Method, apparatus and system for call leg selection
View Patent ↗A method, apparatus and system for call leg selection is provided. In an embodiment, a call manger is provided which is connected to telephones that have the same telephone number. When the call manager receives an incoming call identifying that telephone number, the call manager sends a query to each of the telephones inquiring as to which telephone should receive the call. Depending on the response, the call manager will route the call to the appropriate one of the telephones.
1. A server for selecting a call leg comprising:
an interface for connecting to a telephony network;
a processor connected to the interface via a bus; the processor configured to receive an incoming telephone call via the interface; the incoming call destined for a telephone number;
a memory unit connected to the processor via the bus; the memory unit configured to maintain an electronic list of a plurality of telephones each associated with the telephone number; each of the telephones connectable to the telephony network;
the processor further configured to send a query via the interface to each of the plurality of telephones for identifying which of the telephones is designated to receive the incoming call, and to receive a response to the query from each of the plurality of telephones via the interface, prior to receiving the incoming call; each response indicating whether a corresponding one of the plurality of telephones is designated to receive the incoming call, wherein a subset of more than one responses among the plurality of the responses indicate that the corresponding telephones are designated to receive the incoming call; and,
the processor further configured, upon receipt of the incoming call, to hold the incoming call, to determine a designated one of the telephones by prioritizing the responses among the subset, and to route the incoming call to a designated one of the telephones.
2. The server of claim 1 , the processor being configured to send the query periodically.
3. The server of claim 1 , the processor being configured to prioritize the responses among the subset based on a quality of service of a link between the server and each telephone.
4. A method for selecting a call leg in a server comprising an interface, a processor and a memory unit, the method comprising:
maintaining an electronic list of a plurality of telephones each associated with the telephone number in the memory unit;
sending a query to each of the plurality of telephones for identifying which of the telephones is designated to receive an incoming call;
receiving a response to the query at the processor via the interface from each of the plurality of telephones, prior to receiving the incoming call; each response indicating whether a corresponding one of the plurality of telephones is designated to receive the incoming call, wherein a subset of more than one responses among the plurality of the responses indicate that the corresponding telephones are designated to receive the incoming call;
receiving an incoming call destined for a telephone number at the processor via the interface;
upon receipt of the incoming call, holding the incoming call;
determining a designated one of the telephones by prioritizing the responses among the subset at the processor; and
routing the incoming call to the designated one of the telephones via the interface.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising sending the query periodically.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising prioritizing the responses among the subset based on a quality of service of a link between the server and each telephone.
7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of computer-readable instructions executable by a processor for implementing a method comprising:
maintaining an electronic list of a plurality of telephones each associated with the telephone number in the memory unit;
sending a query to each of the plurality of telephones for identifying which of the telephones is designated to receive an incoming call;
receiving a response to the query at the processor via the interface from each of the plurality of telephones, prior to receiving the incoming call; each response indicating whether a corresponding one of the plurality of telephones is designated to receive the incoming call, wherein a subset of more than one responses among the plurality of the responses indicate that the corresponding telephones are designated to receive the incoming call;
receiving the incoming call destined for a telephone number at the processor via the interface;
upon receipt of the incoming call, holding the incoming call;
determining a designated one of the telephones by prioritizing the responses among the subset at the processor; and
routing the incoming call to the designated one of the telephones via the interface.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising sending the query periodically.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising prioritizing the responses among the subset based on a quality of service of a link between the server and each telephone.