Method and system for carrier capacity evaluation for number privacy protection services

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for operator capacity evaluation of a number privacy protection service. The method comprises: using multiple calling numbers to call respective corresponding virtual numbers concurrently, so that the calling number operator sends calls to a virtual number platform; and evaluating the operator capacity for the number privacy protection service according to the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to the multiple virtual numbers respectively and found by the virtual number platform. The present disclosure can evaluate the operator real capacity through concurrent ringing without generating direct access traffic by setting the called number as ringing not accessible. The above setting can be implemented by connecting the called number to a voice platform, so that the incoming service configuration can be customized, not only the state of the called number setting ringing not accessible can be set, but also controllable media concurrency can be generated by playing ringing while ensuring not being automatically listened to, without being limited by the operator call limit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of system testing, and more particularly to a method and system for assessing operator capacity for number privacy protection services. Background Technology

[0002] With the development and popularization of internet technology, more and more users are using online platforms to access services such as food delivery, ride-hailing, and e-commerce. When accessing these services, users may need to contact the service providers in real time. For example, food delivery drivers need to communicate with customers by phone to determine the delivery location, and drivers need to communicate with passengers by phone to determine the specific pick-up point. Directly disclosing users' phone numbers to service providers can raise privacy and even security concerns. Therefore, the need for phone number privacy protection has emerged.

[0003] When internet platforms enable number privacy protection services, a temporary virtual number is assigned to each user. When the service provider needs to contact a user, it calls this virtual number, and the call is transferred to the corresponding user number. The platform needs to conduct stress tests to determine the concurrent virtual number call capacity that the number privacy protection can provide. However, the underlying call structure relies on resources from multiple carriers, and in real-world scenarios, the concurrent call capacity often falls short of the carriers' claimed capacity. Therefore, assessing the carriers' actual capacity becomes crucial.

[0004] Therefore, a method is needed to assess the actual capacity of operators in number privacy protection services. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One technical problem this disclosure aims to solve is to provide a method and system for assessing operator capacity for number privacy protection services. This method, by setting called numbers to ring but not connect, can assess the true capacity of an operator through concurrent ringing without generating direct connection traffic.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for assessing operator capacity for a number privacy protection service is provided, comprising: concurrently calling multiple virtual numbers corresponding to multiple calling numbers, such that the calling number operator sends the calls to a virtual number platform; and assessing the operator capacity for the number privacy protection service based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to the multiple virtual numbers as found by the virtual number platform.

[0007] Optionally, the method further includes: registering called service for the plurality of called numbers on the voice platform, so that the called number operator sends the call to the voice platform; and causing the voice platform to control the plurality of called numbers to ring but not be connected.

[0008] Optionally, the method further includes: registering a call service for the plurality of call numbers on the voice platform, and concurrently calling the plurality of virtual numbers corresponding to each of the plurality of call numbers includes: enabling the voice platform to concurrently call the plurality of virtual numbers corresponding to each of the plurality of call numbers.

[0009] Optionally, the method further includes: determining the correspondence between the plurality of virtual numbers and the plurality of called numbers; binding the correspondence to the virtual number platform through an analog service; and enabling the virtual number platform to obtain the correspondence between the plurality of virtual numbers and the plurality of called numbers through the bound analog service, and to find the plurality of called numbers corresponding to each of the plurality of virtual numbers according to the correspondence.

[0010] Optionally, using multiple calling numbers to concurrently call their respective corresponding virtual numbers, so that the calling number operator forwards the call to the virtual number platform, includes:

[0011] Multiple calling numbers are used to make concurrent calls to their respective virtual numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the call to the virtual number operator, and the virtual number operator then sends the call to the virtual number platform.

[0012] Optionally, assessing the operator capacity for number privacy protection services based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to multiple virtual numbers, as found by the virtual number platform, includes: having the voice platform control the multiple called numbers to play ringing files using playback files, wherein the multiple called numbers are registered for called services on the voice platform; returning the ringing media stream via the called number operator, the virtual number operator, and the calling number operator; and calculating the concurrent capacity for virtual number calls based on the returned ringing media stream to assess the operator capacity for number privacy protection services.

[0013] Optionally, the return of the ringing media stream does not pass through the virtual number platform.

[0014] Optionally, the method further includes: increasing the number of calling numbers that concurrently call the virtual number, and / or adjusting the ringing duration of multiple called numbers to assess the operator capacity limit for number privacy protection services based on the concurrent ringing status of the multiple called numbers.

[0015] Optionally, the method further includes: determining the availability of a number; and assigning the determined available number as a calling number or a called number.

[0016] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an operator capacity assessment system for number privacy protection services is provided, comprising a test node and a voice platform, wherein the test node is configured to: concurrently call multiple virtual numbers corresponding to multiple calling numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the calls to the virtual number platform for callee number lookup; the voice platform is configured to: register a called service for multiple called numbers so that the called number operator sends the calls to the voice platform; control the multiple called numbers to ring without being answered; and the test node is further configured to: test the concurrency capability for virtual number calls based on the concurrent ringing status of the multiple called numbers.

[0017] Optionally, the system further includes a virtual number platform for: finding multiple called numbers corresponding to multiple virtual numbers and sending the call to the called number operator.

[0018] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a computing device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory having executable code stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including executable code that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium is provided, on which executable code is stored, which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0021] Therefore, this invention designs a low-cost stress testing scheme for capacity assessment of underlying operators to protect number privacy. The called number is registered on the voice platform, allowing for customized configuration of the voice call service. Since the called number is the cloud communication voice platform's own number, it will not disturb real users. Furthermore, by setting the called number to ring without answering, media concurrency is generated while ensuring that calls are not automatically answered, and this is not subject to operator call restrictions, with controllable ringing media concurrency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally denote like parts.

[0023] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the operations involved in virtual number calls by all parties.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of an operator capacity assessment method for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 An example implementation of the virtual number call link method shown.

[0026] Figure 4 An example of a call link implementation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 5 This shows an example of how to operate the number before stress testing.

[0028] Figure 6 An example of a call link implementation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an operator capacity assessment system for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a computing device is shown, which can be used to implement the above-described operator capacity assessment method for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0032] With the development and popularization of internet technology, more and more users are using online platforms to access services such as food delivery, ride-hailing, and e-commerce. When accessing these services, users may need to contact the service providers in real time. For example, food delivery drivers need to communicate with customers by phone to determine the delivery location, and drivers need to communicate with passengers by phone to determine the specific pick-up point. Directly disclosing a user's phone number to the service provider can raise privacy and even security concerns. Therefore, internet platforms are increasingly emphasizing the protection of phone number privacy.

[0033] When internet platforms enable number privacy protection services, a temporary virtual number is assigned to each user for each order. When the service provider needs to contact the user, it calls this virtual number, and the call is transferred to the corresponding user number. Although in real-world applications, internet platforms provide users with food delivery, ride-hailing, or e-commerce services that include number privacy protection, call connection based on virtual numbers still relies on resources provided by multiple telecom operators.

[0034] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the operations involved in a virtual number call. Here, the virtual number used for number privacy protection may also be referred to as a "privacy number," and the illustrated operations involve the end user, the operator, the virtual number service provider, and the dependent party. The end user will call the privacy number when needed. Figure 1 In this example, the end user refers to the service provider that delivers the specific service to the actual user who purchases the internet service (e.g., a customer ordering takeout or a passenger calling a ride-hailing service). Examples include restaurants offering takeout, delivery drivers, and ride-hailing drivers accepting orders. When an end user needs to contact the actual customer, they will call the privacy number. Here, "concurrent calls" means that the system supports multiple end users simultaneously dialing different privacy numbers and supports multiple privacy calls occurring concurrently.

[0035] The end user's call is first routed to the respective carrier corresponding to the end user's own number (e.g., carrier 1, carrier 2, ..., carrier N in the illustration). Optionally, after passing through the virtual number carrier network, the call is sent to a privacy protection platform. This platform, maintained by the virtual number service provider, can retrieve the real called number using the entered privacy number, for example, by querying a number database or binding database. The call can then be transferred to the carrier to which the called number belongs based on the returned called number, thus completing the connection.

[0036] As shown in the diagram, in addition to returning the called number based on the virtual number, the privacy protection platform also has security management functions. The platform can perform blacklist queries locally or from the dependent party (e.g., a blacklist query on the dependent party's logistics cloud) to avoid connecting to numbers on the blacklist. Furthermore, for certain cases where user consent has been obtained in advance, the privacy protection platform will perform ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) on the call and hand it over to the dependent party's security monitoring module for monitoring.

