Communication channel reservation
First Claim
1. A method for a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of communication channels, said method comprisingreceiving an incoming call andin response to said incoming call, reserving one of said plurality of channels, said reserving being for a multiple number of said terminals and for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple number of said terminals under control of said reserving.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A call processing method and apparatus for maximizing the number of calls that are offered to terminals sharing a digital subscriber line while insuring that for every call offered, a channel of the digital subscriber line remains allocatable to at least one terminal addressed by the call for use in answering the call. The switching system reserves a channel of the digital subscriber line in response to an incoming call. This channel is reserved for a set of terminals that share the digital subscriber line and that are addressed by the incoming call. This reservation entitles one of the terminals to be allocated a channel to originate or answer calls.
14 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method for a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of communication channels, said method comprising
receiving an incoming call and in response to said incoming call, reserving one of said plurality of channels, said reserving being for a multiple number of said terminals and for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple number of said terminals under control of said reserving.
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32. A method for use by a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, said method comprising
in response to an incoming call, determining ones of said plurality of terminals that are addressed by said incoming call, and in response to said incoming call, attempting to reserve any one of said plurality of channels for all of said addressed terminals for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said addressed terminals.
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33. A method for use by a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, said method comprising
in response to an incoming call to a directory number, determining ones of said plurality of terminals that share said directory number, and in response to said incoming call, reserving one of said plurality of channels for a multiple number of said terminals sharing said directory number for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple terminals.
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34. A method for use by a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality fo channels, wherein a plurality of incoming calls are offerable to said plurality of terminals, said method comprising
determining that allocation of any of said plurality of channels to a first one of said plurality of terminals prevents at least one of said calls from being answered by any of said plurality of terminals, and upon determining that allocation of any of said plurality of channels to said first terminal prevents at least one of said calls from being answered, identifying only ones of said plurality of terminals other than said first terminal as allowed to originate and answer calls.
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37. A method for use by a switching connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, wherein a plurality of incoming calls are being offered to said plurality of terminals, said method comprising
determining sets of said plurality of terminals such that each of said sets of terminals could answer all of said plurality of incoming calls, wherein the number of terminals in each of said sets of terminals is not greater than the number of channels in said plurality of channels, and wherein each of said sets includes any of said plurality of terminals to which channels are allocated, and restricting answering and originating of calls to only terminals in at least one of said sets of terminals.
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38. A method for a switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line having at least two B-channels, said method comprising
in response to an incoming call, determining ones of said plurality of terminals that are addressed by said incoming call, and in response to said incoming call, reserving one of said B-channels for a multiple number of said addressed terminals for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple number of terminals.
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39. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, said system comprising
means for receiving an incoming call and means, responsive to said incoming call, for reserving one of said plurality of channels, said reserving being for a multiple number of terminals and for use in answering and originating cells by only one of said multiple number of terminals.
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49. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single comprising a plurality of B-channels, said system comprising
means for determining ones of said plurality of terminals that are addressed by an incoming call, and means, responsive to said incoming call, for reserving one of said plurality of B-channels, said reserving being for a multiple number of said terminals determined by said determining means in response to said incoming call and for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple number of terminals.
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50. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising two B-channels and a single D-channel, said system comprising
a control arrangement, said control arrangement further comprising memory means including reservation data, said reservation data defining terminals having reservation on said B-channels, said control arrangement further comprising first determining means for determining ones of said plurality of terminals that are addressed by an incoming call, means for examining said reservation data to determine whether said reservation data defines any of said B-channels as reservable for any of said terminals determined by said first determining means to be addressed by said incoming call, means for updating said reservation data to indicate one of said B-channels is reserved for a multiple number of said addressed terminals for which said examining means has determined one of said B-channels is reservable and for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said multiple number of terminals, means for transmitting on said D-channel a message to each of said multiple number of terminals for which said one B-channel is reserved, said message offering said incoming call to said multiple number of terminals for answering at any of said multiple number of terminals.
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52. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals of a single line comprising a plurality of channels, said system comprising
means for determining ones of said plurality of terminals that are addressed by an incoming call, and means, responsive to said incoming call, for attempting to reserve one of said plurality of channels for all of said terminals determined by said determining means in response to said incoming call for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said determined terminals.
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53. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, said system comprising
means responsive to an incoming call to a directory number for determining ones of said plurality of terminals that share said directory number, and means, responsive to said incoming call, for reserving one of said plurality of channels for a multiple number of said terminals determined by said determining means in response to said incoming call for use in answering and originating calls by only one of said determined terminals.
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54. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, wherein a plurality of incoming calls are being offered to said plurality of terminals, said system comprising
means for determining whether allocation of any of said plurality of channels to a first one of said plurality of terminals would prevent at least one of said calls from being answered by any of said plurality of terminals, and means responsive to a determination by said determining means that allocation of any of said plurality of channels to said first terminal would prevent at least one of said calls from being answered for identifying only ones of said plurality of terminals other than said first terminal as allowed to originate and answer calls.
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55. A switching system connectable to a plurality of terminals by a single line comprising a plurality of channels, wherein a plurality of incoming calls are being offered to said plurality of terminals, said system comprising
means for determining sets of said plurality of terminals such that each of said sets of terminals could answer all of said plurality of incoming calls, such that the number of terminals in each of said sets is no greater than the number of channels is said plurality of channels, and such that each of said sets includes any of said plurality of terminals that are allocated one of said plurality of channels, and means for restricting answering and originating of calls to only terminals in at least one of said sets of determined by said determining means.
Specification