System and method for generating multiple line appearances in a communication network

• US 6,798,767 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, John D., Pruski, Kenneth P., Mcclung, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUNKULH, BOB A
• Application Number:
  US09/442,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/522, 379/88.17, 379/93.01, 379/207.02, 379/207.03, 379/207.04, 379/207.08, 379/207.09, 379/211.01, 379/211.03, 379/211.04, 379/212.01, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 455/445, 455/461
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A communication system includes a communication network, and an originating telephony device, a target telephony device, and a call manager coupled to the communication network. The call manager signals the target telephony device to indicate an incoming call from the originating telephony device. The call manager includes an alternate number list that identifies at least one alternate telephony device to be signaled in response to an incoming call directed to the target telephony device. The call manager additionally includes one or more mapping tables associating a network address with each identified alternate telephony device.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a communication network;

an originating telephony device coupled to the communication network;

a target telephony device coupled to the communication network; and

a call manager coupled to the communication network and operable to signal the target telephony device to indicate an incoming call from the originating telephony device, the call manager comprising;

an alternate number list operable to identify at least one alternate telephony device to be signaled in response to the incoming call directed to the target telephony device, the alternate number list comprising a ring delay period associated with each alternate telephony device indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

one or more mapping tables associating a packet network address with each identified alternate telephony device.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises:

a packet network;

a non-packet network;

at least one gateway device coupling the packet network and the non-packet network, the gateway device operable to couple the alternate telephony device to the originating telephony device, wherein the packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises a packet network address of the gateway.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the alternate number list further comprises off-hook processing information associated with each alternate telephony device indicating actions to be taken by the call manager once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive the incoming call.

4. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a remote computer operable to modify the alternate number list.

5. A method of generating multiple line appearances in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call initiation request from an originating telephony device coupled to the communication network, the call initiation request directed to a target telephony device coupled to the communication network;

determining a telephone number of at least one alternate telephony device from an alternate number list associated with the target telephony device;

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device;

signaling the target telephony device to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

determining a ring delay period associated with the alternate telephony device, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

signaling, after the ring delay period has expired, the alternate telephony device using the determined packet network address to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

terminating the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

determining whether to terminate the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device in response to off-hook processing information associated with the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device, the off-hook processing information indicating actions to be taken once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive an incoming call; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the alternate telephony device is coupled to a non-packet network; and

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises determining a packet network address of a gateway device the alternate telephony device to the packet network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein signaling the alternate telephony device comprises signaling the gateway device to dial a telephone number of the alternate telephony device.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising programming the alternate number list associated with the target telephony device using a World Wide Web browser on a remote computer.

11. A call manager for controlling at least one telephony device coupled to a communication network, comprising:

a network interface operable to couple the call manager to the communication network;

a memory operable to;

store an alternate number list associated with a telephony device coupled to the communication network, the alternate number list identifying at least one alternate telephony device and comprising a ring delay period associated with each alternate telephony device, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

store one or more mapping tables associating a packet network address with each alternate telephony device; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

receive a call initiation request identifying a telephony device;

access the alternate number list associated with the telephony device; and

signal the telephony device and at least one alternate telephony device identified in the alternate number list, wherein the alternate telephony device is signaled after expiration of the ring delay period.

12. The call manager of claim 11, wherein the packet network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a gateway device coupling the alternate telephony device to the call manager.

13. The call manager of claim 11, wherein the alternate number list further comprises off-hook processing information associated with each alternate telephony device indicating actions to be taken by the call manager once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive the incoming call.

14. Call manager software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to perform the following steps:

receiving a call initiation request from an originating telephony device coupled to a communication network, the call initiation request directed to a target telephony device coupled to the communication network;

determining a telephone number of at least one alternate telephony device from an alternate number list associated with the target telephony device;

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device;

signaling the target telephony device to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

determining a ring delay period associated with the alternate telephony device, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

signaling, after the expiration of the ring delay period, the alternate telephony device using the determined packet network address to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device.

15. The call manager software of claim 14, further operable to perform the following steps:

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

terminating the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

16. The call manager software of claim 14, further operable to perform the following steps:

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

determining whether to terminate the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device in response to off-hook processing information associated with the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device, the off-hook processing information indicating actions to be taken once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive an incoming call; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

17. The call manager software of claim 14, wherein:

the alternate telephony device is coupled to a non-packet network; and

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises determining a packet network address of a gateway device coupling the alternate telephony device to the packet network.