[0037] With the implementation of the Personal Information Protection Law, number privacy protection is receiving increasing attention in internet service scenarios such as e-commerce, food delivery, and ride-hailing. The fulfillment call chain after binding a privacy-protected number has become a crucial link. Internet platforms need to understand the concurrent virtual number call capacity that number privacy protection can provide; only by ensuring high availability on the supply chain side can the caller accurately reach the called party. However, as... Figure 1As shown, calls to private numbers inevitably involve the use of resources from multiple carriers, and in real-world scenarios, the concurrent call capacity often falls short of the capacity claimed by the carriers. Therefore, it is crucial for internet platforms to conduct stress tests to assess the actual capacity of carriers.

[0038] Stress testing is a specific test conducted on a particular system to confirm its stability. Stress tests often involve operating the system under conditions exceeding normal usage before verifying the results. In stress testing of number privacy protection services on internet platforms, the primary focus is on testing the concurrent voice traffic that the operator can support. For example, by continuously increasing the number of virtual number calls, the upper limit of concurrent voice traffic capacity that the operator can support is determined.

[0039] In existing technologies, the maximum concurrent voice capacity that an operator can support is often determined by actually connecting the called number. However, it often takes connecting tens of thousands of numbers to put "pressure" on the system. Therefore, testing the maximum concurrent voice capacity that an operator can support is costly and cannot be performed frequently.

[0040] In view of this, the present invention designs a low-cost stress testing scheme for capacity assessment of underlying operators for number privacy protection. This scheme leverages the ability of the voice platform to control the called party mode of registered numbers, preventing the called party numbers transferred via virtual numbers from ringing and connecting, and assesses the operator's capacity during concurrent virtual number calls by analyzing the concurrent ringing status of the called numbers.

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of an operator capacity assessment method for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 An example implementation of the virtual number call link method shown.

[0042] In step S210, multiple calling numbers are used to concurrently call their respective corresponding virtual numbers, so that the calling number operator forwards the calls to the virtual number platform. Accordingly, as... Figure 3 As shown, number A, acting as the calling number, concurrently calls its corresponding number X. Here, number A refers to multiple numbers making concurrent calls during stress testing. Number X refers to the virtual number corresponding to each calling number. In one embodiment, all numbers A may belong to the same operator, for example... Figure 1The operator 1 is shown. In another embodiment, number A may include numbers belonging to different operators. Which operator or which operators number A belongs to depends on the specific stress testing requirements. Since number A belongs to operator A (correspondingly, operator A can be one or more operators), when a call is made using number A, the call will enter the network of operator A, which is the calling number operator. Since the call is to number X, which is a virtual number, operator A will send the call to the secondary number platform (i.e., the virtual number platform). Furthermore, here, "causes" means that the operation of calling number X through number A will cause operator A to send the call to the secondary number platform.

[0043] Here, the virtual number platform is a platform that provides virtual number lookup services. Therefore, when a call to a virtual number is sent to the virtual number platform by the called number operator, the virtual number platform searches for the multiple called numbers corresponding to each virtual number and forwards the call to the called number operator. When calling number X from number A, operator A will send the call to the virtual number platform. Upon receiving the query from operator A, the virtual number platform will search for number B and forward the call to operator B. Here, number B refers to the multiple actual called numbers corresponding to the virtual number and belongs to operator B, which is the called number operator. Similar to the case of number A, in one embodiment, all numbers B can belong to the same operator, for example... Figure 1 The operator shown is 1. In another embodiment, number B may include numbers belonging to different operators. Whether number B belongs to any operator (or operators similar to those of number A) depends on the specific load testing requirements.

[0044] Subsequently, in step S220, the operator capacity for number privacy protection services can be assessed based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to each of the multiple virtual numbers, as found by the virtual number platform. Controlling the ringing of called numbers to prevent connection can be achieved through the involvement of a voice platform.

[0045] After the call is forwarded to the called number operator, unlike the conventional operation of directly connecting the call and generating connection traffic, in one embodiment, the present invention forwards the call to a voice platform. That is, the multiple called numbers are registered for called services on the voice platform, so that the called number operator forwards the call to the voice platform. See also... Figure 3 The B-line operator will then forward the call to the voice platform. The voice platform can then control the multiple called numbers to remain unanswered despite ringing.

