Exchange system and exchange method

• US 20030133562A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Ooki, Yasuomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0083 Network planning or design; Modelling of planned or existing networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54591 Supervision, e.g. fault localisation, traffic measurements, avoiding errors, failure recovery, monitoring, statistical analysis

Abstract

The present invention provides an exchange system which makes it possible to control connection and disconnection between terminals by an operation method which can be intuitively recognized. The exchange system includes display means for displaying icons of various terminals on screens of the terminals, detection means for detecting association between the icons performed on the screens of the terminals, and control means for controlling connection and disconnection between the terminals and/or connection and disconnection between an exchange apparatus and the terminals depending on the contents of the association.

Claims

1. An exchange system comprising:

display means for displaying icons of various terminals on screens of terminals;

detection means for detecting association between the icons performed on the screens of the terminals; and

control means for controlling connection and disconnection between the terminals and/or connection and disconnection between an exchange apparatus and the terminal depending on the contents of the association.

2. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a registered terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the registered terminal serving as a second terminal is performed on the screen of a first terminal; and

means for generating a call from the first terminal to the second terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the registered terminal serving as the second terminal is detected.

3. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a call originating terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for activating the icon of the call originating terminal displayed on the screen of the second terminal when a call sent from the first terminal to the second terminal is generated;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the call originating terminal is performed on the screen of the second terminal; and

means for establishing connection between the first terminal and the second terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the call originating terminal is detected on the screen of the second terminal.

4. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying the icon of the destination terminal and an icon of a holding terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for setting the certain terminal in a telephone call holding state when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

5. The exchange system according to claim 4, wherein the icon of the holding terminal is increased to a plurality of icons of the holding terminals, and a melody used in the holding state is changed depending on the icon of the holding terminal associated with the icon of the destination terminal.

6. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a holding terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for connecting a holding destination terminal and a destination terminal which is communicating with the certain terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

7. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a destination terminal, an icon of a self-terminal, and a graphic connecting the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the self-terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that the graphic is operated on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for switching a telephone call direction between the certain terminal and a destination terminal with which the certain terminal communicates when the graphic is operated on the screen of the certain terminal.

8. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a call originating terminal and an icon of a recording terminal on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for recording voice from the call originating terminal when the association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

9. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a call originating terminal and an icon of a recording device on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording device is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for recording voice from the call originating terminal when the association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording device is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

10. The exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a recording device on the screens of the terminals;

means for detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the recording device is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

means for recording voice of telephone conversation between the certain terminal and the destination terminal with which the certain terminal communicates when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the recording device is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

11. The exchange system according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises means for transmitting a connection request message from the terminals to the exchange apparatus, said connection request message including a connection request table having source information, destination information, and a connection direction depending on the contents of association detected by the detection means.

12. The exchange system according to claim 11, wherein the exchange apparatus comprises means for updating, on the basis of the contents of the connection request table included in the connection request message received from the terminals and the contents of a current connection information table, the contents of the connection information table.

13. The exchange system according to claim 12, wherein the exchange apparatus further comprises means for transmitting a connection table updating notice message including the updated connection information table to a related terminal.

14. The exchange system according to claim 13, wherein each of the terminals comprises means for updating a display of the screen on the basis of the connection information table included in the connection table updating notice message received from the exchange apparatus.

15. The exchange system according to claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of terminals receive data of the same contents from the exchange apparatus, only a piece of data is transmitted from the exchange apparatus to the extension line.

16. An exchange method comprising:

a display step of displaying icons of various terminals on screens of terminals;

a detection step of detecting association between the icons performed on the screens of the terminals; and

a control step of controlling connection and disconnection between the terminals and/or connection and disconnection between an exchange apparatus and the terminal depending on the contents of the association.

17. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a registered terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the registered terminal serving as a second terminal is performed on the screen of a first terminal; and

the step of generating a call from the first terminal to the second terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the registered terminal serving as the second terminal is detected on the screen of the first terminal.

18. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a call originating terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of activating the icon of the call originating terminal displayed on the screen of the second terminal when a call sent from a first terminal to a second terminal is generated;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the call originating terminal is performed on the screen of the second terminal; and

the step of establishing connection between the first terminal and the second terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the call originating terminal is detected on the screen of the second terminal.

19. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a holding terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

the step of setting the certain terminal in a telephone call holding state when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

20. The exchange method according to claim 19, wherein the icon of the holding terminal is increased to a plurality of icons of the holding terminals, and a melody used in the holding state is changed depending on the icon of the holding terminal associated with the icon of the destination terminal.

21. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a holding terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

the step of connecting a holding destination terminal and a destination terminal which is communicating with the certain terminal when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the holding terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

22. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal, an icon of a self-terminal, and a graphic connecting the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the self-terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that the graphic is operated on a screen of a certain terminal; and

the step of switching a telephone call direction between the certain terminal and a destination terminal with which the certain terminal communicates when the graphic is operated on the screen of the certain terminal.

23. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a call originating terminal and an icon of a recording terminal on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording terminal is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

the step of recording voice from the call originating terminal when the association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording terminal is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

24. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a call originating terminal and an icon of a recording device on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording device is performed on a screen of a certain terminal; and

the step of recording voice from the call originating terminal when the association operation between the icon of the call originating terminal and the icon of the recording device is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

25. The exchange method according to claim 16, further comprising:

the step of displaying an icon of a destination terminal and an icon of a recording device on the screens of the terminals;

the step of detecting that an association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the recording device is performed on a screen of the certain terminal; and

the step of recording voice of telephone conversation between the certain terminal and a destination terminal with which the certain terminal communicates when the association operation between the icon of the destination terminal and the icon of the recording device is detected on the screen of the certain terminal.

26. The exchange method according to claim 16, wherein the control step comprises the step of transmitting a connection request message from the terminals to the exchange apparatus, said connection request message including a connection request table having source information, destination information, and a connection direction depending on the contents of association detected by the detection step.

27. The exchange method according to claim 26, wherein the exchange apparatus comprises the step of updating, on the basis of the contents of the connection request table included in the connection request message received from the terminals and the contents of a current connection information table, the contents of the connection information table.

28. The exchange method according to claim 27, wherein the exchange apparatus further comprises the step of transmitting a connection table updating notice message including the updated connection information table to a related terminal.

29. The exchange method according to claim 28, wherein each of the terminals comprises the step of updating a display of the screen on the basis of the connection information table included in the connection table updating notice message received from the exchange apparatus.

30. The exchange method according to claim 16, wherein, when a plurality of terminals receive data of the same contents from the exchange apparatus, only a piece of data is transmitted from the exchange apparatus to the extension line.