Method and apparatus for automatically transferring a caller to a selected extension

• US 5,825,851 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Cheol-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/668,071
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/399, 370/355, 370/364
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

An automatic transferring apparatus for an exchange and a method therefor which automatically transfers an office line incoming call to an extension line includes: a unit connected to a switching circuit for converting received serial vocal data into parallel data; a memory for directly storing without further conversion the parallel-converted vocal data as a vocal guide message; a unit connected to the switching circuit for converting a DTMF signal into digital data; a unit for converting the parallel vocal data output from the memory into serial vocal data, and outputting it to the switching circuit; a unit for directly time slots assignment of the serial/parallel converting unit and parallel/serial converting unit; a unit connected to an exchange controller for receiving a command for automatic transfer; and an automatic transfer controller for controlling the memory in a recording mode to thereby store the parallel-converted vocal data as a vocal guide message, the controller outputting the vocal guide message by controlling the memory in automatic transfer mode, the controller outputting a received DTMF signal to the exchange controller as an extension number.

Claims

1. An automatic transferring apparatus for an exchange which automatically transfers an office line incoming call to an extension line, said apparatus comprising:

a serial to parallel converter, connected to a switching circuit, for converting received serial vocal data into parallel data;

a memory for directly storing without further conversion said parallel-converted vocal data as a vocal guide message;

a DTMF receiver, connected to said switching circuit, for converting a DTMF signal from the office line into digital data;

a parallel to serial converter for directly converting said parallel vocal data output from said memory into serial vocal data, and for outputting it to said switching circuit;

a time-division allocator for allocating time slot assignments of said serial to parallel converter and said parallel to serial converter;

an interprocessor communication unit IPC, connected to an exchange controller, for receiving a command for automatic transfer; and

an automatic transfer controller for controlling said memory in a recording mode to thereby store said parallel-converted vocal data as a vocal guide message, said controller outputting said vocal guide message by controlling said memory in an automatic transfer mode, and said controller outputting a received DTMF signal from the office line to said exchange controller as an extension number, said exchange controller connecting the office line incoming call to an extension line corresponding to the extension number.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said exchange controller comprises:

a means for determining if a telephone on an extension line is off the hook;

a tone generator connected to said switching circuit for suppling a calling sound to said telephone when said detecting means has detected that said telephone is off the hook;

a second means for determining whether or not a message recording mode command has been issued by said telephone;

a third means for controlling said switching circuit to form a communication path between said telephone and the automatic transfer controller and transmitting a channel designation IPC message and control signals to said interprocessor communication unit IPC through a data bus and further outputting an IPC message to said interprocessor communication unit IPC for designating a recording start information number, provided that said telephone has output said recording mode command;

a fourth means for detecting a message recording completion command from said telephone and for transmitting an IPC message to said interprocessor communication unit IPC when said completion command is detected, and

a fifth means for detecting the recording completion IPC message and for removing the apparatus from the recording mode in response thereto.

2. A method of communication of an exchange having an automatic transferring unit and in which an exchange controller forms a communication path to the automatic transferring unit to thereby automatically transfer an office line incoming call to an extension designated by a caller, said method comprising the steps of:

parallel-converting serial vocal data input in a serial to parallel converter when a recording mode command is received, and directly storing it without further conversion as a vocal guide message;

directly serial-converting the stored vocal guide message in a parallel to serial converter when an automatic transfer mode command is received;

allocating time slot assignments of said serial to parallel converter and said parallel to serial converter;

detecting a DTMF signal received from the office line, after the output of the vocal guide message, as an extension designation signal for designating an extension number; and

outputting the extension number to the exchange controller, and finishing automatic transfer;

wherein the exchange controller controls a switching circuit to automatically connect the incoming office line to the extension designated by the caller.