Granted Patent B2

US 9,826,061 · App. 14/985,013 · Granted Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. In a communication system comprising a plurality of user communication devices and a server, the server controlling a telecommunication function of the plurality of user communication devices, a method comprising:

deploying, by a processor of the server, a newer service to replace an older service, wherein the telecommunication function is provided by each of the newer and older services;

automatically assigning, by the processor, the newer service to a first communication device of a first user while the first communication device is using the older service to perform a first instance of the telecommunication function; and

when the first communication device has completed the first instance of the telecommunication function, automatically enabling, by the processor, the first communication device to perform a second instance of the telecommunication function using the newer service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session and wherein the processor performs deployment of the newer service without downtime of any part of the communication system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without replacing completely the older service.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the newer service is a newer version of the older service, wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session, and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without requiring the first communication device to log off or discontinue the communication session.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling, with the processor and while the first communication device is performing the first instance of the telecommunication function, the first communication device to have access to the newer service to perform the second instance of the telecommunication function without interrupting the first communication device's use of the older service to perform the first instance of the telecommunication function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user is one of a plurality of users, the plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of user communication devices and further comprising:

defining, by the processor for the first communication device of the first user, a first set of enabled services that the first communication device is allowed to access from the communication system;

defining, by the processor for a second communication device of a second user in the plurality of users, a second set of enabled services that the second user is allowed to access from the communication system, wherein the first set of enabled services is the older service and wherein the second set of enabled services is the newer service; and

enabling, by the processor, the first and second communication devices to use concurrently the first and second sets of enabled services on the communication system.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

defining, with the processor, the first and second sets of enabled services with one or more templates, wherein the one or more templates comprise a user identifier field identifying a subset of the plurality of users and a plurality of service identifier fields, each of the plurality of service identifier fields corresponding to a different service that is available to the identified subset of the plurality of users, wherein the one or more templates define access permissions for the identified subset of the plurality of users has with respect to each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second sets of enabled services are provided to the communication system by a service warehouse and further comprising:

applying, by the processor, hierarchically structured rules that enable the identified subset of the plurality of users to define any type of operating parameter, rule, or permission with respect to each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, the hierarchically structured rules comprising a first layer of rules that comprise service warehouse-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, a second layer of rules that comprise communication system-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, and a third layer of rules that comprise user-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, wherein the first set of rules controls options available through the second and third sets of rules and the second set of rules controls options available through the third set of rules, wherein the second set of rules is defined within the first set of rules and does not extend beyond the first set of rules, and wherein the third set of rules is defined within the second set of rules and does not extend beyond the second set of rules.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first set of enabled services comprises a first call-processing service that is in the second set of enabled services, wherein the second set of enabled services comprises a second call-processing service that is not in the first set of enabled services, and wherein the second call-processing service comprises at least one of a ringing feature, an extension-to-cellular feature, a call recording feature, a forking feature, a voicemail feature, a dynamic device pairing feature, a call history feature, a user interface feature, an encryption feature, a presence feature, a media feature, or a data storage feature and further comprising:

receiving, with the processor, an object that contains multiple sub-components that enable deployment of one or more enabled services;

causing, with the processor, a first sub-component in the multiple sub-components to be installed on a first server in the communication system;

causing, with the processor, a second sub-component in the multiple sub-components to be installed on a second server in the communication system; and

enforcing, with the processor, the first and second user's use of the communication system with one or more templates, wherein the one or more templates describe the one or more enabled services for each user and settings for the one or more enabled services.

10. A communication system, comprising:

a server controlling a telecommunication function of a first communication device and comprising a processor that:

deploys a newer service to replace an older service, wherein the telecommunication function is provided by each of the newer and older services;

assigns the newer service to a first communication device of a first user while the first communication device is using the older service to perform a first instance of the telecommunication function; and

when the first communication device completes the first instance of the telecommunication function, enables the first communication device to perform a second instance of the telecommunication function using the newer service.

11. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without downtime of any part of the communication system.

12. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without replacing completely the older service.

13. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without requiring the first communication device to log off or discontinue the communication session.

14. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the processor enables, while the first communication device is performing the first instance of the telecommunication function, the first communication device to have access to the newer service to perform the second instance of the telecommunication function without interrupting the first communication device's use of the older service to perform the first instance of the telecommunication function.

15. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the newer service is a newer version of the older service, wherein the first user is one of a plurality of users, the plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of user communication devices, and wherein the processor:

defines, for the first communication device, a first set of enabled services that the first communication device is allowed to access from the communication system;

defines, for a second communication device of a second user in the plurality of users, a second set of enabled services that the second user is allowed to access from the communication system, wherein the first set of enabled services is the older service and wherein the second set of enabled services is the newer service; and

enables the first and second communication devices to use concurrently the first and second sets of enabled services on the communication system.

16. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the processor:

defines the first and second sets of enabled services with one or more templates, wherein the one or more templates comprise a user identifier field identifying a subset of the plurality of users and a plurality of service identifier fields, each of the plurality of service identifier fields corresponding to a different service that is available to the identified subset of the plurality of users, wherein the one or more templates define access permissions for the identified subset of the plurality of users has with respect to each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields.

17. The communication system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second sets of enabled services are provided to the communication system by a service warehouse, wherein the microprocessor applies hierarchically structured rules that enable the identified subset of the plurality of users to define any type of operating parameter, rule, or permission with respect to each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, the hierarchically structured rules comprising a first layer of rules that comprise service warehouse-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, a second layer of rules that comprise communication system-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, and a third layer of rules that comprise user-defined rules for each of the different services corresponding to the plurality of service identifier fields, wherein the first set of rules controls options available through the second and third sets of rules and the second set of rules controls options available through the third set of rules, wherein the second set of rules is defined within the first set of rules and does not extend beyond the first set of rules, and wherein the third set of rules is defined within the second set of rules and does not extend beyond the second set of rules.

18. The communication system of claim 15 , wherein the first set of enabled services comprises a first call-processing service that is in the second set of enabled services, wherein the second set of enabled services comprises a second call-processing service that is not in the first set of enabled services, and wherein the second call-processing service comprises at least one of a ringing feature, an extension-to-cellular feature, a call recording feature, a forking feature, a voicemail feature, a dynamic device pairing feature, a call history feature, a user interface feature, an encryption feature, a presence feature, a media feature, or a data storage feature and wherein the processor receives an object that contains multiple sub-components that enable deployment of one or more enabled services; causes a first sub-component in the multiple sub-components to be installed on a first server in the communication system; causes a second sub-component in the multiple sub-components to be installed on a second server in the communication system; and enforces the first and second user's use of the communication system with one or more templates, and wherein the one or more templates describe the one or more enabled services for each user and settings for the one or more enabled services.

19. An enterprise communication system comprising:

a communication server comprising:

a microprocessor;

a computer readable medium, coupled to the microprocessor, comprising:

a service selector that causes the microprocessor to route a request received from a selected enterprise communication device to an application server selected from among plural application servers in the communication system, the application servers providing a telecommunication function to plural enterprise communication devices comprising the selected enterprise communication device; and

an object distributor that causes the microprocessor to:

distribute sub-components of a newer service to an appropriate application server to replace an older service stored on the appropriate application server, wherein the telecommunication function is provided by each of the newer and older services;

automatically assign the newer service to the selected enterprise communication device while the appropriate application server is executing the older service to perform a first instance of a telecommunication function for the selected enterprise communication device and

when the selected enterprise communication device has completed the first instance of the telecommunication function, automatically enable the selected enterprise communication device to perform a second instance of the telecommunication function using the newer service.

20. The enterprise communication system of claim 19 , wherein the newer service is a newer version of the older service, wherein the telecommunication function is a communication session, wherein the processor deploys the newer service without downtime of any part of the enterprise communication system, wherein the processor deploys the newer service without replacing completely the older service, and wherein the processor deploys the newer service without requiring the selected enterprise communication device to log off or discontinue the communication session.

Assignments (14)