Private telephone system with unified command feature

• US 5,073,923 A
• Filed: 12/20/1990
• Issued: 12/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Christopher D., Offers, Albert G., Story, Roderick B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/630,580
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 379/156, 379/157, 379/159, 379/165, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 379/165
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/274 with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time , e.g. using toothed disc
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/008 Multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0414 Details

Abstract

A key telephone system, having ports for connection to telephone lines of a telephone exchange and ports for connection of terminal apparatus including key telephone sets, is provided with the ability to distinguish if an intended call or feature access involves more than the key telephone system. If so, a signalling protocol of the telephone exchange is emulated on behalf of the terminal apparatus and transmitted via one of the telephone lines whereby the progress of the call or feature access continues, as if a user of the terminal apparatus had initiated the signalling protocol of the telephone exchange.

Claims

1. A method of signalling and supervision communication in a key telephone system having a central processor, a first plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of a telephone line of a telephone switching facility, another plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto, each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port, and means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of the other ports, the method comprising the steps of:

recognizing a message, from a port connected apparatus, of a context wherein access to a telephony feature is specified;

determining the specified feature to require participation of the telephone switching system;

emulating a feature access protocol of the telephone switching system in response to the context of the message; and

signalling the emulated feature access protocol via the telephone line, whereby a user of said port connected apparatus may be availed of a feature of the telephone switching system.

2. A method of initiating a call progress in a key telephone system having a first plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of a telephone line of a telephone switching facility, another plurality of ports each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto, each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port and means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of the other ports, the method comprising the steps of:

a) signalling a dialled number at one of the apparatus,

b) recognizing the dialled number to be in a number plan of the key telephone system and continuing the call progress within the key telephone system; and

if the dialled number is not recognized,

c) seizing a telephone line and continuing the call progress through the telephone switching facility.

3. A method of initiating a call progress as defined in claim 2 wherein the telephone line is one of a group of special lines for which PBX functionality is available, wherein following step a), the method further comprises:

i) recognizing the dialled number to be a public directory number,

ii) seizing a telephone line and continuing the call progress via a central office exchange, and if the dialled number is not recognized as a public directory number continuing with step b).

4. A key telephone system comprising a central processor, a first plurality of ports each of which is available for connection to a telephone line of a telephone switching facility;

another plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto;

each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port;

means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of the other ports; and

further comprising means for recognizing a message, from a port connected apparatus wherein the message is of a context which specifies access to a telephony feature, means for determining if the specified feature requires participation of the telephone switching system and for providing an indication of same;

means for emulating a feature access protocol of the telephone switching system in accordance with the context of the message and in response to the indication.

5. A key telephone system comprising a central processor, a first plurality of ports each of which is available for connection to a telephone line of a telephone switching facility;

another plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto;

each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port;

means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of the other ports; and

further comprising;

means for recognizing dialled numbers to be in a number plan of the key telephone system, and for indicating an occurrence of a dialled number to be other than in the number plan; and

means for causing the dialled number to be signalled via a telephone line in response to the indication.

6. A key telephone system as defined in claim 5 wherein the telephone line is one of a group of lines for which PBX functionality is provided, the key telephone system further comprising:

means for indicating a dialled number to be one of a plurality of public directory numbers, and means responsive to the indicating means, for causing the telephone line to be seized, whereby the call progress may continue via a central office exchange.

7. A key telephone system comprising:

means for providing communications paths between any of a plurality of key telephone sets and between any of the plurality of key telephone sets and selectable ones of telephone line interfaces for connection to telephone trunk lines associated with a telephone exchange;

means for recognizing an attempt by a user of one of the plurality of key telephone sets to access a telephony feature foreign to the key telephone system but otherwise implementable by way of the telephone exchange;

means for seizing one of the line interfaces and causing one of said communication paths to be provided between the key telephone set and the seized line interface; and

means for emulating signalling of a protocol of said associated telephone exchange and transmitting the signalling via the seized line interface, on behalf of the one key telephone set, whereby the telephony feature is invoked at the telephone exchange.