[0046] Voice concurrency can be calculated based on the ringing status, rather than the connected status. This assessment of operator capacity relies on the fact that the ringing duration before a call is connected is also a factor in voice concurrency calculations. A formula for voice concurrency is: Voice Concurrency = CPS * (Connection Rate * (Ringing Duration Before Connection + Talk Duration After Connection) + (1 - Connection Rate) * Ringing Duration Before Connection). Here, CPS (Calls Per Second) represents the capacity of a software-defined telephone exchange (e.g., the open-source Freeswitch) to establish or release channels per second. As shown in the formula, even if no calls to number B are connected (i.e., the connection rate is 0), voice concurrency can still be calculated using the ringing duration before a call is connected, thereby estimating the actual capacity of operators A and B.

[0047] Since this invention is a stress testing scheme for evaluating operator capacity, in actual operation, the operator capacity limit for number privacy protection services can be evaluated based on the concurrent ringing status of the multiple called numbers by increasing the number of concurrent virtual number calls and / or adjusting the ringing duration of multiple called numbers.

[0048] For operator B to route calls to its B numbers to the voice platform, it needs to register the called party service for all B numbers on the voice platform. In other words, the reason why ringing calls to B numbers can be blocked is because B numbers have already registered for the called party service on the voice platform before being called. The voice platform will notify operator B of the B number's registered called party service information, and thus, subsequent calls to B numbers will be routed to the voice platform by operator B.

[0049] Furthermore, while centralized control via a test mobile phone or other standalone devices for centralized dialing can be used to achieve concurrent calls from multiple numbers, this method is limited by the number of clients that can be launched on a single device, resulting in a large amount of hardware required and high implementation costs. Therefore, in one embodiment, the method of the present invention may further include registering the multiple call numbers for a call service on the voice platform. Thus, concurrently calling multiple virtual numbers corresponding to each of the multiple call numbers may include enabling the voice platform to concurrently call the multiple virtual numbers corresponding to each of the multiple call numbers. In other words, number A can also register for a voice service, for example, a call service, and the voice platform will notify operator A of the registration information for number A. In this case, calls initiated by number A will first pass through the voice platform, enabling concurrent call operations for a large number of call numbers through the voice platform.

[0050] Furthermore, while the secondary number platform naturally performs corresponding B number queries when receiving a large number of query requests based on number X from operator A, the mapping between X and B numbers used for stress testing is usually temporary and unbound after the test is completed. In practice, binding and unbinding tens of thousands of X and B numbers would intrude on the secondary number platform's original database and incur high unbinding costs. Therefore, it is possible to achieve B number queries without going through the secondary number platform's main number database by binding an external simulation service (e.g., a mock service). See also Figure 1 In this case, the query binding relationship can be performed against the binding database of the privacy protection platform (which may include a secondary number platform), rather than the number database. Therefore, the operator capacity assessment method of the present invention may further include: determining the correspondence between the plurality of virtual numbers and the plurality of called numbers; binding the correspondence to the virtual number platform through an analog service; and enabling the virtual number platform to obtain the correspondence between the plurality of virtual numbers and the plurality of called numbers through the bound analog service, and to find the plurality of called numbers corresponding to each of the plurality of virtual numbers based on the correspondence.

[0051] In some embodiments, a query for a virtual number (i.e., number X) needs to go through the virtual number operator. In this case, the call link will additionally include the virtual number operator (i.e., the virtual number operator). Figure 4 An example of a call link implementation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. When the call link includes a virtual number operator, concurrently calling multiple corresponding virtual numbers using multiple calling numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the call to the virtual number platform, includes: concurrently calling multiple corresponding virtual numbers using multiple calling numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the call to the virtual number operator, and the virtual number operator then sends the call to the virtual number platform. For example... Figure 4 As shown, a concurrent call from number A to number X, after being sent to operator A's network, is then forwarded by operator A's network to operator X (the smaller operator), who then completes the query for number B through interaction with the smaller operator's platform. Figure 4 In this example, the small number platform uses a mock service binding scheme, which uses an external simulation service to bind a number (X) to a number (B) specifically for stress testing. The number B retrieved by the small number platform is returned to the X small number operator. The X small number operator then forwards the call to the B operator's network, which in turn forwards the call to the voice platform.

