Routing incoming calls to a PBX in response to route requests from a host computer

• US 5,568,544 A
• Filed: 03/13/1995
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Rolm Communications, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Keeler, Thomas C., Dang, Loanne P., Kelly, Chuck S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/402,686
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 379/229, 379/231, 379/232, 379/233, 379/242, 379/243, 379/244, 379/258, 379/265, 379/266, 379/268, 379/269, 379/309, 379/273, 379/284, 379/45, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221 , 379/224, 379/225, 379/272
• US Class Current: 379/273
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/625 Arrangements in the private branch exchange

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for dynamically routing incoming calls through a private branch exchange (PBX) in response to commands issued by a host computer and, in particular, for routing incoming calls after routing information has been obtained from conventional ACD call handling techniques. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is a method for dynamically routing incoming calls through a private branch exchange (PBX), which method comprises the steps of: (a) receiving an incoming call; (b) requesting a route request from a call processing module of the PBX, the route request being referred to as an internal route request; (c) receiving a route request for the incoming call from an alternate source, the route request being referred to as an external route request; and (d) rejecting the internal or the external route request on the basis of a priority scheme.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically routing incoming calls through a private branch exchange (PBX), which method comprises the steps of:

receiving an incoming call;

receiving an internal route request from a call processing module of the PBX in response to receiving the incoming call;

receiving an external route request for the incoming call from an alternate source outside of the PBX; and

rejecting the internal or the external route request on the basis of a priority scheme.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the call processing module is an automatic call distribution routing module.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the alternate source comprises at least one external host computer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the alternate source comprises a server processor associated with the PBX.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority scheme allows resolution of a conflict between an internal and an external route request before the incoming call is connected to a final destination.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the priority scheme assigns a higher priority to an internal route request than it assigns to an external route request.

7. A method for dynamically routing incoming calls through a private branch exchange (PBX), which method comprises the steps of:

receiving an incoming call;

receiving an internal route request from a call processing module of the PBX in response to receiving the incoming call;

receiving an external route request for the incoming call from an alternate source outside of the PBX;

establishing a priority scheme for connecting the incoming call in response to one of the internal and external route requests, including allowing resolution of a conflict between the internal and external route requests before the incoming call is connected to a final destination and including allowing the incoming call to be connected to one or more temporary destinations without consideration of a conflict between the internal and external route requests; and

rejecting the internal or the external route request on the basis of the priority scheme.