PBX remote telephone control system

• US 20020181691A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teltone Corp. (Capgemini SE)
• Original Assignee: Teltone Corp. (Capgemini SE)
• Inventors: Miller, Kory Wade, Moore, Melody Lee
• Application Number:
  US10/153,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20020181691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/234
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/45 using multi-frequency signalling H04Q1/46 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a way of using a remote telephone (208a, 208b, 208c . . . ) to control a plurality of functions of the exchange (240) of a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system (201). The PBX system (201) includes a server computer (210) capable of controlling the functionality of the exchange (240). The method includes establishing a communication link (206a, 206b, 206c, . . . and 207) between the remote telephone (208a, 208b, 208c . . . ) and the server computer (210). Communications received from the remote telephone (208a, 208b, 208c . . . ) are processed to identify control commands. Control commands are associated with corresponding functions of the exchange (240) of the PBX system (201). The server computer (210) controls the corresponding functions of the exchange (240) based on the control commands. The control commands may be in the form of DTMF signals or voice signals that form words.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having instructions suitable for execution by a server computer for implementing a method of using a telephone not directly connected to the exchange of a Private Branch Exchange (“

PBX”

) system (a “

remote telephone”

) to control predetermined functions of the exchange, in addition to the exchange, the PBX system including local telephones and a server computer configured to control the functionality of the exchange, the server computer executable instructions including instructions for;

(a) establishing a communication link between a remote telephone and the server computer;

(b) analyzing communications received from the remote telephone over the communication link to identify control commands;

(c) associating identified control commands with corresponding functions of the exchange; and

(d) controlling the corresponding functions of the exchange in accordance with identified control commands.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said server computer executable instructions also include instructions for sending audible prompts over the voice communication link to the remote telephone.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein analyzing communications received from the remote telephone over the communication link to identify control commands comprises monitoring the communications for Dual Tone Multi Frequency (“

DTMF”

) signals.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein analyzing communications received from the remote telephone over the communication link to identify control commands comprises monitoring the communications for predetermined words.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the server computer includes a Public Switched Telephone Network (“

PSTN”

) port for communicating with remote telephones and a switch port for communicating with said exchange, and wherein said server computer executable instructions include controlling communications between said PSTN port and said switch port.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions of the exchange controlled by the server computer comprise functions selected from the group consisting of answering incoming calls, transferring calls, muting calls, conferencing calls, holding calls, providing voice mail services, forwarding calls, making calls, and disconnecting calls.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions of the exchange controlled by the server computer include forwarding calls intended for a local telephone of the PBX system to the remote telephone.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said server executable instructions include instructions for establishing a communication link with a speech recognition server computer and forwarding communications received from the remote telephone to the speech recognition server computer.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein analyzing communications received from the remote telephone over the communication link to identify control commands comprises monitoring the communications for predetermined words.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the monitoring of the communications to determine predetermined words is performed by the speech recognition server computer.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the predetermined words correspond to control commands.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending prompting messages from the server computer over the voice communication link to the remote telephone.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the control commands are formed by Dual Tone Multi Frequency (“

DTMF”

) signals.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the control commands are formed by signals in the form of predetermined words.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of functions of the exchange system controlled by the server computer comprise functions selected from the group consisting of answering incoming calls, transferring calls, muting calls, conferencing calls, holding calls, providing voice mail services, forwarding calls, making calls, and disconnecting calls.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of functions of the exchange system controlled by the server computer include forwarding calls intended for a local telephone of the PBX system to the remote telephone.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes establishing a communication link with a speech recognition server computer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the speech recognition server computer analyzes communications received from the remote telephone over the voice communication link to identify control commands.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the control commands are formed by voice signals in the form of predetermined words.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined words correspond to control commands.

12. A method of using a telephone not directly connected to the exchange of a Private Branch Exchange (“

PBX”

) system (a “

remote telephone”

) to control the operation of a server computer programmed to control the functions of the exchange of the PBX system, in addition to the exchange, the PBX system comprising local telephones and the server computer, the method comprising;

(a) establishing a communication link between a remote telephone and the server computer;

(b) analyzing communications received from the remote telephone over the communication link to identify control commands;

(c) associating identified control commands with corresponding functions of the exchange; and

(d) controlling the corresponding functions of the exchange in accordance with the control commands.

22. A system for using a remote telephone to control a plurality of functions of a Private Branch Exchange (“

PBX”

) system via the Public Switched Telephone Network (“

PSTN”

), the system comprising;

(a) a remote telephone coupled to the PSTN via a PSTN voice communication link; and

(b) a PBX system coupled to the PSTN via a PSTN communication link, the PBX system comprising;

(1) an exchange;

(2) a plurality of local telephones coupled to the exchange; and

(3) a server computer configured to control the functionality of the exchange, the server computer comprising a processing unit, a PSTN communication unit, and a storage medium coupled to the processing unit, the storage medium storing programming code implemented by the processing unit for;

(i) establishing a communication link between the PSTN communication unit and the remote telephone over the PSTN;

(ii) in response to receiving communications from the remote telephone over the voice communication links, processing the received communications to identify control commands;

(iii) associating identified control commands with functions of the exchange; and

(iv) controlling the corresponding functions of the exchange in accordance with said identified control commands.

23. The system of claim 22, including a speech recognition server computer coupled to the server computer.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein processing the communications to identify control commands comprises forwarding communications received by the server computer to the speech recognition server computer.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the speech recognition server computer comprises:

(a) a processing unit; and

(b) a storage medium coupled to the processing unit, the storage medium storing programming code implemented by the processing unit for;

(1) monitoring forwarded communications for predetermined voice commands;

(2) associating predetermined voice commands with corresponding control commands; and

(3) communicating the corresponding control commands to the server computer.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein controlling the functions of the exchange in accordance with an identified control command comprises forwarding identified control commands from the speech recognition server computer to the server computer.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the control commands are in the form of Dual Tone Multi Frequency signals.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the control commands are in the form of voice signals that form words.