Telephone switch call control unit
First Claim
1. A telephone switch control apparatus for providing automatic call distribution capability for telephone calls incoming to a key service unit coupled to a plurality of digital telephones, said incoming calls connectable to ones of said plurality of digital telephones, but not specifically directed to a particular digital telephone of said plurality of digital telephones, said telephone switch control apparatus comprising:
- a digital line interface;
means for coupling said digital line interface to said key service unit;
means, including a first processor, operable for transmitting digital data to and receiving digital data from said key service unit via said digital line interface, wherein said digital data received from said key service unit indicates the busy/idle status of each one of said plurality of digital telephones and wherein said digital data transmitted to said key service unit comprises a transfer command operable to cause said key service unit to transfer an incoming call to a selected one of said plurality of digital telephones according to a user-defined algorithm processed by said first processor;
an electronic memory coupled to said first processor and independent from said key service unit, wherein said electronic memory contains said user-defined algorithm;
means controlled by said first processor for storing said received busy/idle status data in said electronic memory;
means including a second processor coupled to said first processor for generating a plurality of digital audio messages in response to commands from said first processor, wherein said digital audio messages are transmitted to said incoming call via said digital line interface.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed an apparatus for providing automatic call distribution and auto-attendant capabilities to a digital telephone switch not having those capabilities. Digital interface circuitry is provided to emulate the appearance of a digital telephone connected to the telephone switch. The telephone switch is programmed to automatically route incoming calls to the interface circuitry and also to transmit the status of other digital telephones connected to the telephone switch to the interface circuitry. A processor is provided which determines the busy/idle state of other telephones connected to the switch, and transmits to the telephone switch a transfer command which re-routes the incoming telephone call to an idle telephone. Storage circuitry is provided for storing a user-defined algorithm for distributing incoming calls to the available digital telephones. Storage circuitry is also provided for storing digital audio messages for replay to the incoming calls when the incoming calls are placed on hold by the processor means.
55 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A telephone switch control apparatus for providing automatic call distribution capability for telephone calls incoming to a key service unit coupled to a plurality of digital telephones, said incoming calls connectable to ones of said plurality of digital telephones, but not specifically directed to a particular digital telephone of said plurality of digital telephones, said telephone switch control apparatus comprising:
-
a digital line interface; means for coupling said digital line interface to said key service unit; means, including a first processor, operable for transmitting digital data to and receiving digital data from said key service unit via said digital line interface, wherein said digital data received from said key service unit indicates the busy/idle status of each one of said plurality of digital telephones and wherein said digital data transmitted to said key service unit comprises a transfer command operable to cause said key service unit to transfer an incoming call to a selected one of said plurality of digital telephones according to a user-defined algorithm processed by said first processor; an electronic memory coupled to said first processor and independent from said key service unit, wherein said electronic memory contains said user-defined algorithm; means controlled by said first processor for storing said received busy/idle status data in said electronic memory; means including a second processor coupled to said first processor for generating a plurality of digital audio messages in response to commands from said first processor, wherein said digital audio messages are transmitted to said incoming call via said digital line interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A telephone switch control apparatus for providing automatic call distribution and auto-attendant capability to a digital telephone switch, wherein said telephone switch is coupled to a plurality of digital telephones and wherein said telephone switch is operable for connecting an incoming call to said switch control apparatus and for transmitting line appearance data of at least one of said plurality of digital telephones to said switch control apparatus, said switch control apparatus comprising:
-
an electronic memory; means at least in part stored in said electronic memory for selectable controlling said automatic call distribution and auto-attendant capability, said controlling means including a plurality of different call distribution techniques selectable by a user of said control apparatus said controlling means also including a user selectable auto-attendant function wherein a caller may autonomously direct the call; means for storing in said electronic memory an instruction set for controlling telephone connections in said telephone switch; means coupled to at least one digital line interface of said telephone switch and operable for receiving incoming call data from said telephone switch, said incoming call data including line appearance data; means for processing said received incoming call data under control of said stored instruction set; and means for transmitting digital data to said telephone switch, wherein said transmitted digital data includes a transfer command operable to cause said telephone switch operating under an internally controlled instruction set to transfer said incoming call to a selected one of said plurality of digital telephones, wherein said transfer of said incoming call by said telephone switch is accomplished without a change of condition at a central office switch, and wherein said transmitted digital data further includes a first hold command operable to place said incoming call in a hold condition and a second hold command operable to remove said incoming call from said hold condition. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for providing automatic call distribution capability for telephone calls coming into a telephone switch coupled to a plurality of digital telephones, the incoming calls connectable to any digital telephone of said plurality of digital telephones, but not specifically directed to a particular digital telephone of said plurality of digital telephones, the method comprising the steps of:
-
programming the telephone switch to send the incoming calls to a selected digital line interface coupled to said telephone switch; coupling a digital processor to the selected digital line interface of the telephone switch, the telephone switch being interposed between said digital processor and any central office switch through which said incoming calls may be routed, the digital processor operable for transmitting digital data to and receiving digital data from the telephone switch via the digital line interface, wherein the digital data received from the telephone switch includes the busy/idle status of each one of the plurality of digital telephones and wherein the digital data transmitted to the telephone switch comprises a transfer command operable to cause the telephone switch to transfer an incoming phone call to a selected one of the plurality of digital telephones; programming the digital processor to automatically distribute telephone calls according to a user defined algorithm stored in an electronic memory coupled to the digital processor, wherein said user defined algorithm is at least in part selected from a plurality of different call distribution techniques stored in said electronic memory said programming step utilizing a digital telephone of said plurality of digital telephones coupled to said telephone switch to allow a user to interface with said digital processor for programming; storing the received busy/idle status data in the electronic memory; receiving the incoming phone call sent by the telephone switch on the digital line interface; transmitting a digital audio message of a plurality of digital audio messages through said digital line interface to said incoming phone call; transmitting the transfer command to the telephone switch according to said user-defined algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
Specification