Virtual PBX system

• US 6,393,017 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Galvin, Thomas J., Hanson, Joel K., O'Brien, Mark J., Moey, Anthony W. S., Kirchner, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US09/441,741
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/389, 370/410, 370/475, 370/427, 370/397, 370/422, 370/259, 370/409, 455/411, 455/413, 379/201.01, 379/196, 379/154
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A virtual private branch exchange (PBX) system that routes calls within a packet-switching network. Login information is received from a data device. The login information includes an alias identifying a user at the data device and a network address identifying the location of the data device on the packet-switching network. The virtual private branch exchange system associates the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension with the network address and routes calls to the user'"'"'s (PBX) extension to the data device on the basis of the network address of the data device.

Claims

1. A method of routing calls within a packet-switching network, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a data device login information including an alias identifying a user at the data device and a network address identifying the location of the data device on the packet-switching network;

associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the network address;

receiving a call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

routing the received call to the data device on the basis of the network address of the data device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

associating an alias identifying the user with the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of associating the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension with the network address comprises the step of:

linking the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension to the network address of the data device in response to receiving the user'"'"'s alias.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving from the data device a disconnect command indicating that the user desires to log off of the packet-switching network.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

disassociating the network address from the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension in response to receiving the disconnect command.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

receiving from another data device other login information including the alias identifying the user at the other device and another network address identifying the location of the other data device on the packet-switching network;

associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the other network address;

receiving another call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

routing the other call to the other data device on the basis of the other network address of the other data device.

7. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

receiving the user'"'"'s alias from different data devices connected to the packet-switching network at different times;

tracking locations of the user on the packet-switching network on the basis of the respective network addresses of the different data devices; and

routing calls to the one of the different data devices from which the user'"'"'s alias was last received.

8. A virtual private branch exchange system implemented on a packet-switching network, comprising:

means for receiving from a data device login information including an alias identifying a user at the data device and a network address identifying the location of the data device on the packet-switching network;

means for associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the network address;

means for receiving a call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

means for routing the received call to the data device on the basis of the network address of the data device.

9. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for associating an alias identifying the user with the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension.

10. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 9, wherein the means for associating the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension with the network address, comprises:

means for linking the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension to the network address of the data device in response to receiving the user'"'"'s alias.

11. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving from the data device a disconnect command indicating that the user desires to logoff of the packet-switching network.

12. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for disassociating the network address from the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension in response to receiving the disconnect command.

13. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving from another data device other login information including the alias identifying the user at the other device and another network address identifying the location of the other data device on the packet-switching network;

means for associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the other network address;

means for receiving another call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

means for routing the other call to the other data device on the basis of the other network address of the other data device.

14. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for receiving the user'"'"'s alias from different data devices connected to the packet-switching network at different times;

means for tracking locations of the user on the packet-switching network on the basis of the respective network addresses of the different data devices; and

means for routing calls to the one of the different data devices from which the user'"'"'s alias was last received.

15. A virtual private branch exchange system implemented on a packet-switching network, comprising:

a memory configured to store information associating a user with a private branch exchange extension of the user;

a directory unit configured to receive from a data device login information including an alias identifying the user at the data device and a network address identifying the location of the data device on the packet-switching network, configured to access the memory to associate a private branch exchange extension of the user with the network address, configured to process information of a received call, the information including the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension, and configured to route the received call to the data device on the basis of the network address of the data device.

16. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured to store information associating an alias identifying the user with the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension.

17. A virtual private branch exchange system according to claim 16, wherein the directory unit is further configured to link the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension to the network address of the data device in response to receiving the user'"'"'s alias.

18. A virtual private branch exchange according to claim 16, wherein the directory unit is further configured to receive the user'"'"'s alias from different data devices connected to the packet-switching network, configured to track locations of the user on the packet-switching network on the basis of the respective network addresses of the different data devices, configured to process other information of another received call, the other information including the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension, and configured to route the other received call to the one of the different data devices from which the user'"'"'s alias was last received.

19. A computer readable medium storing program instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving from a data device login information including an alias identifying a user at the data device and a network address identifying the location of the data device on the packet-switching network;

associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the network address;

receiving a call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

routing the received call to the data device on the basis of the network address of the data device.

20. A computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

associating an alias identifying the user with the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the step of associating the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension with the network address, comprises the step of:

linking the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension to the network address of the data device in response to receiving the user'"'"'s alias.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving from the data device a disconnect command indicating that the user desires to logoff of the packet-switching network.

23. A computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

disassociating the network address from the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension in response to receiving the disconnect command.

24. A computer readable medium according to claim 23, further comprising program instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving from another data device other login information including the alias identifying the user at the other device and another network address identifying the location of the other data device on the packet-switching network;

associating a private branch exchange extension of the user with the other network address;

receiving another call to the user'"'"'s private branch exchange extension; and

routing the other call to the other data device on the basis of the other network address of the other data device.

25. A computer readable medium according to claim 20, further comprising program instructions for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving the user'"'"'s alias from different data devices connected to the packet-switching network at different times;

tracking locations of the user on the packet-switching network on the basis of the respective network addresses of the different data devices; and

routing calls to the one of the different data devices from which the user'"'"'s alias was last received.

26. A memory for storing information for implementing a virtual private branch exchange on a packet-switching network, comprising a data structure including:

a field for storing private branch exchange extensions of users registered with the virtual private branch exchange; and

a field for dynamically storing network addresses identifying the respective locations of data devices connected to the packet-switching network, the network addresses being dynamically associated with corresponding of the users'"'"' private branch exchange extensions.

27. A memory according to claim 26, further comprising another data structure including:

a field for storing aliases identifying respective of the users, the aliases being linked to corresponding of the users'"'"' private branch exchange extensions.