8. A key telephone system comprising:

means for providing communications paths between any of a plurality of key telephone sets and between any of the plurality of key telephone sets and selectable ones of telephone line interfaces for connection to telephone trunk lines associated with a telephone exchange;

examining means for recognizing signalling representative of an apparent intent of a user of one of the plurality of key telephone sets to initiate a call progress to a telephone set connected to the telephone exchange, but which has been dialled by the user as if the telephone set were one other of the key telephone sets;

means for directing one of said communications path to be provided between said one key telephone set and one of the telephone line interfaces; and

means for signalling the dialled number to the telephone exchange on behalf of the user, whereby the call progress may be completed by the telephone exchange.

9. A method of operating a key telephone system, the key telephone system including a central processor, a first plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of a telephone line of a telephone exchange, another plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto, each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port, and means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and an operating signal format of the other ports;

the method comprises the steps of;

recognizing a message of a context wherein access to a telephony feature is specified, said message having been signalled from a port connected apparatus;

determining the specified feature to require one of

i) sole participation of the key telephone system; and

ii) participation of the telephone exchange;

in a case of i) invoking the specified telephony feature, and

in a case of ii) emulating a feature access protocol of the telephone exchange in response to the context of the message; and

signalling the emulated feature access protocol via the telephone line, whereby a user of said port connected apparatus may be availed of a feature of the telephone exchange.

10. A method of initiating a call progress in a key telephone system, the key telephone system including a first plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of a telephone line of a telephone exchange, another plurality of ports each of which is available for connection of an apparatus thereto, each port connected apparatus including an interface device for exchanging signals with the port in an operating signal format of the port and means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of the other ports;

the method comprises the steps of;

a) recognizing a dialled number of a call progress as being one of,

i) a number which corresponds to a directory number within a number plan of the key telephone system,

ii) a number which does not correspond to a directory number within a number plan of the key telephone system;

b) in a case of i), continuing the call progress within the key telephone system; and

c) in a case of ii), seizing the telephone line and continuing the call progress via the telephone line and the telephone exchange.

11. A key telephone system comprising:

means for providing communications paths between any of a plurality of key telephone sets, and between any of the plurality of key telephone sets and selectable ones of telephone line interfaces for connection to telephone trunk lines associated with a telephone exchange;

means for recognizing a message of a context indicative of an attempt by a user of one of the plurality of key telephone sets to access a telephony feature foreign to the key telephone system, but otherwise implementable by way of the telephone exchange, and for providing indication of same;

means for seizing one of the line interfaces and causing one of said communication paths to be provided between the key telephone set and the seized line interface, in response to said indication; and

means for generating a message in a protocol of said telephone exchange of the context of the first mentioned message and for transmitting the generated message via the seized line interface, whereby the telephony feature is invoked at the telephone exchange.

12. A key telephone system comprising:

a first plurality of ports each of which is available for connection to a telephone line of a telephone exchange;

port connectable apparatus each including an interface device for exchanging signals with a port in an operating signal format of the port;

another plurality of ports, each of which is available for connection of one of the port connectable apparatus thereto;

means associated with the first plurality of ports for translating between a signalling and supervision format of the telephone line and the operating signal format of said another plurality ports; and

a central processor for directing provisions of communication paths between any of the ports of said another plurality of ports, and between any of the ports of said another plurality of ports and an of the ports of said first plurality of ports;

the key telephone system further comprising;

means for recognizing a message in the operating signal format of said another plurality of ports, as representative of a dialled number which appears to corresponds to one of;

x) a public telephony directory number,

y) a directory number of the key telephone system, and

z) neither of x) or y); and

means for causing the dialled number to be signalled via the translating means and one of the telephone lines, in response to the recognition of either of x) and z).