[0052] like Figure 4As shown, assessing the operator capacity for number privacy protection services based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to multiple virtual numbers, as found by the virtual number platform, may include: causing the voice platform to control the multiple called numbers to play ringing files using playback files, wherein the multiple called numbers are registered for called services on the voice platform; the ringing media stream is returned via the called number operator, the virtual number operator, and the calling number operator; and calculating the concurrency capability for virtual number calls based on the returned ringing media stream to assess the operator capacity for number privacy protection services. As can be seen from the previous formula, voice concurrency capability can be calculated by the ringing duration. Therefore, in one embodiment, the actual ringing duration can be set by setting the playback file (e.g., selecting a 30-second playback file), thereby achieving flow control for a single call, and thus calculating the operator capacity by the total number of concurrent calls.

[0053] In one embodiment, operator A, operator B, and operator X (small number) can be the same operator, thus... Figure 4 The stress test link shown tests the ability of a single operator to support AXB (i.e., number A calling number B through number X). In another embodiment, operator A, operator B, and operator X can be different operators, or at least one of them can be different operators, thus the stress test link tests the ability of multiple operators to support AXB. In yet another embodiment, operator A and operator B can each include different operators to simulate the situation in real-world scenarios where end users of different operators simultaneously use number privacy protection services, thus the stress test link test is closer to the peak call volume of virtual numbers in real-world scenarios.

[0054] Since both numbers A and B are legitimate numbers belonging to the carrier, it's crucial to prevent them from becoming unavailable or being answered by other legitimate users during testing. Therefore, before adding these numbers to the database, an availability check is performed, and numbers deemed available are assigned either as either number A (calling number) or number B (called number).

[0055] Figure 5 This example demonstrates the operations performed on numbers before load testing. First, the availability of numbers added to the database for load testing needs to be determined. Specifically, it's necessary to check if the number is invalid, suspended, or already assigned to another user. If a number is unavailable, it should be returned to the operator for replacement. After determining availability, the number can be activated with the operator and registered on the voice platform, and AXB bound via a mock service. Simultaneously, the playback file for number B can be configured.

[0056] In addition, although a large number of numbers were obtained from the operator during the test and voice platform activation was performed on these numbers, no data charges were incurred because the calls were not actually connected, so the test cost remained low.

[0057] The following will combine Figure 6 A preferred call link implementation of the present invention is described. Figure 6 An example of a call link implementation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 In the example, numbers A and B are registered on a voice platform. Using the one-call capability of cloud communication voice, a call from number A to number X is sent through operator A to operator X (a smaller operator), which then sends it to the small number platform. The small number platform finds the real called number B and then calls into B. The voice call-in service configuration for number B can be customized.

[0058] The core components of this link are as follows:

[0059] 1. Softswitch in the voice platform section

[0060] The softswitch consists of three parts: the voice application (API) handles API access for voice API calls, the outgw egress gateway handles carrier access (based on the softswitch), and the ingw ingress gateway (based on the softswitch) handles access. Figure 6 In the example, a call from number A to number X undergoes the following operations within the voice platform before being sent to operator A: softswitch API access for voice API calls, and operator access through the outgw egress gateway. Using API calls, a single machine can support a load of 3000 CPS, requiring minimal hardware and inexpensive to use. Operator access can be via conventional lines or dedicated trunk lines (e.g., N-hop dedicated trunk lines). Calls to number B are then routed by operator B through either a dedicated line or a conventional line to the voice platform via the outgw egress gateway, and then through the ingw ingress gateway.

[0061] 2. Small account platform

[0062] The secondary network operator (NLOA) only participates in the routing process when initiating a call, specifically for rewriting the X to B number in the invite command. After the ringing, the media stream transmission bypasses the NLOA and only goes through the X NLOA operator. This is similar to the three-way handshake principle in the TCP / IP protocol, where the handshake requires the NLOA, but once completed, it no longer needs to go through the NLOA.

[0063] 3. Bind mock service

[0064] Setting the X number to X mode eliminates the need for binding the number on the secondary number platform. Instead, it mocks the binding relationship between the caller and the recipient, reducing the intrusion of redundant binding relationships into the system and the cost of unbinding data cleanup.

[0065] 4. ingw playback service

[0066] Number B's IVR (Interactive Voice Response) service type is set to "media no answer," and ingw returns a 183 signaling message and begins playing the ringing message using the configured playback file. The ringing media is then relayed back to the calling party via the X number provider. In practice, the concurrency of the generated media streams can be controlled by modifying the duration of the ringing file. Because the ringing duration is configurable, the concurrency constructed in the test is calculable and controllable, thus constructing realistic media concurrency while reducing the call cost associated with actual answering.

