Application programming interface (API)-based concurrent call path (CCP) provisioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11778103-B2
Application number	US-202217733346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2022
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing application programming interface (“API”)-based concurrent call path (“CCP”) provisioning. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a CCP provisioning request, a computing system may determine whether such a request would affect a set of trunk groups assigned to a customer based at least in part on network utilization data. If not, the computing system may cause the nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of CCPs in at least one trunk group assigned to the customer based on the CCP provisioning request. If so, the computing system may cause the nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of trunk groups assigned to the customer and may cause the nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of CCPs in the updated number of trunk groups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, using a computing system and via an application programming interface (“API”) over a network, a concurrent call path (“CCP”) provisioning request from a user device associated with a customer, wherein the CCP provisioning request comprises a request to change a number of CCPs for use by the customer;
receiving, using the computing system, first call network utilization data, the first call network utilization data comprising at least one of first data regarding utilization of one or more trunk groups of a first set of trunk groups assigned to the customer, second data regarding capacity of one or more trunk groups of the first set of trunk groups, or third data regarding utilization of one or more CCPs in each trunk group of the first set of trunk groups;
determining, using the computing system, whether the request to change the number of CCPs for use by the customer would affect the first set of trunk groups assigned to the customer based at least in part on the first call network utilization data;
based on a determination that the request to change the number of CCPs for use by the customer would have a low probability of affecting the first set of trunk groups assigned to the customer, sending, using the computing system, one or more first instructions in near-real-time to one or more nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of CCPs in at least one trunk group of the first set of trunk groups assigned to the customer based on the CCP provisioning request; and
based on a determination that the request to change the number of CCPs for use by the customer would have a moderate to high probability of affecting at least one trunk group of the one or more trunk groups assigned to the customer:
determining, using the computing system, an updated number of trunk groups to assign to the customer based at least in part on a total number of CCPs requested in the request to change the number of CCPs and based at least in part on the first call network utilization data;
sending, using the computing system, one or more second instructions in near-real-time to the one or more nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of trunk groups among the first set of trunk groups assigned to the customer, resulting in a second set of trunk groups assigned to the customer, based at least in part on determined updated number of trunk groups; and
sending, using the computing system, one or more third instructions in near-real-time to the one or more nodes in the network to increase or decrease, in near-real-time, the number of CCPs in at least one trunk group among the second set of trunk groups assigned to the customer based on the CCP provisioning request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing system comprises at least one of an API platform computing system, an API gateway, a customer interface server, a call service reservation and ordering platform server, a gateway controller, a network provisioning server, a network operations center (“NOC”), a cloud computing system, or a distributed computing system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each CCP among the one or more CCPs is configurable as one of a bi-directional call path, a uni-directional outgoing call path, or a uni-directional incoming call path.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each CCP is configured to enable a session initiation protocol (“SIP”)-based communication session comprising at least one of a voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) call, an IP-based video call, or an instant message over IP.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the CCP provisioning request from the user device associated with the customer comprises receiving, using the computing system and via the API over the network, a CCP provisioning request through a user interface (“UI”) displayed on the user device associated with the customer, wherein the UI comprises one of a portal-based UI, a webpage UI, or a software application (“app”) UI running on the user device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UI provides the customer with at least one of:
one or more options to set a maximum utilization threshold for the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to increase the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to set a minimum utilization threshold for the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to decrease the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to set a maximum capacity threshold for the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to increase the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to set a minimum capacity threshold for the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to decrease the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to set a maximum utilization threshold for the one or more CCPs in each trunk group of the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to increase the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to set a minimum utilization threshold for the one or more CCPs in each trunk group of the first set of trunk groups for triggering a request to decrease the of CCPs for use by the customer;
one or more options to change route plans;
one or more options to set rules to automatically change route plans;
one or more options to receive utilization reports;
one or more options to set rules to automatically receive utilization reports;
one or more options to receive trunk group inventory reports;
one or more options to set rules to automatically receive trunk group inventory reports;
one or more options to manually increase or decrease a number of CCPs;
one or more options to set rules to automatically increase or decrease a number of CCPs;
one or more options to manually increase or decrease a number of trunk groups;
one or more options to set rules to automatically increase or decrease a number of trunk groups; or
one or more options to set rules to send a notification to the customer in response to exceeding preset or default values for utilization threshold or capacity threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving first call network utilization data comprises receiving, using the computing system, first call network utilization data in one of a responsive manner, a continual manner, a periodic manner, or a sporadic manner.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, using the computing system and via the API over the network, a utilization report request from the user device associated with the customer, wherein the utilization report request comprises a request for the computing system to send to the customer a utilization report summarizing at least one of current, average, or historical utilization data for each CCP and each trunk group assigned to the customer; and
in response to receiving the utilization report request, generating, using the computing system, a utilization report based at least in part on the received first call network utilization data, and sending, using the computing system, the utilization report to the customer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the utilization report to the customer comprises sending, using the computing system, the utilization report as at least one of:
one or more utilization data packets via the API to the user device;
one or more utilization data packets via the API to one or more user devices designated by the customer;
a graphics and text-based utilization report via electronic mail (“e-mail”) to one or more e-mail addresses associated with the customer;
a graphics and text-based utilization report via e-mail to one or more e-mail addresses designated

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Mcandrew Bridget
• Kempen Anne
• Dadi Sudhir
• Michelsen Kevin
• Baker Chris

Classifications

• H04M7/006 Primary

  Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer (H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42) · CPC title

• H04M7/0096 Primary

  Trunk circuits · CPC title