WebSocket Interface for Secure Third-Party Call Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of a customer's third-party automatic call distributor (ACD) with a service provider's network-based call routing system is inefficient due to issues with network address translation (NAT) traversal and security policies, particularly when using HTTP over TCP/IP, which restricts two-way communication necessary for effective call-handling services.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a WebSocket interface for full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection between the service provider's network device and the third-party ACD, allowing secure and bidirectional messaging to manage incoming calls, including instructions for agent selection, call routing, and supervisor monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HTTP over TCP/IP is used for communication between the service provider's network device and the third-party ACD, then security policies can be maintained, but two-way communication necessary for effective call-handling services is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a WebSocket interface as an intermediary communication mechanism that enables full-duplex messaging between the service provider's network device and the third-party ACD. This intermediary layer maintains security policy compliance while enabling the required two-way communication capabilities that HTTP over TCP/IP restricts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a WebSocket interface is implemented for full-duplex communication, then two-way messaging capability is improved, but network address translation (NAT) traversal becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The service provider's network device acts as an intermediary that initiates and maintains the WebSocket connection, thereby managing NAT traversal on behalf of the third-party ACD. This approach shifts the NAT traversal complexity from the ACD to the service provider's infrastructure, enabling full-duplex communication while accommodating network address translation requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If HTTP over TCP/IP is used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but call-handling efficiency is reduced due to communication restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from the static, request-response model of HTTP to the dynamic, persistent full-duplex communication model of WebSockets. This dynamic communication approach enables real-time bidirectional messaging between the service provider's network device and the third-party ACD, significantly improving call-handling efficiency while maintaining implementation feasibility through standardized WebSocket protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device in a service provider network receives an incoming call, from a caller, to a telephone number associated with a customer. The network device applies to the call an interactive voice response (IVR) script corresponding to the customer and determines that the caller wants to speak to an agent. The network device establishes a secure duplex communication channel between the network device and an automatic call distributor (ACD) for the customer. The secure duplex communication channel is dedicated for use in managing the incoming call. The network device informs the ACD, via the secure duplex communication channel, that an agent is needed for the incoming call and receives, via the secure duplex communication channel, instructions from the ACD to manage the incoming call.