Emulation of Private Branch Exchange Behavior

• US 20080227439A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Milton, Stephen M., Abramson, Sandra R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/35 virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are disclosed for use by organizations that have PBXs at a plurality of sites. The invention pertains to cell phone calls from an to his or her “home” private branch exchange. For example, an employee who works at the Chicago branch office might call the Chicago office'"'"'s PBX to invoke a feature such as setting up call forwarding, retrieving voice mail, etc. In the illustrative embodiment, such calls might be automatically and transparently directed to another PBX when it is advantageous to do so (e.g., for the purposes of security, reducing toll charges, because of unavailability of a particular PBX, etc.) Factors that might be used to determine whether to re-direct a call and to which PBX to re-direct a call include the day and time of the call, the network that the cell phone is currently connected to, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal an input for placing a first call to a first private branch exchange, wherein the telephone number M of said telecommunications terminal

(i) is not in the address space of said first private branch exchange, and

(ii) is mapped to a telephone number N in the address space of said first private branch exchange;

(b) placing, in response to said input, a second call from said telecommunications terminal to a second private branch exchange whose address space does not contain M and does not contain a telephone number to which M is mapped; and

(c) receiving at said telecommunications terminal, in response to said second call, a signal from said second private branch exchange in accordance with a profile associated with said telephone number N.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on the network to which said telecommunications terminal is connected.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at said first private branch exchange.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at one or more nodes that are not private branch exchanges.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said profile is not stored at said second private branch exchange prior to said telecommunications terminal'"'"'s first call to said second private branch exchange.

6. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a telecommunications terminal, at time t₁, a first input for placing a call to a first private branch exchange, wherein the telephone number M of said telecommunications terminal

(i) is not in the address space of said first private branch exchange, and

(ii) is mapped to a telephone number N in the address space of said first private branch exchange;

(b) placing a call C₁ from said telecommunications terminal to said first private branch exchange in response to said first input;

(c) receiving at said telecommunications terminal, in response to said call C₁, a signal from said first private branch exchange in accordance with a profile associated with said telephone number N;

(d) receiving at said telecommunications terminal, at time t₂, a second input for placing a call to said first private branch exchange;

(e) placing, in response to said second input, a call C₂ from said telecommunications terminal to a second private branch exchange whose address space does not contain M and does not contain a telephone number to which M is mapped; and

(f) receiving at said telecommunications terminal, in response to said call C₂, a signal from said second private branch exchange in accordance with said profile.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said second private branch exchange is selected from a plurality of private branch exchanges based on the network to which said telecommunications terminal is connected at said time t₂.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at said first private branch exchange.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at one or more nodes that are not private branch exchanges.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said profile is not stored at said second private branch exchange prior to said telecommunications terminal'"'"'s first call to said second private branch exchange.

11. A method comprising:

(a) receiving at a first private branch exchange a first signal that is transmitted by a wireless telecommunications terminal at time t₁, wherein said first signal is transmitted in response to an input at said wireless telecommunications terminal for placing a call to a telephone number D that is in the address space of said first private branch exchange, and wherein the telephone number M of said wireless telecommunications terminal

(i) is not in the address space of said first private branch exchange, and

(ii) is mapped to a telephone number N in the address space of said first private branch exchange; and

(b) receiving at a second private branch exchange a second signal that is transmitted by said wireless telecommunications terminal at time t₂, wherein said second signal is transmitted in response to an input at said wireless telecommunications terminal for placing a call to said telephone number D, and wherein D is not in the address space of said second private branch exchange.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

(c) transmitting from said first private branch exchange a third signal to said wireless telecommunications terminal in response to said first signal, wherein said third signal is in accordance with a profile that is associated with said telephone number N; and

(d) transmitting from said second private branch exchange a fourth signal to said wireless telecommunications terminal in response to said second signal, wherein said fourth signal is in accordance with said profile.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at said first private branch exchange.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said profile is kept in persistent storage only at one or more nodes that are not private branch exchanges.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said profile is not stored at said second private branch exchange prior to the first time said wireless telecommunications terminal transmits a signal to said second private branch exchange.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said telephone number D is associated with a feature offered by said first private branch exchange.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

(c) initiating a first execution of an authentication procedure in response to said first signal to authenticate said wireless telecommunications terminal; and

(d) initiating a second execution of said authentication procedure in response to said third signal to authenticate said wireless telecommunications terminal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

(e) transmitting from said first private branch exchange to said wireless telecommunications terminal, only after said first execution of said authentication procedure is successful, a third signal that is in accordance with a profile associated with said telephone number N; and

(f) transmitting from said second private branch exchange to said wireless telecommunications terminal, only after said second execution of said authentication procedure is successful, a fourth signal that is in accordance with said profile.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of said first execution and said second execution of said authentication procedure is conducted by a node that is not a private branch exchange.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said first execution and said second execution of said authentication procedure are both conducted by said first private branch exchange.