Communications system

• US 6,785,375 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Wills, Fenela, Bruce, Gary Leslie, Beddus, Simon Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/581,643
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265-1-2
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A computer telephony interface includes both first party and third party call components. A telephony server is arranged to control one or more of plural network nodes and has a control interface having a call model and call components for (a) at least one first party call and (b) at least one third party call. First and third party call components are linked to a single call model.

Claims

1. A communications network comprising:

a plurality of network nodes;

a telephony server arranged in operation to control at least one of said network nodes, said telephony server including a control interface comprising;

a call model comprising information relating to telephone calls made in said communications network and network nodes active in said telephone calls;

call components comprising at least one first party call components and/or at least one third party call components, said first and third party call components arranged in operation to control said telephone calls;

wherein network nodes located at the origin or destination of a telephone call and active in said telephone call are represented by first party call components which can control said telephone call from the view of the node at the origin or destination of said telephone call;

wherein network nodes located between the origin and destination of said telephone call and active in said telephone call are represented by third party call components which can control said telephone call from the view of the node between the origin and destination of said telephone call; and

wherein each first party and third party call component for said telephone call is linked to a single call model.

2. A telephony server for connection in a communications network according to claim 1.

3. A computer telephony interface for installation in a telephony server according to claim 2.

4. A machine readable medium carrying software adapted to implement a computer telephony interface according to claim 3.

5. A method of operating a telephone server installed in a communications network comprising a plurality of network nodes, said telephony server comprising a call model comprising information relating to telephone calls made in said communications network and call components arranged in operation to control said telephone calls, said method comprising the steps of:

a) representing each network node active in a telephone call with a call component;

including at least one first party call component and/or at least one third party call component;

wherein network nodes located at the origin or destination of a telephone call and active in said telephone call are represented by first party call components which can control said telephone call from the view of the node at the origin or destination of said telephone call;

wherein network nodes located between the origin and destination of said telephone call and active in said telephone call are represented by third party call components which can control said telephone call from the view of the node between the origin and destination of said telephone call;

b) selecting at least one of said call components;

c) incorporating each selected call component in said call model; and

d) controlling via said call model said network nodes corresponding to each selected call component, and thereby establishing a call in said communications network.

6. A machine readable medium carrying software adapted to implement the method according to claim 5.