IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,444,931

Granted Patent B2

US 9,444,931 · App. 14/377,008 · Granted Sep 13, 2016

Method, device, and system for connecting to a communication device

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 9,444,931
App. No.: 14/377,008
Granted: Sep 13, 2016
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A method and apparatus include a first server that communicates with a second server to cause a call back request to be communicated to an endpoint so that the endpoint can initiate a call back connection with the first server or a third server. Such a call back connection may occur near real time or in substantially real time so that updates can be supplied to an endpoint running an application supported by the server quickly and efficiently. The endpoint may register with the second server such that the second server is able to utilize notification messages for providing call back request information to the endpoint to advise the endpoint of a call back request.

Claims (75)

1. A method of initiating a call back connection between a first communication endpoint and a first server, the first server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the method comprising:

a second server sending a first message to the first server, the second server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the first message identifying a first unique identification of the first communication endpoint;

the second server receiving a second message, the second server being communicatively connected to the first communication endpoint, the second message comprising information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate a call back connection with the first server, the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server comprised of the unique identification of the first communication endpoint;

the second server sending a third message to the first communication endpoint, the third message comprising at least a portion of the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server;

in response to receiving the third message, the first communication endpoint initiating the call back connection with the first server; and

wherein the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server is also comprised of at least one of an address of the first server and an identification of a port of the first server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first server sending the second message to the second server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a third server sending the second message to the second server, the third server having non-transitory memory and a processor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) the first communication endpoint registering with the second server such that the first communication endpoint subscribes to receive messages that the second server receives from the first server; or

(b) the first communication endpoint registering with the second server and the first communication endpoint sending a subscription message to the second server so that the first communication endpoint subscribes to receive messages that the second server receives from the first server.

5. A method of initiating a call back connection between a first communication endpoint and a first server, the first server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the method comprising:

one of a second server and the first communication endpoint sending a first message to the first server, the second server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the first message identifying a first unique identification of the first communication endpoint;

in response to receiving the third message, the first communication endpoint initiating the call back connection with the first server; and

wherein the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server is also comprised of a unique request identification defined by the first server for tracking a request to a subsequent call back connection.

6. A method of initiating a call back connection between a first communication endpoint and a first server, the first server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the method comprising:

in response to receiving the third message, the first communication endpoint initiating the call back connection with the first server; and

wherein the second message is a SOAP message and the third message is an SIP NOTIFY message.

7. A communication system comprising:

a first communication endpoint;

a first server having a processor connected to non-transitory memory; and

a second server having a processor connected to non-transitory memory, the first server and second server being communicatively connected, the first communication endpoint and the second server being communicatively connected, the first communication endpoint being within a first network;

one of the second server and the first communication endpoint configured to send a first message to the first server, the first message identifying a first unique identification of the first communication endpoint;

the second server configured to receive a second message, the second message comprising information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server, the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server comprised of the unique identification of the first communication endpoint;

the second server configured to send a third message to the first communication endpoint, the third message comprising at least a portion of the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server;

the first communication endpoint configured to initiate the call back connection with the first server in response to receiving the third message; and

8. A communication system comprising:

a first communication endpoint;

a first server having a processor connected to non-transitory memory; and

the first communication endpoint configured to initiate the call back connection with the first server in response to receiving the third message; and

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first server is configured to send the second message to the second server.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a third server having a processor connected to non-transitory memory, the third server being communicatively connected to the first server, the third server configured to send the second message to the second server.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first communication endpoint is configured to register with the second server; and

wherein the first communication endpoint is configured to send a subscription message to the second server so that the first communication endpoint subscribes to receive messages that the second server receives from the first server.

12. The communication system of claim 8 comprising a firewall apparatus, the firewall apparatus hosting at least one firewall service for the first communication endpoint, the firewall apparatus communicatively connected to the first communication endpoint and the second server.

13. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the information directing the first communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server is also comprised of a unique request identification defined by the first server for tracking a request to a subsequent call back connection.

14. A communication system comprising:

a first communication endpoint;

a first server having a processor connected to non-transitory memory; and

the first communication endpoint configured to initiate the call back connection with the first server in response to receiving the third message; and

a firewall apparatus, the firewall apparatus hosting at least one firewall service for the first communication endpoint, the firewall apparatus communicatively connected to the first communication endpoint and the second server.

15. A communication endpoint comprising:

a transceiver unit;

non-transitory memory having an application; and

a processor unit, the processor unit communicatively connected to the memory to execute the application, the processor unit also communicatively connected to the transceiver unit;

at least one of (i) the communication endpoint being configured to send a first message to a first server that hosts a service supporting the application and (ii) the communication endpoint being configured to register with a second server such that the second server sends the first message to the first server, the first message identifying a first unique identification of the communication endpoint;

the communication endpoint being configured to receive a second message from the second server, the second message comprising at least a portion of information the second server received in a third message from the first server that directs the communication endpoint to initiate the call back connection with the first server; and

the communication endpoint being configured such that, in response to receiving the second message, the communication endpoint initiating the call back connection with the first server, wherein the communication endpoint is configured to challenge the second server in response to the second message for authentication of the second server.

16. The communication endpoint of claim 15 wherein:

the communication endpoint is configured to send the first message to the first server that hosts the service supporting the application and the communication endpoint is configured to register with the second server such that the second server sends the first message to the first server.

17. The communication endpoint of claim 15 wherein the communication endpoint also has a display device.

18. The communication endpoint of claim 15 wherein the second message is an SIP NOTIFY message.

19. The communication endpoint of claim 15 wherein the communication endpoint is configured to challenge the second server prior to initiating the call back connection with the first server.

20. A method of initiating a call back connection between a first communication endpoint and a first server, the first server having a processor and non-transitory memory, the method comprising:

in response to receiving the third message, the first communication endpoint initiating the call back connection with the first server; and

the first communication endpoint challenging the second server for authentication in response to receiving the third message and prior to initiating the call back connection with the first server.

Assignments (6)

SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 14, 2023

From: RINGCENTRAL, INC.

To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT

Reel/Frame 062973/0194 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2022

From: RINGCENTRAL IP HOLDINGS, INC.

To: RINGCENTRAL, INC.

Reel/Frame 059442/0502 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2022

From: UNIFY PATENTE GMBH & CO. KG

To: RINGCENTRAL IP HOLDINGS, INC.