18. The call manager software of claim 17, wherein signaling the alternate telephony device comprises signaling the gateway device to dial a telephone number of the alternate telephony device.

19. A communication system, comprising:

a communication network;

an originating telephony device coupled to the communication network;

a target telephony device coupled to the communication network; and

a call manager coupled to the communication network and operable to signal the target telephony device to indicate an incoming call from the originating telephony device, the call manager comprising;

an alternate number list operable to identify at least one alternate telephony device to be signaled in response to the incoming call directed to the target telephony device, the alternate number list comprising off-hook processing information associated with each alternate telephony device indicating actions to be taken by the call manager once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive the incoming call; and

one or more mapping tables associating a packet network address with each identified alternate telephony device.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the communication network comprises:

a packet network;

a non-packet network;

at least one gateway device coupling the packet network and the non-packet network, the gateway device operable to couple the alternate telephony device to the originating telephony device, wherein the packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises a packet network address of the gateway.

21. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the alternate number list further comprises a ring delay period associated with each alternate telephony device indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration.

22. The communication system of claim 19, further comprising a remote computer operable to modify the alternate number list.

23. A method of generating multiple line appearances in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a call initiation request from an originating telephony device coupled to the communication network, the call initiation request directed to a target telephony device coupled to the communication network;

determining a telephone number of at least one alternate telephony device from an alternate number list associated with the target telephony device;

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device;

signaling the target telephony device to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

signaling the alternate telephony device using the determined packet network address to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

determining whether to terminate the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device in response to off-hook processing information associated with the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device, the off-hook processing information indicating actions to be taken once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive an incoming call; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a ring delay period associated with the alternate telephony device, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

waiting to signal the alternate telephony device until the ring delay period has expired.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the alternate telephony device is coupled to a non-packet network; and

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises determining a packet network address of a gateway device coupling the alternate telephony device to the packet network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein signaling the alternate telephony device comprises signaling the gateway device to dial a telephone number of the alternate telephony device.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising programming the alternate number list associated with the target telephony device using a World Wide Web browser on a remote computer.

28. A call manager for controlling at least one telephony device coupled to a communication network, comprising:

a network interface operable to couple the call manager to the communication network;

a memory operable to;

store an alternate number list associated with a telephony device coupled to the communication network, the alternate number list identifying at least one alternate telephony device and comprising off-hook processing information associated with each alternate telephony device indicating actions to be taken by the call manager once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive the incoming call; and

store one or more mapping tables associating a packet network address with each alternate telephony device; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

receive a call initiation request identifying a telephony device;

access the alternate number list associated with the telephony device; and

signal the telephony device and at least one alternate telephony device identified in the alternate number list.

29. The call manager of claim 28, wherein the alternate number list stored in the memory further comprises a ring delay period associated with each alternate telephony device such that the processor signals the alternate telephony device after expiration of the ring delay period, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration.

30. The call manager of claim 28, wherein the packet network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a gateway device coupling the alternate telephony device to the call manager.

31. Call manager software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to perform the following steps:

receiving a call initiation request from an originating telephony device coupled to a communication network, the call initiation request directed to a target telephony device coupled to the communication network;

determining a telephone number of at least one alternate telephony device from an alternate number list associated with the target telephony device;

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device;

signaling the target telephony device to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

signaling the alternate telephony device using the determined packet network address to indicate the call initiation request from the originating telephony device;

detecting an off-hook condition at one of the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device;

determining whether to terminate the ringing on the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device in response to off-hook processing information associated with the target telephony device and the alternate telephony device, the off-hook processing information indicating actions to be taken once the target telephony device or one or more of the alternate telephony devices have been taken off-hook to receive an incoming call; and

connecting the call between the originating telephony device and the telephony device having the off-hook condition.

32. The call manager software of claim 31, further operable to perform the following steps:

determining a ring delay period associated with the alternate telephony device, the ring delay period indicating a duration to wait before ringing each alternate telephony device without regard to whether the target telephony device has gone off-hook within the specified duration; and

waiting to signal the alternate telephony device until the ring delay period has expired.

33. The call manager software of claim 31, wherein:

the alternate telephony device is coupled to a non-packet network; and

determining a packet network address associated with the alternate telephony device comprises determining a packet network address of a gateway device coupling the alternate telephony device to the packet network.

34. The call manager software of claim 33, wherein signaling the alternate telephony device comprises signaling the gateway device to dial a telephone number of the alternate telephony device.