PBX Call Setup Delay Elimination via Voicemail Redirection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile devices are often unavailable or out of range, leading to delays in establishing voice calls with PBX systems due to the need for confirmation tones, which introduce a 2-second delay before users can begin talking.

Innovation Solution

Reprogramming the voicemail number to a Direct Inward Dial (DID) number that can be monitored by the PBX, allowing it to infer call success without waiting for confirmation tones, thus eliminating the delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If confirmation tones are sent and processed to verify mobile device availability, then call connection reliability is improved, but call setup time increases by 2 seconds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall connection reliabilityVSAvoidcall setup time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by having the mobile device send its availability status (via voicemail number provisioning) to the network before the actual call is initiated. This allows the PBX to already know whether the mobile device is available when the call is made, eliminating the need for confirmation tones during call setup and reducing call setup time while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If confirmation tones are used to detect mobile device availability, then accurate availability detection is achieved, but user experience deteriorates due to delayed conversation start

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveavailability detection accuracyVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device's availability status is determined in advance through voicemail number provisioning and stored in the network before the call is initiated. This preliminary determination of availability eliminates the need for confirmation tones during the call, providing both accurate availability detection and immediate conversation start for improved user experience

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of time

If voicemail number is reprogrammed to DID number for monitoring, then call setup time is reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall setup timeVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The voicemail number is given multiple functions: it serves both as the traditional voicemail access number and as a monitoring mechanism for mobile device availability. By provisioning the mobile device's voicemail number with availability status information, the system uses an existing number for dual purposes, reducing call setup time without adding significant system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device itself provides the availability information by having its voicemail number provisioned with status data. The device essentially monitors and reports its own availability state through the network, eliminating the need for separate monitoring mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity while achieving faster call setup

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2437514B1System and method to detect pbx-mobility call failure
Publication Date: 2018.07.11 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2437514B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2437514B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2437514B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Aspects relate to initiating voice calls to mobile devices from an enterprise network. In one example, a server can initiate a voice channel to a mobile device, and if the mobile device cannot be reached, an access network may redirect the call from the server to a number identified as a voicemail number; however, such number is reconfigured to instead be directed to a number located within the enterprise network. The server can monitor or receive an indication that a call is incoming, and attributable to the mobile device. If such a call is incoming or received, then the server determines that the call has failed. If the mobile device answers the call, the server can determine that the voice channel has been established, without waiting for a confirmation indication, such as a DTMF tone.