System and method for running a multi-module telephony application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554825-B2
Application number	US-201615291791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2009
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A system and method of a telephony application platform can include receiving a communication session request specifying a destination endpoint, connecting the communication session through a first application module according to the destination endpoint, receiving an instruction to transition communication control to a second application module, transitioning communication control of the communication session to the second application module, independently metering resource usage of the communication session of each application module, and accounting the metered usage of the communication session.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a communication platform system including one or more computer processors, an application request for the communication platform system to initiate a first communication session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint;
in response to receiving the application request, initiating, by the communication platform system, the first communication session between the first endpoint and the second endpoint, and directing a first module to control communication of the communication session, wherein the first module provides a first set of communication functionality and use of the first module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a first usage plan;
after directing the first module to control communication of the communication session, receiving an instruction to provide a first communication functionality not included in the first set of communication functionality provided by the first module;
in response to receiving the instruction, transitioning control of the communication session from the first module that does not provide the first communication functionality to a second module that does provides the first communication functionality, wherein use of the second module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a second usage plan that is different than the first usage plan;
determining a first duration during which the first module controlled communication of the communication session;
determining a second duration during which the second module controlled communication of the communication session;
metering the first duration of the communication session based on the first rate of the first usage plan, yielding a first cost for the first duration;
metering the second duration of the communication based on the second rate of the second usage plan, yielding a second cost for the second duration; and
determining a total cost of the communication session based on the first cost for the first duration of the communication session and the second cost for the second duration of the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first module is a module of the communication platform system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second module is a module of the communication platform system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first module is a module of an external system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second module is a module of an external system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of communication functionality includes routing communications to the first endpoint as part of the communication session, and the first communication functionality includes executing an Application Programming Interface (API) call.

7. A communication platform system comprising:
one or more computer processors; and
one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the communication platform system to perform operations comprising:
receiving an application request for the communication platform system to initiate a communication session with a first endpoint;
in response to receiving the application request, initiating, by the communication platform system, the communication session with the first endpoint and directing a first module to control communication of the communication session, wherein the first module provides a first set of communication functionality and use of the first module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a first usage plan;
after directing the first module to direct control communication of the communication session, receiving an instruction to provide a first communication functionality not included in the first set of communication functionality provided by the first module;
in response to receiving the instruction, transitioning control of the communication session from the first module that does not provide the first communication functionality to a second module that does provides the first communication functionality, wherein use of the second module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a second usage plan that is different than the first usage plan;
determining a first duration during which the first module controlled communication of the communication session;
determining a second duration during which the second module controlled communication of the communication session;
metering the first duration of the communication session based on the first rate of the first usage plan, yielding a first cost for the first duration;
metering the second duration of the communication based on the second rate of the second usage plan, yielding a second cost for the second duration; and
determining a total cost of the communication session based on the first cost for the first duration of the communication session and the second cost for the second duration of the communication session.

8. The communication platform system of claim 7 , wherein the first module is a module of the communication platform system.

9. The communication platform system of claim 7 , wherein the second module is a module of the communication platform system.

10. The communication platform system of claim 7 , wherein the first module is a module of an external system.

11. The communication platform system of claim 7 , wherein the second module is a module of an external system.

12. The communication platform system of claim 7 , wherein the first set of communication functionality includes routing communications to the first endpoint as part of the communication session, and the first communication functionality includes executing an Application Programming Interface (API) call.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a communication platform system, cause the communication platform system to perform operations comprising:
receiving an application request for the communication platform system to initiate a communication session with a first endpoint;
in response to receiving the application request, initiating, by the communication platform system, the communication session with the first endpoint and directing a first module to control communication of the communication session, wherein the first module provides a first set of communication functionality and use of the first module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a first usage plan;
after directing the first module to direct control communication of the communication session, receiving an instruction to provide a first communication functionality not included in the first set of communication functionality provided by the first module;
in response to receiving the instruction, transitioning control of the communication session from the first module that does not provide the first communication functionality to a second module that does provides the first communication functionality, wherein use of the second module to control communication of the communication session is metered according to a second usage plan that is different than the first usage plan;
determining a first duration during which the first module controlled communication of the communication session;
determining a second duration during which the second module controlled communication of the communication session;
metering the first duration of the communication session based on the first rate of the firs

Assignees

• Twilio Inc

Inventors

• Lawson Jeff
• Wolthuis John
• Cooke Evan

Classifications

• H04M15/8228

  Session based · CPC title

• H04M15/43 Primary

  Billing software details · CPC title

• H04M15/51

  for resellers, retailers or service providers · CPC title

• H04M15/68

  Payment of value-added services · CPC title

• H04M15/61

  based on the service used · CPC title