitation) either to one of the communication devices  102 , or to perform another function. In addition, the plurality of applications may include sending a mail-merged document, fax, or email; pushing a URL, document, or file into an invitation web session; and playing a recorded program to interact with any number of users when the caller disconnects.  
      An example of methodology for implementing one of the voice commands, a CALL command, is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . In a number of embodiments, the caller may say “call” (or some other predetermined command) which is recognized by the speech server  136  (see  FIG. 6 ), thereby causing a CALL application to be initialized. The speech server  136  may output  142  an audible prompt  160  to the caller such as “who” on the resource channel  114 . The caller may then state  162  the name of a contact or a phone number to call. If the response from the caller is not recognized  164 , then the application server  132  may prompt  160  the caller again. If the caller response is recognized  164 , then the application server  132  may determine  166  whether or not there are multiple targets associated with the caller response. If there are, then the application server  132  may prompt  168  the caller with a list of the targets associated with the caller response. The caller may then state  170  the desired target, with the application server  132  utilizing another recognize  172  loop in response thereto.  
      Upon recognizing the desired target, the application server  132  may retrieve connection data associated with the desired target from the database  140  and then send  174  the connection data to the softswitch  106 . The connection data may include telephone numbers, extensions, IP addresses, and so on. The softswitch  106  may set  176  the resource-channel data and then tear down or disconnect the  178  the resource channel  114 . The softswitch  106  may then send  180  an active-channel request and the connection data to the gateway  112  which, in turn, may add or connect  182  the active channel  116  between the origination device  102   a  and one of the destination devices  102   b.    
      An example of methodology for implementing another one of the voice commands, a SEND command, is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In a number of embodiments, the caller may say “send” which is recognized by the speech server  136  (see  FIG. 6 ), thereby causing a SEND application to be initialized. The speech server  136  may output  142  an audible prompt  184  to the caller such as “what” and “to whomp” on the resource channel  114 . The caller may then state  186  the name of a document and the name of a contact to whom the document is to be sent. If the caller response is recognized  188 , the application server  132  may then prompt the user to confirm  190  whether or not the document and the contact are correct by, for example, audibly responding to the caller. Upon receiving an affirmative response from the caller, the application server  132  may then send  192  the requested document, along with the email address of the requested contact, to an email server for execution. In addition, the application server  132  may then cause the softswitch  106  to disconnect or tear down  194  the resource channel  114 . If the caller indicates the either the document or the contact are incorrect (at  190 ), then the application server may prompt the caller to state the name of the document  196  and/or the name of the contact  198 . If recognized  202  and/or  204 , then the application server  132  may then prompt the call to confirm  190 .  
      Yet another example of methodology for implementing another one of the voice commands, a FAX command, is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The methodology for sending a fax is analogous to sending a document described above and will not be repeated herein. However, the caller may initiate the FAX application by saying “fax” rather than “send.” And rather than an email address, the application server  132  may prompt the call for a contact or a fax number  206 . In addition, when an affirmative confirmation  208  is received, the application server  132  sends the requested document and associated fax number to a fax server  210 .  
      Still another example of application methodology is illustrated in  FIG. 9  in which the application server  132  is configured to implement an INVITE application. Upon initializing the application by saying “invite” or similar command, the application server  132  may prompt  212  the caller for a name of a contact in the database  140 . The caller may then state  212  the name of the contact to invite. If recognized by the application server  132 , the caller may then be prompted to confirm  218  whether or not the contact is correct. If so, then the application server  132  may send an invitation template and the email address associated with the contact to an email server. In addition, the application server  132  may transfer to a web conference application  222  while maintaining the resource channel  114  so that the caller may conference with one or more contacts.  
      With reference to  FIG. 11 , according to other embodiments the telephone system  100  may include a plurality of softswitches  106  and a plurality of gateways  112 . For example, softswitch  106   a  and gateway  112   a  may be located remotely from softswitch  106   b  and gateway  112   b,  the latter of which may be associated with and located at the resource center  102 . Accordingly, the resource channel  114  may be connected between the gateways  112 , with the local gateway  112   b  in communication with the speech server  136 . In addition, the softswitches  106  may communication with each other on a softswitch channel  224 , with the local softswitch  106   b  in communication with the application server  132 . The softswitch channel  224  may be an out-of-band signaling channel for transmitting connection data between the softswitches  106  or to the gateways  112 .  
      For the purposes of this description, the gateway  112  may include a device for facilitating connectivity between communication devices. The gateway  112  may also perform conversion between circuit-switched data and packet-switched data. For example, the gateway  112  may include an External HW from EXCEL, SYSCO, or Hosted by Global Crossing.  
      Those skilled in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments of the present invention provide the foundation for numerous alternatives and modifications thereto. These other modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to that precisely as shown and described in the present invention.