Reduction of on-hold call bandwidth consumption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9392111-B2
Application number	US-201314032344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2013
Priority date	Sep 20, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A computer processor determines that a call has been placed on hold. The computer processor sends a first packet to a local exchange carrier (LEC) of the calling device, wherein the first packet includes instructions to release the bandwidth of the call placed on-hold, between the LEC and a recipient of the call. The computer processor sends a second packet intermittently to the LEC, wherein the second packet maintains a connection between the calling device of the call and the LEC. The computer processor determines that a representative is available, wherein the representative is the recipient of the call, and in response to determining the representative that is available responds to the call, the computer processor sending a third packet to connect the calling device of the call to the representative that is available.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
by computer program instructions on a computing device,
determining that a call of a calling device is placed on-hold;
sending a first packet to a local exchange carrier (LEC) of the calling device, wherein the first packet includes instructions to release at least some bandwidth of the call placed on-hold;
sending a second packet intermittently to the LEC, wherein the second packet maintains a connection between the calling device and the LEC;
determining a representative is available wherein the representative is a recipient of the call; and
in response to determining the representative is available to connect to the call, sending a third packet to the LEC to connect the calling device to the representative that is available
utilizing a connection protocol to:
recognize signaling codes included in one or more of the first packet, the second packet and the third packet;
disconnect trunk bandwidth of the call;
maintain a connection between the LEC and the calling device; and
connect the call to the representative that is available.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least some bandwidth is transmission capacity for calls over land line transmission paths of a PSTN network from the LEC of the calling device to the recipient of the call.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third packets include information identifying the calling device and a destination recipient of the call.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second packet (busy packet) is transmitted at a frequency of at least once every 10 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to play media stored on the calling device, enabling at least one media file to play until the third packet is received by the LEC; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playing of the at least one media file.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to receive at least one media file to play, sending within the second packet at least one media file; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playing of the at least one media file.

7. A computer program product for reducing bandwidth consumption of calls put on-hold, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium is not a signal, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the operations of:
determining that a call of a calling device is placed on-hold;
sending a first packet to a local exchange carrier (LEC) of a calling device, wherein the first packet includes instructions to release the bandwidth of the call placed on-hold, between the LEC and a recipient of the call;
sending a second packet intermittently to the LEC, wherein the second packet maintains a connection between the calling device and the LEC;
determining a representative is available, wherein the representative is a recipient of the call; and
in response to determining the representative is available to connect to the call, sending a third packet to the LEC to connect the calling device to the representative that is available;
utilizing a connection protocol to:
recognize signaling codes included in one or more of the first packet, the second packet and the third packet;
disconnect trunk bandwidth of the call;
maintain a connection between the LEC and the calling device; and
connect the call to the representative that is available.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the bandwidth is transmission capacity for calls over land line transmission paths of a PSTN network.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third packets include information identifying the calling device and a destination recipient of the call.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the second packet (busy packet) is transmitted at a frequency of at least once every 10 seconds.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to play media stored on the calling device, enabling at least one media file to play until the third packet is received by the LEC; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playing of the at least one media file.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to receive at least one media file to play, sending within the second packet at least one media file; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playing of the at least one media file.

13. A computer system for reducing bandwidth consumption of calls put on-hold, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium is not a signal; wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes computer program instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the computer system to carry out the operations of:
determining that a call of a calling device is placed on-hold;
sending a first packet to a local exchange carrier (LEC) of a calling device, wherein the first packet includes instructions to release the bandwidth of the call placed on-hold, between the LEC and a recipient of the call;
sending a second packet intermittently to the LEC, wherein the second packet maintains a connection between the calling device of the call and the LEC;
determining a representative is available wherein the representative is the recipient of the call; and
in response to determining the representative is available to connect to the call, sending a third packet to connect the calling device to the representative that is available; and
utilizing a connection protocol to:
recognize signaling codes included in one or more of the first packet, the second packet and the third packet;
disconnect trunk bandwidth of the call;
maintain a connection between the LEC and the calling device; and
connect the call to the representative that is available.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the bandwidth is transmission capacity for calls over land line transmission paths of a PSTN network.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the second packet (busy packet) is transmitted at a frequency of at least once every 10 seconds.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to play media stored on the calling device, enabling at least one media file to play until the third packet is received by the LEC; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playing of the at least one media file.

17. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the step of sending the second packet intermittently to the LEC, further comprises:
in response to determining a preference to receive at least one media file to play, sending within the second packet at least one media file; and
in response to receiving the third packet, terminating playin

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Alshinnawi Shareef F
• Cudak Gary D
• Suffern Edward S
• Weber John M

Classifications

• H04M3/4283

  Call holding circuits · CPC title

• H04M3/5141 Primary

  Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner (unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56) · CPC title

• H04M3/561

  by multiplexing · CPC title