Communication system consisting of at least two private branch exchanges with pbx team function

• US 6,430,283 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies S.a.r.l. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wille, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/269,622
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/207, 379/216, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/225, 379/229, 379/230, 379/231, 379/232
• US Class Current: 379/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

A communication system with a plurality of private branch exchanges and [sic] team function overlapping private branch exchanges wherein, a team function controller is provided in a private branch exchange and the team terminal equipment of another private branch exchange are connected via an extension connection in the form of a hot line. A team function sub-controller in the private branch exchange of the detached subscribers switches the calls of these subscribers via the hot-line and the private branch exchange with the team function controller. Given malfunction of this private branch exchange or of the hot-line, the team function sub-controller routes calls outgoing from the detached team terminal equipment via a network termination device of the communication network to which they are directly connected.

Claims

1. Communication system composed of at least one first private branch exchange (PINX1) with an exchange controller (CC) and at least one first switching node (SW1) that is connected via a first network termination means (TU1) to at least one higher-ranking communication network (ISDN) and via at least one subscriber line means (SLM) to terminal equipment (TT1, TT2), and composed of at least one second private branch exchange with an exchange controller (CC) and at least one second switching node (SW2) that is connected via a second network termination means (TU2) to the higher-ranking communication network (ISDN) and via at least one subscriber line means (SLM) to terminal equipment (TT3, TT4), whereby a team function controller (TC) is provided in the first private branch exchange (PINX1), said team function controller controlling specific terminal equipment according to a team function as team terminal equipment of a team that can be called via the first switching node (SW1) and thereby initiating a signalling to other team terminal equipment dependent on the switching-oriented condition of individual team terminal equipment as well as influencing their switching-oriented condition, characterized in that at least one team terminal equipment (TT1, TT2) of the team is directly connected to the first switching node (SW1) as terminal equipment via a subscriber line means (SLM) and at least one second team terminal equipment (TT3, TT4), as detached member of the team, is connected to the second switching node (SW2) via a subscriber line means (SLM) and can be reached via the first switching node (SW1), a hot-line connection (HL) between the first and the second switching node (SW1, SW2) and the second switching node (SW2);

and in that a team function sub-controller (TSC) is provided in the second private branch exchange (PINX2) in order to switch a call outgoing from the second team terminal equipment (TT3, TT4) into the higher-ranking communication network (ISDN) via the hot-line connection (HL) and the first switching node (SW1) and, given a malfunction of the first switching node (SW1) or of the hot-line connection (HL), in order to switch a call outgoing from the second team terminal equipment (TT3, TT4) via the network termination means (TU2) of the second private branch exchange.

2. Communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the team function sub-controller (TSC) checks an availability of the first switching node (SW1) and of the hot-line connection (HL) between the first and the second switching node (SW1, SW2) by checking the signalling connection required for the transmission of the subscriber-to-subscriber messages for the detached subscribers.

3. A communication system, comprising:

at least one first private branch exchange, the first private branch exchange including an exchange controller and at least one first switching node that is connected first via a first network termination device to at least one higher-ranking communication network and second via at least one subscriber line to terminal equipment, the first private branch exchange further including a team function controller for controlling specific terminal equipment according to a team function as team terminal equipment of a team that can be called via the first switching node to initiate a signaling to other team terminal equipment dependent on a switching-oriented condition of individual team terminal equipment as well as to influence their switching-oriented condition;

at least one second private branch exchange, the second private branch exchange including an exchange controller and at least one second switching node that is connected first via a second network termination device to the higher-ranking communication network and second via at least one subscriber line to second terminal equipment;

wherein at least one team terminal equipment of the team is directly connected to the first switching node as terminal equipment via a subscriber line and at least one second team terminal equipment, as detached member of the team, is connected to the second switching node via a subscriber line and can be reached via the first switching node, via a hot-line connection between the first and the second switching node, and via the second switching node; and

wherein a team function sub-controller is provided in the second private branch exchange to switch a call outgoing from the second team terminal equipment into the higher-ranking communication network via the hot-line connection and the first switching node and, given a malfunction of one of the first switching node and the hot-line connection, in order to switch a call outgoing from the second terminal equipment via the network termination means of the second private branch exchange.

4. A communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the team function sub-controller checks an availability of the first switching node and of the hot-line connection between the first and the second switching node by checking the signaling connection required for transmission of the subscriber-to-subscriber messages for the detached subscribers.