Telecommunications installation and management system and method
First Claim
1. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices each of which have a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and each of which use different protocols for external communication with the installation and management apparatus, comprising:
- a computer database system containing configuration data used to control the operation of the telecommunications devices;
data input means for receiving commands from a user to control said computer database system and for receiving configuration data from said user to be stored in said computer database system;
display means for displaying configuration data stored in said computer database system to said user;
communication means connected with the at least two telecommunications devices for transferring data between the telecommunications devices and the telecommunications system installation and management apparatus; and
control means operatively connected with said computer database system, said data input means, said display means, and said communication means, said control means operating to retrieve configuration data to be transferred to one of the at least two telecommunications devices from said computer database system, to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said one of the at least two telecommunications devices, and for transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said one of the at least two telecommunications devices using said communication means, whereby said configuration data stored in said database of at least one of said two telecommunications devices is modified.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telecommunications system installation and management device and method for managing, controlling, updating and monitoring telecommunications devices, such as a private branch exchange telephone switch, voice messaging system, call accounting system, central office telephone switch, router, bridge, hub, or associated peripheral telecommunications equipment. The device is capable of managing and controlling a plurality of different types of telecommunications equipment provided by various different manufacturers to thereby seamlessly integrate the equipment into an easily managed telecommunications system. A local database within the telecommunications system provides for real-time or near real-time access and modification of programming information for the telecommunications equipment and further provides for redundancy in the event that the telecommunications equipment should fail. A single point of control for system management and data entry is provided in an integrated application that reduces the amount of necessary data to be entered and that facilitates user modifications and changes to operating parameters. The system preferably actively maintains a live connection with each of the managed devices.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices each of which have a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and each of which use different protocols for external communication with the installation and management apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database system containing configuration data used to control the operation of the telecommunications devices; data input means for receiving commands from a user to control said computer database system and for receiving configuration data from said user to be stored in said computer database system; display means for displaying configuration data stored in said computer database system to said user; communication means connected with the at least two telecommunications devices for transferring data between the telecommunications devices and the telecommunications system installation and management apparatus; and control means operatively connected with said computer database system, said data input means, said display means, and said communication means, said control means operating to retrieve configuration data to be transferred to one of the at least two telecommunications devices from said computer database system, to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said one of the at least two telecommunications devices, and for transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said one of the at least two telecommunications devices using said communication means, whereby said configuration data stored in said database of at least one of said two telecommunications devices is modified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for maintaining a synchronized copy of configuration data stored in a database within a telecommunications device and used to control the operation of the device, comprising:
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a computer database system including a plurality of data records for storing said synchronized copy of said configuration data; communication means connected with the telecommunications device for transferring data between the telecommunications device and the apparatus; and control means operatively connected with said computer database system and said communication means, said control means operating to detect a change in said configuration data stored in the database within the telecommunications device and to modify at least one of said plurality of data records in said computer database system in response to said change.
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24. A method for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices each of which have a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the telecommunications device stored therein and each of which use different protocols for external communication, comprising the steps of:
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generating, in a device different from said at least two telecommunications devices, a database containing information indicative of said configuration data; modifying said information indicative of said configuration data in response to at least one command received from a user; retrieving said modified information from said database containing information indicative of said configuration data; generating a first telecommunications device control command by converting said modified information into a protocol suitable for use with one of the at least two telecommunications devices; transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said one of the at least two telecommunications devices; and modifying the configuration data stored in said database of at least one of said two telecommunications devices in response to said first telecommunications device control command. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device; data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data, wherein said control means further operates to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said received configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, to access said at least one other of said plurality of records to retrieve modified configuration data therefrom, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said modified configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said second telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, and wherein said at least one telecommunications device comprises a PBX telephone switch and a call accounting system, and said first telecommunications device control command is transferred to said PBX telephone switch and said second telecommunications device control command is transferred to said call accounting system. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device; data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data, wherein said control means further operates to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said received configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, to access said at least one other of said plurality of records to retrieve modified configuration data therefrom, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said modified configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said second telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, and wherein said at least one telecommunications device comprises a PBX telephone switch and a voice messaging system, and said first telecommunications device control command is transferred to said PBX telephone switch and said second telecommunications device control command is transferred to said voice messaging system. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device; data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data, wherein said control means further operates to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said received configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said first telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, to access said at least one other of said plurality of records to retrieve modified configuration data therefrom, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said modified configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said at least one telecommunications device, and for transferring said second telecommunications device control command to said at least one telecommunications device using the communications path, and wherein said at least one telecommunications device consists of a PBX telephone switch. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least two telecommunications devices; and control means operatively connected with said computer database, said control means operating to access said computer database to retrieve said configuration data and further operating to (a) format said configuration data into first formatted configuration data suitable for a first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said first formatted configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said first telecommunications device control command to said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path; and (b) format said configuration data into second formatted configuration data suitable for a second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said second formatted configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said second telecommunications device control command to said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path, wherein said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices is a PBX telephone switch and said second one of said at least two telecommunication devices is a call accounting system. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least two telecommunications devices operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least two telecommunications devices; and control means operatively connected with said computer database, said control means operating to access said computer database to retrieve said configuration data and further operating to (a) format said configuration data into first formatted configuration data suitable for a first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a first telecommunications device control command by converting said first formatted configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said first telecommunications device control command to said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path; and (b) format said configuration data into second formatted configuration data suitable for a second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, to generate a second telecommunications device control command by converting said second formatted configuration data into a protocol suitable for use with said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, and to transfer said second telecommunications device control command to said second one of said at least two telecommunications devices, using the communications path, wherein said first one of said at least two telecommunications devices is a PBX telephone switch and said second one of said at least two telecommunication devices is a voice messaging system. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device; data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data, wherein said control means further functions to detect a change in said configuration data in said computer database system and operates to retrieve said configuration data to be transferred to one of the at least two telecommunications devices from said computer database system in response to said change. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A telecommunications system installation and management apparatus for controlling the operation of at least one telecommunications device having a database containing configuration data used to control the operation of the device stored therein and operatively connected through a communications path with the apparatus, comprising:
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a computer database including a plurality of data records containing configuration data used to control the operation of the at least one telecommunications device; data input means for receiving configuration data from a user to be stored in one of said plurality of data records in said computer database; and control means operatively connected with said computer database and said data input means, said control means operating to store said received configuration data in said one of said plurality of records and to modify at least one other of said plurality of records in response to said received configuration data, wherein said control means further operates to synchronize the configuration data stored within the computer database of the apparatus with the configuration data stored in said at least one telecommunications device. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification