Communications system and method for controlling features in a communications

• US 20040037411A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Windecker, Rainer, Aicher, Helmut, Winkler, Steffi, Hierholzer, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

Features available in one communication installation of a communication system are made available system-wide by transmitting an item of feature control information for a subscriber line of a first communication installation to a second communication installation. The item of feature control information is converted into at least one function call, whose associated function is provided by a computer telephony integration (CTI) interface. The function call is transmitted via the CTI interface to the first communication installation. At least one feature control instruction contained in the function call is executed by an administration and maintenance device of the first communication installation. The first communication installation depicts a controlled instance with regard to a feature control, while the second communication installation depicts a controlling instance. This makes it possible to render a feature control existing in the second communication installation usable for the first communication installation.

Claims

1. Method for controlling features in a communication system, in which

an item of feature control information (FCI) input for a subscriber line (P0) of a first communication installation (PBX1) is transmitted to a second communication installation (PBX2),

the item of feature control information (FCI) is converted into at least one function call (FCA), the associated function of which is supplied by a computer telephony integration interface (CTI),

the function call (FCA) is transmitted via the computer telephony integration interface (CTI) to the first communication installation (PBX1) and

at least one feature control instruction (C1-Cn) contained in the function call (FCA) is executed by an administration and maintenance device (AMD) of the first communication installation (PBX1).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the item of feature control information (FCI) is converted by the first communication installation (PBX1) or the second communication installation (PBX2) into the function call (FCA).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, after verification of the executability of a feature control instruction assigned to the item of feature control information (FCI) in the first communication installation (PBX1), the item of feature control information (FCI) is only transmitted to the second communication installation (PBX2) and converted to the function call (FCA) in the event of non-executability.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the feature control instruction is executed when executable by the administration and maintenance device (AMD) of the first communication installation (PBX1).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the function associated with the function call (FCA) is implemented according to the computer supported telecommunications application protocol (CSTA protocol).

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the function associated with the function call (FCA) is implemented according to a protocol for intelligent networks recommended by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that communication links within the first communication installation (PBX1) are packet-based and that communication links within the second communication installation (PBX2) are connection-based.

8. Communication system with

a first communication installation (PBX1)

a second communication installation (PBX2)

a computer telephony integration interface (CTI), via which the first communication installation (PBX1) and the second communication installation (PBX2) are connected to each other to control and monitor the first communication installation (PBX1).