Telecommunications installation and management system and method
First Claim
1. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
- a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device;
data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and
control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telecommunications system installation and management device and method for managing, controlling, updating and monitoring telecommunications devices, such as a private branch exchange telephone switch, voice messaging system, call accounting system, central office telephone switch, router, bridge, hub, or associated peripheral telecommunications equipment. The device is capable of managing and controlling a plurality of different types of telecommunications equipment provided by various different manufacturers to thereby seamlessly integrate the equipment into an easily managed telecommunications system. A local database within the telecommunications system provides for real-time or near real-time access and modification of programming information for the telecommunications equipment and further provides for redundancy in the event that the telecommunications equipment should fail. A single point of control for system management and data entry is provided in an integrated application that reduces the amount of necessary data to be entered and that facilitates user modifications and changes to operating parameters. The system preferably actively maintains a live connection with each of the managed devices.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device;
data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and
control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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6. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least two telecommunications devices; and
control means operatively connected with said computer database, said control means operating to access said computer database to retrieve said configuration data and further operating to (a) format said configuration data into first formatted configuration data suitable for a first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said first formatted configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said first telecommunications device control command to said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path; and
(b) format said configuration data into second formatted configuration data suitable for a second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said second formatted configuration, data into a protocol suitable for use with said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said second telecommunications device control command to said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 30)
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11. A method of replacing an installed telecommunications device with a replacement telecommunications device comprising the steps of:
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accessing a memory containing configuration information in the installed telecommunications device through a communications interface connected between the installed telecommunications device and a maintenance computer system;
transferring said configuration information from said memory in said installed telecommunications device through said communications interface to said maintenance computer system and storing said configuration information in a memory in said maintenance computer system;
replacing said installed telecommunications device with the replacement telecommunications device; and
transferring said configuration information stored in said memory in said maintenance computer system to said replacement telecommunications device using said communications interface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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- 18. A computer implemented system for controlling the operation of a telecommunications system including at least two telecommunications devices including at least one of a private branch exchange telephone switch, a call accounting system and a voice messaging system, comprising a computer readable medium encoded with a computer program and a database structure, said database structure containing configuration data for controlling the operation of said at least two telecommunications devices and said computer program containing instructions that cause a computer system to retrieve configuration data from said database structure and to process said configuration data into device control commands suitable for transmission to said at least two telecommunications devices.
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23. A maintenance computer system for use in replacing an installed telecommunications device with a replacement telecommunications device comprising:
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a maintenance memory;
a communications interface;
a control means connected with said maintenance memory and said communications interface, said control means operating to access configuration data in a first device memory in the installed telecommunications device through said communications interface and to transfer said configuration data from said first device memory to said maintenance memory, and further operating to transfer said configuration data stored in said maintenance memory to a second device memory in the replacement telecommunications device through said communications interface. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification