System and method for outbound calling from a distributed telecommunications platform

Abstract

Outbound calling from a Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) based voicemail system, which has distributed architecture, is disclosed. The voicemail system includes a media server, which is in communication with a telephone network. The media server includes multiple communication termination-link components, and the communication termination-link components are adapted to couple to trunks that extend to the telephone network. The media server also includes a network interface that is adapted to receive and provide communications to components of the telecommunications platform. The media server also includes a link-selector, a browser module, and a processor. The link-selector is adapted to select a given communication termination-link component from the plurality of communication termination-link components. The browser module is adapted to provide a browser session, which is associated with the given communication termination link, and the processor implements the link-selector and the browser module in responsive receiving an outbound notification via the network interface.

1 . A distributed telecommunications platform comprising:
 a central data and message store (CDMS) adapted to determine whether a triggering event occurs and adapted to provide an outbound trigger, wherein the outbound trigger is provided in response to the CDMS determining that a triggering event has occurred;   an application server in communication with the CDMS, the application server adapted to receive the outbound trigger, provide an outbound notification, generate a Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) page having a telephone number therein, wherein the application server provides the outbound notification in response to receiving the outbound trigger, wherein the outbound notification includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the VXML page; and   a media server in communication with the application server and in communication with a telephone network, the media server adapted to receive the outbound notification, open a VXML browser session, and use the XVML browser session and the VXML page to dial the telephone number, via the telephone network, of a communications device.   
   
   
       2 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 1 , wherein a user-communication is stored in the CDMS, wherein the application server generates a given VXML page having a pointer to the user-communication therein and provides the given VXML page to the VXML browser, wherein the VXML browser uses the pointer to retrieve at least a first portion of the user-communication, and wherein the VXML browser provides at least a second portion of the user-communication. 
   
   
       3 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 2 , wherein the VXML browser provides the second portion in response to receiving input from the communications device. 
   
   
       4 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 3 , wherein the communications device is a telephone. 
   
   
       5 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 3 , wherein the communications device is a facsimile machine. 
   
   
       6 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 5 , wherein the input is a facsimile tone. 
   
   
       7 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 3 , wherein the input is a password. 
   
   
       8 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications device is a pager. 
   
   
       9 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 1 , wherein the media server includes a plurality of communication link-termination components, wherein the media server is adapted to select one communication link-termination component from the plurality of communication link-components in response to receiving the outbound notification, wherein the selected communication link-termination component communicates the dialed telephone number to the telephone network. 
   
   
       10 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 9 , wherein the media server selects the communication link-termination component using a round-robin selection scheme. 
   
   
       11 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 1 , wherein the distributed voicemail system includes a plurality of media servers, and wherein the application server is adapted to select a given media server from the plurality of media servers using information included in the outbound trigger. 
   
   
       12 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of media servers comprises multiple sets of media servers, each set of media servers being associated with a specific call-type, wherein the outbound trigger includes a call-type identifier, and wherein the application server determines a particular set of media servers using at least the call-type identifier. 
   
   
       13 . The distributed voicemail system of  claim 11 , wherein the media server selects the given media server from the set of specific media servers using a round-robin selection scheme. 
   
   
       14 . A method for providing outbound calls from a voicemail service, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving an outbound notification request, the outbound notification request including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for a Voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) page;   (b) selecting a trunk for an outbound telephone call;   (c) opening a VXML browser session;   (d) associating the VXML browser session with the selected trunk;   (e) retrieving the VXML page using the URL; and   (f) using the VXML page to dial out, over the selected trunk, to a communications device.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step (c) is performed prior to step (e). 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step (f) includes rendering the VXML page. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein steps (a) through (f) are performed at a media server. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , further including the steps of:
 (g) determining whether an outbound event has occurred;   (h) responsive to determining that an outbound event has occurred, providing an outbound-trigger to an application server;   responsive to receiving the trigger at the application server, further including the steps of:
 (i) generating an outbound notification request; and 
 (j) providing the outbound notification request to a media server, wherein steps (a) through (f) are performed at the media server. 
   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the step of:
 (k) selecting the media server from a plurality of media servers.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the selection of the media server is based at least in part based upon information carried in the outbound-trigger. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of media servers comprises multiple sets of media servers, each set of media servers being associated with a specific outbound call-type, and wherein step (k) further includes the steps of:
 determining an outbound call-type using information carried in the outbound trigger;   selecting a particular set of media servers, wherein the particular set of media servers is associated with the outbound call-type; and   selecting a particular media server from the particular set of media servers.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the particular media server is selected based upon a round-robin selection scheme. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the trunk is selected from a plurality of trunks based upon a round-robin selection scheme. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14 , further including the steps of:
 storing a user-communication;   generating a given VXML page having a pointer to the user-communication therein;   providing the given VXML page to the VXML browser;   retrieving at least a first portion of the user-communication using the pointer;   using the VXML browser to provides at least a second portion of the user-communication.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , further including the step of:
 receiving, via the selected trunk, input from the communications device.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the communications device is a telephone. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the communications device is a facsimile machine. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the input is a facsimile tone. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the input is a password. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the communications device is a pager. 
   
   
       31 . In a distributed telecommunications platform, a media server that is connected to a telephone network, the media server comprising:
 a plurality of communication termination-link components, each communication termination-link component adapted to couple to a trunk that extends to the telephone network;   a network interface adapted to receive and provide communications to components of the telecommunications platform;   a link-selector adapted to select a given communication termination-link component from the plurality of communication termination-link components;   a browser module adapted to provide a browser session, wherein a given browser session is associated with the given communication termination link; and   a processor in communication with the plurality of communication termination-link components, the network interface, the link-selector, and the browser module, wherein responsive to the processor receiving an outbound notification via the network interface, the processor implements the link-selector and the browser module.   
   
   
       32 . The media server  claim 31 , wherein the outbound notification includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and wherein the given browser session uses the URL to request a VXML page. 
   
   
       33 . The media server of  claim 31 , wherein the VXML page includes a telephone number for a communications device, and wherein the browser session dials the telephone number. 
   
   
       34 . The media server of  claim 31 , wherein the browser module is adapted to receive input from a communications device via the selected communications termination-link. 
   
   
       35 . The media server of  claim 31 , wherein the link-selector selects the given communication termination-link based upon a round-robin scheme.