Method for allocating incoming-call to extension telephone sets in private branch exchange and private branch exchange having automatic incoming-call allocating function

• US 5,268,958 A
• Filed: 02/24/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATAR, AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US07/839,073
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/201, 379/210-212, 379/265-266, 379/233, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 379/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals

Abstract

In an integrated services digital network (ISDN), a caller number indicative of the telephone number of a caller can be usually attached in a call data. In a private branch exchange according to the present invention, the caller number of a caller and the extension number or numbers of an extension telephone set or sets to which the call is desired to be directly sent from the caller are previously registered in a suitable memory table in a predetermined correlation, so that when the private branch exchange receives a call from the ISDN, it retrieves the table to check whether or not the received call is previously registered in the table in the form of a caller number. When the call is registered one, the call is preferentially allocated to one or ones of the extension telephone sets having one or ones of the extension numbers associated with the caller number of the received call. The number registration in the table may be carried out through each of the extension telephone sets.

Claims

1. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a method for use in a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said method comprising the steps of:

previously registering in a memory table a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

identifying the caller number stored in said memory table which corresponds to the caller identification data when a determination is made that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table; and

preferentially allocating the incoming call to the one of the extension telephone sets having the extension number stored in said memory table as associated with the identified caller number when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected; and

(3) an extension number is stored in said memory table in association with the identified caller number.

2. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network is an integrated services digital network (ISDN).

3. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the registration of numbers in said memory table can be carried out through each of said plurality of extension telephone sets.

4. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 3, wherein when the caller number is registered in said memory table through one of the plurality of extension telephone sets, the extension number of that one extension telephone set is automatically registered in said memory table in association with the registered caller number.

5. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 4, wherein when registration of numbers in said memory table is terminated through said one extension telephone set, a dial tone signal is issued to said one extension telephone set to automatically put said one extension telephone set in a calling enable state.

6. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in accordance with a predetermined rule, the incoming call is sent to another one of the plurality of extension telephone sets when the extension telephone set to which the incoming call is allocated is busy, when the detected caller identification data of the incoming call does not correspond to the caller number stored in said memory table, or when the caller identification data of the incoming call is not detected.

7. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 3, wherein when the identified caller number is associated with a plurality of extension numbers stored in said memory table, first allocating the incoming call to one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a most preferred status, and when the first allocated extension telephone set is busy, subsequently allocating the incoming call to another one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a next most preferred status.

8. An extension telephone allocating method as set forth in claim 7, wherein when the extension telephone sets having extension numbers associated with the identified caller number are all busy, one of said plurality of extension telephone sets other than the busy extension telephone sets is selected in accordance with a predetermined rule.

9. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said private branch exchange comprising:

input means for inputting a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller;

memory means for storing and registering therein the caller number input through said input means and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detection means for detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining means for determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory means;

first control means for allocating the incoming call to one of the plurality of extension telephone sets in accordance with a predetermined rule when said determining means determines that the caller identification data does not correspond to the caller number stored in said memory means, or when said detection means does not detect the caller identification data received through the network;

identifying means for identifying the caller number stored in said memory means which corresponds to the caller identification data when said determining means determines that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory means;

extension-number extraction means for extracting from said memory means that at least one extension number associated with the caller number identified by said identifying means; and

second control means for preferentially allocating the incoming call to the one of the extension telephone sets having the extension number extracted by said extension-number extraction means when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected by said detection means; and

(3) said extension-number extraction means extracts the at least one extension number.

10. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 9, wherein said network is an integrated services digital network (ISDN).

11. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 9, wherein said input means corresponds to each of said extension telephone sets.

12. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 11, wherein the extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets through which the caller number is input, is automatically registered in said memory means in association with the caller number.

13. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 12, further comprising third control means for issuing a dial tone signal to the one extension telephone set to automatically put the one extension telephone set in a calling enable state when the registration of numbers in said memory means through the one extension telephone set is terminated.

14. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 9, wherein said second control means first allocates the incoming call to one of said extension telephone sets having an extension number which is the first of a plurality of extension numbers extracted through said extension-number means, and sequentially allocates the incoming call to the next extracted extension telephone set when the first allocated extension telephone set is busy.

15. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 9, wherein said input means is a specific input terminal provided separately from said extension telephone sets, and wherein the caller number and the extension numbers registered in said memory means as associated with the caller number are inputted through said input terminal.

16. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said private branch exchange comprising:

input means for inputting a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller;

memory means for storing and registering therein the caller number input through said input means and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detection means for detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining means for determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory means;

first control means for allocating the incoming call to one of the plurality of extension telephone sets in accordance with a predetermined rule when said determining means determines that the caller identification data does not correspond to the caller number stored in said memory means, or when said detection means does not detect the caller identification data received through the network;

identifying means for identifying the caller number stored in said memory means which corresponds to the caller identification data when said determining means determines that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory means;

extension-number extraction means for extracting from said memory means the at least one extension number associated with the caller number identified by said identifying means according to first-received digits of the caller identification data corresponding in number to the digits of the caller number stored in said memory means; and

second control means for preferentially allocating the incoming call to the one of the extension telephone sets having the extension number extracted by said extension-number extraction means when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected by said detection means; and

(3) said extension-number extraction means extracts the at least one extension number.

17. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 16, wherein said network is an integrated services digital network (ISDN).

18. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 16, wherein said input means corresponds to each of said extension telephone sets.

19. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 18, wherein the extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets through which the caller number is input, is automatically registered in said memory means in association with the caller number.

20. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 19, further comprising third control means for issuing a dial tone signal to the one extension telephone set to automatically put the one extension telephone set in a calling enable state when the registration of numbers in said memory means through the one extension telephone set is terminated.

21. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 16, wherein said second control means first allocates the incoming call to one of said extension telephone sets having an extension number which is the first of a plurality of extension numbers extracted through said extension-number means, and sequentially allocates the incoming call to the next extracted extension telephone set when the first allocated extension telephone set is busy.

22. A private branch exchange having an automatic incoming-call allocating function as set forth in claim 16, wherein said input means is a specific input terminal provided separately from said extension telephone sets, and wherein the caller number and the extension numbers registered in said memory means as associated with the caller number are inputted through said input terminal.

23. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a method for use in a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said method comprising the steps of:

previously registering in a memory table a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

identifying the caller number stored in said memory table which corresponds to the caller identification data when a determination is made that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

preferentially allocating the incoming call to one of the extension telephone sets having an extension number stored in said memory table as associated with the identified caller number when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected; and

(3) an extension number is stored in said memory table in association with the identified caller number; and

sending the incoming call to one of the plurality of extension telephone sets in accordance with a predetermined rule when a determination is made that the caller identification data does not correspond to the caller number stored in said memory table, when the caller identification data received through the network is not detected, or when the extension telephone set to which the incoming call is preferentially allocated is busy.

24. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a method for use in a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said method comprising the steps of:

previously registering in a memory table a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

identifying the caller number stored in said memory table which corresponds to the caller identification data when a determination is made that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

preferentially allocating the incoming call to one of the extension telephone sets having an extension number stored in said memory table as associated with the identified caller number when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected; and

(3) an extension number is stored in said memory table in association with the identified caller number; and

when the identified caller number is associated with a plurality of extension numbers stored in said memory table, first allocating the incoming call to one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a most preferred status, and when the first allocated extension telephone set is busy, subsequently allocating the incoming call to another one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a next most preferred status.

25. In a network which transmits caller identification data to a called party, a method for use in a private branch exchange for automatically allocating an incoming call to a plurality of extension telephone sets, said method comprising the steps of:

previously registering in a memory table a caller number indicative of a telephone number of a potential caller and at least one extension number indicative of a telephone number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets to which a call from the potential caller is preferably allocated;

detecting caller identification data received through the network when an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

determining whether the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

identifying the caller number stored in said memory table which corresponds to the caller identification data when a determination is made that the caller identification data corresponds to the caller number stored in said memory table;

preferentially allocating the incoming call to one of the extension telephone sets having an extension number stored in said memory table as associated with the identified caller number when the following conditions are met;

(1) an incoming call is received which does not specify an extension number of one of the plurality of extension telephone sets;

(2) the caller number is detected; and

(3) an extension number is stored in said memory table in association with the identified caller number;

when the identified caller number is associated with a plurality of extension numbers stored in said memory table, first allocating the incoming call to one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a most preferred status, and when the first allocated extension telephone set is busy, subsequently allocating the incoming call to another one of the extension numbers registered in a position in said memory table which indicates a next most preferred status; and

when the extension telephone sets having said extension numbers associated with the identified caller number are busy, selecting one of said plurality of extension telephone sets other than the busy extension telephone sets in accordance with a predetermined rule.