Exchange and telephone exchange system

• US 6,807,271 B1
• Filed: 08/12/1999
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Satoshi, Fukazawa, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/372,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.12, 379/229, 379/230, 379/221.13
• US Class Current: 379/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0407 using a stored programme control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1325 Priority service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1334 Configuration within the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement

Abstract

A service is provided not only by an internally preset fixed function but also by an externally provided function which can be altered by a user side. An exchange apparatus provided with a service process section for providing a service associated with a control signal comprises a process location determination section for determining a location of execution of a process associated with the control signal, a control signal notice section for issuing a notice on the control signal to the outside when the determination section has determined that the process is to be executed outside, a data storage section for storing data to be used when the process is executed, a data interface section for reference of data stored in the data storage section in accordance with a request arising from the externally executed service process, and service providing section for providing services based on a result of the externally executed process.

Claims

1. An exchange apparatus for providing a service relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, the exchange apparatus comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether a process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in a processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus;

control signal notice means for notifying the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus of a content of the received control signal, when the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed in the external processing apparatus; and

service providing means for providing a service, on the basis of a result of the process executed by the external processing apparatus in accordance with the content of the control signal, of which the external processing apparatus was notified by the control signal notice means.

2. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising data storage means for storing various data to be used when the process associated with the received control signal is executed.

3. An exchange apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising data interface means for outputting the data stored in the data storage means to the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus, in accordance with a request arising from the process, of which the external processing apparatus was notified by the control signal notice means and which was executed by the external processing apparatus in accordance with the content of the control signal.

4. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service providing means includes instruction transmission means for transmitting an instruction to the communication line or another communication line.

5. An exchange apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the instruction transmission means transmits an instruction to the communication line or another communication line, with use of the same instruction as in the case where the process is executed within the exchange apparatus, on the basis of a result of the process executed by the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus.

6. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus,

wherein the process location determination means effects the determination on the basis of the information stored in the process location storage means.

7. An exchange apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising process location rewrite means for rewriting the information stored in the process location storage means.

8. An exchange apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the process location storage means includes service-related process location storage means for storing data on a location of execution of the process associated with the control signal in accordance with a type of service, and

the process location determination means includes service type determination means for determining the service type corresponding to the received control signal and acquires data on the location of execution from the service-related process location storage means on the basis of the service type corresponding to the received control signal.

9. An exchange apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the process location storage means includes arrival-time-related process location storage means for storing data on a location of execution of the process associated with the control signal in accordance with a time zone, and

the process location determination means includes control-signal arrival time determination means for determining an arrival time of the received control signal and acquires data on the location of execution from the arrival-time-related process location storage means on the basis of the arrival time of the received control signal.

10. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising internal signal frame preparation means for preparing an internal signal frame on the basis of the control signal sent from the communication line,

wherein the internal signal frame includes a flag indicative of a location of execution of the process associated with the control signal and information indicative of the content of the control signal, and the process location determination means determines the location of execution of the process associated with the control signal on the basis of the flag.

11. An exchange apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the internal signal frame preparation means sets the flag indicating that the process associated with the control signal is to be executed in the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus, when the control signal, in which a specific number indicating the execution of the process in the external processing apparatus is designated, has been input.

12. An exchange apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the internal signal frame preparation means sets the flag indicating that the process associated with the control signal is to be executed in the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus, when a port connected to the communication line through which the control signal has been sent is a special one.

13. An exchange apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the internal signal frame preparation means sets the flag indicating that the process associated with the control signal is to be executed in the processing apparatus external to the exchange apparatus, when the communication line through which the control signal has been sent belongs to a specific group.

14. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus, and internal signal frame preparation means for preparing an internal signal frame on the basis of the control signal sent from the communication line,

wherein the internal signal frame includes a flag indicative of a location of execution of the process associated with the control signal and information indicative of the content of the control signal, and

the process location determination means effects the determination on the basis of the information stored in the process location storage means and the flag.

15. An exchange apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the process location determination means determines the location of execution of the process on the basis of determination based on the information stored in the process location storage means, determination based on the flag, and a predetermined order of priority of determination.

16. An exchange apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined order of priority of determination is defined to give a priority to the determination based on the information stored in the process location storage means.

17. An exchange apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined order of priority of determination is defined to give a priority to the determination based on the flag.

18. An exchange apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined order of priority of determination is defined to give a priority to the execution of the process by the external processing apparatus.

19. An exchange apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising second service providing means for providing a service on the basis of a result of the process executed in accordance with the content of the control signal, where the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed within the exchange apparatus.