[0067] It should be understood that, in combination Figures 2-6 Although the operator capacity assessment method of the present invention involves the participation of external operators, as well as small number platforms and voice platforms, it can still be considered as being conducted by the testing party, for example as follows: Figure 7 The test node is shown performing the following operations. This is because AXB's call operation itself can switch between the networks of operator A, operator X (small number carrier), and operator B. The test node registers the numbers in its database with the corresponding functions on the voice platform, enabling number A to make batch calls via the voice platform, and preventing number B from being answered when it rings, for example, by playing a specific audio file. The small number carrier platform can also bind mock services under the control of the test node. The reason for conducting the above stress test on the test node is to test the operator capacity of number privacy protection services for internet platforms such as food delivery and ride-hailing services.

[0068] Therefore, the present invention can also be implemented as an operator capacity assessment system for number privacy protection services. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an operator capacity assessment system for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, the system 700 includes a test node 710 and a voice platform 720. The test node 710 is used to: concurrently call multiple virtual numbers corresponding to multiple calling numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the calls to the virtual number platform for callee lookup. The voice platform 720 is used to: register called service for multiple called numbers so that the called number operator sends the calls to the voice platform; and control the multiple called numbers to not be answered when they ring. Furthermore, the test node 710 is also used to: test the concurrency capability for virtual number calls based on the concurrent ringing status of the multiple called numbers.

[0069] In one embodiment, the virtual number platform 730 can also be included within the system 700. In this case, the voice platform 720 and the virtual number platform 730 can be viewed as sub-platforms providing different services on the same large cloud platform. This large cloud platform can also include other platforms providing internet services, such as food delivery platforms, ride-hailing platforms, and e-commerce platforms. The virtual number platform 730 can then be used to: find multiple called numbers corresponding to multiple virtual numbers and send the call to the called number's operator. In one embodiment, binding a mock service can reduce the intrusive pressure on the database during testing and facilitate subsequent unbinding. Thus, the test node, in order to test the operator capacity for number privacy protection services used by food delivery platforms, ride-hailing platforms, and e-commerce platforms, completed low-cost stress testing using the voice platform and virtual number platform on the cloud platform.

[0070] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a computing device is shown, which can be used to implement the above-described operator capacity assessment method for number privacy protection services according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] See Figure 8 The computing device 800 includes a memory 810 and a processor 820.

[0072] Processor 820 may be a multi-core processor or may contain multiple processors. In some embodiments, processor 820 may include a general-purpose main processor and one or more special-purpose coprocessors, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), etc. In some embodiments, processor 820 may be implemented using custom circuitry, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0073] Memory 810 may include various types of storage units, such as system memory, read-only memory (ROM), and permanent storage devices. ROM may store static data or instructions required by the processor 820 or other modules of the computer. Permanent storage devices may be read-write storage devices. Permanent storage devices may be non-volatile storage devices that retain stored instructions and data even when the computer is powered off. In some embodiments, permanent storage devices use mass storage devices (e.g., magnetic or optical disks, flash memory) as permanent storage devices. In other embodiments, permanent storage devices may be removable storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, optical drives). System memory may be a read-write storage device or a volatile read-write storage device, such as dynamic random access memory. System memory may store some or all of the instructions and data required by the processor during operation. Furthermore, memory 810 may include any combination of computer-readable storage media, including various types of semiconductor memory chips (DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, programmable read-only memory), and disks and / or optical disks may also be used. In some implementations, memory 810 may include a removable storage device that is readable and / or writable, such as a laser disc (CD), a read-only digital versatile optical disc (e.g., DVD-ROM, dual-layer DVD-ROM), a read-only Blu-ray disc, an ultra-high density optical disc, a flash memory card (e.g., SD card, mini SD card, Micro-SD card, etc.), a magnetic floppy disk, etc. Computer-readable storage media do not contain carrier waves or transient electronic signals transmitted wirelessly or via wired connections.

[0074] The memory 810 stores executable code, which, when processed by the processor 820, enables the processor 820 to execute the operator capacity assessment method for number privacy protection services described above.

