Area wide centrex

• US 5,247,571 A
• Filed: 02/29/1992
• Issued: 09/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, William A., McConnell, Von K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/843,040
• Time in Patent Office: 570 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 379/220, 379/212, 379/230, 379/112, 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 379/221.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13222 PBX circuits in public exchange, centrex
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13331 Abbreviated dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13533 multivendor and hybrid, e.g. public/private, networks, inc. international
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

The Area Wide Centrex service is provided in a telephone communication network having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems, each at a different location. Each of the central office switching systems connects to a number of local telephone lines, a number of which can be designated as members of a business group for a particular customer. Area Wide Centrex extends a number of service features to the business group over a broad area through multiple central offices by taking the programming intelligence capacity out of the central offices and moving it to a central point. Service features such as call routing are controlled by data stored in a central data base. Establishing or changing services for one or all of a particular customer'"'"'s lines requires only reprogramming that customer'"'"'s data in the central data base, without the need to reprogram each central office switch. Also, Centrex services such as extension number type intercom dialing and call transfer can be extended across provided to groups of lines connected to different exchanges.

Claims