20. A telephone exchange system comprising a telephone exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus for performing a process associated with the control signal from the communication line, of which the telephone exchange apparatus notifies the external processing apparatus, the telephone exchange apparatus comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed in the external processing apparatus;

control signal notice means for notifying the external processing apparatus of a content of the received control signal, when the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed in the external processing apparatus; and

means for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange, on the basis of a result of the process executed by the external processing apparatus in accordance with the content of the control signal, of which the external processing apparatus was notified by the control signal notice means, and

the external processing apparatus comprising;

external service process means for performing the process based on the content of the control signal, of which the external service process means has been notified by the control signal notice means.

21. A telephone exchange system according to claim 20, further comprising data storage means for storing various data to be used when the process associated with the received control signal is executed.

22. A telephone exchange system according to claim 21, wherein the external service process means includes data request means for requesting necessary data for the process based on the content of the control signal from the telephone exchange apparatus, and

the telephone exchange apparatus further comprises data interface means for outputting to the data request means the data stored in the data storage means in response to a request by the data request means.

23. A telephone exchange system according to claim 20, wherein the telephone exchange apparatus further includes process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the telephone exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus, and process location rewrite means for rewriting the information stored in the process location storage means, and

the external service process means includes process location rewrite instruct means for instructing the process location rewrite means to rewrite data on the process location.

24. A telephone exchange system comprising a telephone exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus for performing a process associated with the control signal, the system comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus;

process execution means, provided in the external processing apparatus, for executing the process in accordance with the control signal, when the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed by the external processing apparatus; and

operation means, provided in the exchange apparatus, for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.

25. A telephone exchange system according to claim 24, further comprising data storage means for storing various data to be used when the process associated with the received control signal is executed.

26. A telephone exchange system according to claim 25, wherein the process execution means includes data request means for requesting necessary data for the process based on the content of the control signal, and

the telephone exchange system further comprises data interface means for outputting to the data request means the data stored in the data storage means in response to a request by the data request means.

27. A telephone exchange system according to claim 24, further comprising process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus, and process location rewrite means for rewriting the information stored in the process location storage means, and

the process execution means includes process location rewrite instruct means for instructing the process location rewrite means to rewrite data on the process location.

28. A telephone exchange system comprising a telephone exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus for performing a process associated with the control signal, the system comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus;

process execution means, provided in the exchange apparatus, for executing the process in accordance with the control signal, when the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed within the exchange apparatus; and

operation means, provided in the exchange apparatus, for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.

29. A telephone exchange system according to claim 28, further comprising data storage means for storing various data to be used when the process associated with the received control signal is executed.

30. A telephone exchange system according to claim 28, further comprising process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus, and process location rewrite means for rewriting the information stored in the process location storage means.

31. A telephone exchange system comprising a telephone exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus for performing a process associated with the control signal, the system comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed in the external processing apparatus;

process execution means, provided in the external processing apparatus, for executing the process in accordance with the control signal, when the determination means has determined that the process is to be executed by the external processing apparatus; and

operation means, provided in the exchange apparatus, for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.

32. A telephone exchange system according to claim 31, further comprising data storage means for storing various data to be used when the process associated with the received control signal is executed.

33. A telephone exchange system according to claim 32, wherein the process execution means includes data request means for requesting necessary data for the process based on the content of the control signal, and

the telephone exchange system further comprises data interface means for outputting to the data request means the data stored in the data storage means in response to a request by the data request means.

34. A telephone exchange system according to claim 31, further comprising process location storage means for storing information as to whether the process associated with the received control signal is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus, and process location rewrite means for rewriting the information stored in the process location storage means, and

the process execution means includes process location rewrite instruct means for instructing the process location rewrite means to rewrite data on the process location.

35. An exchange apparatus for use in a telephone exchange system comprising an exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus including process execution means for performing a process associated with the control signal, the exchange apparatus comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus; and

operation means for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.

36. An exchange apparatus for use in a telephone exchange system comprising an exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus for performing a process associated with the control signal, the exchange apparatus comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed within the exchange apparatus or in the external processing apparatus;

process execution means for executing the process in accordance with the control signal, when the process location determination means has determined that the process is to be executed within the exchange apparatus; and

operation means for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.

37. An exchange apparatus for use in a telephone exchange system comprising an exchange apparatus for performing an operation relating to telephone exchange in accordance with a control signal received from a communication line, and an external processing apparatus including process execution means for performing a process associated with the control signal, the exchange apparatus comprising:

control signal receiving means for receiving the control signal from the communication line;

process location determination means for determining whether the process associated with the control signal received by the control signal receiving means is to be executed in the external processing apparatus; and

operation means for performing the operation relating to the telephone exchange on the basis of a result of the process executed by the process execution means.