Private branch exchange

• US 20040179670A1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Handa, Tomohisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

It is one objective of the present invention to provide a private branch exchange that can identify calls to be routed to an extension phone group.

A private branch exchange according to this invention comprises: a caller information detector for, when a call is received, obtaining caller information; a group incoming call table in which two or more extension numbers are correlated with an extension incoming call group number; and an incoming call group controller for, when a call received through the telephone line is for an extension incoming call group number, extracting from the group incoming call table extension numbers that are correlated with the extension incoming call group number and transmitting an incoming call signal to extension phones corresponding to the extension numbers, and also for storing, in a group incoming call log table, a caller number that is obtained by the caller information detector.

Claims

1. A private branch exchange that can coordinate and manage connections for a plurality of extension phones comprising:

a caller information detector for, when a call is received through a telephone line, obtaining caller information;

a group incoming call table in which at least two extension numbers are correlated with an extension incoming call group number; and

a controller for, when a call received along the telephone line is for an extension incoming call group number, extracting from the group incoming call table extension numbers that are correlated with the extension incoming call group number and transmitting an incoming call signal to extension phones corresponding to the extension numbers, and also for storing, in a group incoming call log storage unit, a caller number that is obtained by the caller information detector.

2. The private branch exchange, according to claim 1, wherein, only when none of the extension phones to which an incoming call signal is routed are answered, the controller stores, in the group incoming call log storage unit, a caller number obtained by the caller information detector.

3. A private branch exchange according to claim 1, wherein, when the destination for an incoming call received through the telephone line is an extension number, the controller transmits an incoming call signal to an extension phone corresponding to the extension number and stores the incoming call signal in an individual phone incoming call log storage unit that is provided in correlation with the extension numbers.

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

an outside line interface used to connect to a telephone line; and

an outside call destination table in which the destination for an incoming call received at the outside line interface is stored,

wherein extension incoming call group numbers can be entered in the outside call destination table.

5. The private branch exchange according to claim 1, wherein, when it is ascertained that none of the extension phones has been used to answer an incoming call, a first display controller displays a no answer message on a first display unit of each of the extension phones.

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

a second display controller for, when an incoming call log display request is received from an extension phone, extracting from the group incoming call log storage unit an incoming time and a caller number, and for displaying the incoming time and the caller number on a second display unit of the extension phone.

7. The private branch exchange according to claim 6, wherein, when the second display controller displays a caller number on the second display unit, the first display controller cancels a no answer message displayed on the first display unit.

8. The private branch exchange according to claim 6, wherein, when the second display controller first displays a caller number on the second display unit, the controller stores the caller number in the group incoming call log storage unit in correlation with information that the caller number has already been referred to.

9. The private branch exchange according to claim 6, wherein, when the second display controller first displays a caller number on the second display unit, the controller stores the caller number in the group incoming call log storage unit in correlation with an extension number for an extension phone that issued the incoming call log display request.

10. The private branch exchange according to claim 1, wherein, when it is ascertained that one of the extension phones was used to respond to an incoming call signal, the controller stores, in the group incoming call log storage unit, response information and a caller number obtained by the caller information detector.