[0075] The operator capacity assessment method and system for number privacy protection services according to the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] This invention presents a low-cost load testing scheme for capacity assessment of underlying operators to protect number privacy. The scheme includes load testing data preparation and load testing link design. Before load testing, empty number detection and service suspension detection are introduced to prevent insufficient concurrency caused by unavailable calling and called numbers. The called number is a number owned by the voice platform; before use, it is checked whether the number has been assigned to other users to prevent harassment of genuine users. Instead of actually binding numbers on the secondary number platform, the binding relationship between the calling and called parties is mocked, reducing the intrusion of redundant binding relationships into the system and the cost of unbinding data cleanup. A ringing-without-answering method ensures that calls are not automatically answered, and a pre-defined playback file can be used. Since the playback duration is controllable, the constructed concurrency is calculable and controllable, constructing real media concurrency while reducing the call cost associated with actual answering.

[0077] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions, and corresponding operation portals are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0078] Furthermore, the method according to the present invention can also be implemented as a computer program or computer program product, which includes computer program code instructions for performing the steps defined in the above-described method of the present invention.

[0079] Alternatively, the present invention can also be implemented as a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium (or computer-readable storage medium, or machine-readable storage medium) storing executable code (or computer program, or computer instruction code) thereon, which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device (or computing device, server, etc.), causes the processor to perform the various steps of the method described above according to the present invention.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both.

[0081] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems and methods according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those marked in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0082] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for assessing operator capacity for number privacy protection services, comprising: Multiple calling numbers can be used to make concurrent calls to their respective virtual numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the call to the virtual number operator, and the virtual number operator then sends the call to the virtual number platform; as well as The operator capacity for number privacy protection services is assessed based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to each of the multiple virtual numbers, which are found by the virtual number platform. The method further includes: registering called service for the plurality of called numbers on a voice platform, so that the called number operator sends the call to the voice platform, wherein the voice platform is used to control the plurality of called numbers to ring but not be connected; Assessing the operator capacity for number privacy protection services based on the concurrent ringing status of multiple called numbers corresponding to each of the multiple virtual numbers, as found by the virtual number platform, includes: enabling the voice platform to control the multiple called numbers to play ringing files using playback files, wherein the multiple called numbers are registered for called services on the voice platform; returning the ringing media stream via the called number operator, the virtual number operator, and the calling number operator; and calculating the concurrency capacity for virtual number calls based on the returned ringing media stream to assess the operator capacity for number privacy protection services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Register the multiple calling numbers for calling services on the voice platform. Furthermore, using multiple calling numbers to simultaneously call their respective virtual numbers includes: This enables the voice platform to use the multiple calling numbers to simultaneously call their respective multiple virtual numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Determine the correspondence between the plurality of virtual numbers and the plurality of called numbers; The corresponding relationship is bound to the virtual number platform through a simulation service; as well as The virtual number platform obtains the correspondence between the multiple virtual numbers and the multiple called numbers through the bound simulation service, and finds the multiple called numbers corresponding to each of the multiple virtual numbers based on the correspondence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The return of the ringing media stream does not go through the virtual number platform.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Increase the number of concurrent virtual numbers being called, and / or adjust the ringing duration of multiple called numbers to assess the operator capacity limit for number privacy protection services based on the concurrent ringing status of the multiple called numbers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Determine the availability of the number; The available numbers will be assigned as either calling numbers or called numbers.

7. A capacity assessment system for operator services using number privacy protection, comprising test nodes and a voice platform, wherein, The test node is used for: Multiple calling numbers are used to make concurrent calls to their respective virtual numbers, so that the calling number operator sends the call to the virtual number operator, and the virtual number operator then sends the call to the virtual number platform for the lookup of the called number; The voice platform is used for: By registering multiple called numbers for the called service, the called number operator will send the call to the voice platform. Controlling the multiple called numbers to not answer when they ring; controlling the multiple called numbers to play a ringing file, wherein the multiple called numbers are registered for a called service on the voice platform; and The test node is also used for: The ringing media stream is returned via the called number operator, the virtual number operator, and the calling number operator. Based on the returned ringing media stream, the concurrency capability for virtual number calls is tested to evaluate the operator capacity for number privacy protection services.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a virtual number platform, used for: Find the multiple called numbers corresponding to each of the multiple virtual numbers and send the call to the operator of the called number.

9. A computing device, comprising: processor; as well as A memory having executable code stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer program product comprising executable code that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having executable code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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