Method for interfacing a private branch exchange with a wireless communications network and also with the public switched telephone network

• US 6,882,862 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Corley, William E., Foard, Christopher, Ko, Ya-Tien, Chia, Shiann-An
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/488,568
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 455/555, 455/554.1, 455/461, 455/462, 455/445, 455/426.1, 455/500, 379/242, 379/418, 379/399, 379/114, 379/115, 379/201
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for using a standard private branch exchange (PBX), such as e.g., the Lucent Technologies, Inc. DEFINITY® PBX, for interfacing with a wireless (e.g., cellular, etc.) communication network and the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The system employs an adjunct controller and uses computer telephony integration (CTI) associated with a standard PBX to communicate directly with an audio switch and the PSTN. Through the use of CTI, the standard PBX also provides feedback to the caller. For example, when an inbound call arrives (i.e., from the PSTN to a radio transceiver), the adjunct controller determines whether the wireless system has available resources (i.e., an available link) to grant calls and instructs the PBX to provide an audio connection between dynamically assigned wireless links (e.g., RF channels). If no link is available, a busy signal is referred back to the PSTN, and eventually back to the originating switch.

Claims

1. A method for handling call requests, comprising:

providing a private network including a plurality of private branch exchanges, the private branch exchanges being connectable to and being compatible with a public switched telephone network, and being connectable to but not being compatible with a wireless communication network;

providing a plurality of controllers having computer integration technology on the private network;

coupling one of the controllers to each of the plurality of private branch exchanges and to the wireless communication network, each of said controllers being capable of instructing the corresponding private branch exchange to which it is coupled to execute a proper protocol via computer telephony integration;

receiving a request at one of the controllers to complete a call originating from a wireless communication device to a central office;

executing a program in the controller corresponding said one of the private branch exchanges for determining whether or not a predetermined condition has been met, and if the predetermined condition has been met, determining said proper protocol for processing said request; and

instructing said one private branch exchange receiving said call request to execute said proper protocol,

thereby enabling completion of said call originating from the wireless communication device to the central office.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said act of determining comprises determining whether an appropriate signaling protocol is available for enabling completion of said call.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein said act of determining whether an appropriate signaling protocol is available comprises determining whether a Q signal sequence is available for enabling said private branch exchange to communicate with at least one of said public switched telephone network and an audio switch associated with said wireless communications device.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said act of instructing further comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with a said public switched telephone network.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device via an audio switch.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device via a two-way radio console and said audio switch.

8. The method as in claim 5 further comprising instructing said private branch exchange to communicate status of said call to said wireless communications device.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate a busy signal to said wireless communications device when an intended receiving device of said call is not available to accept said call.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate a verbal message to said wireless communications device.

11. The method as in claim 4, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said public switched telephone network by executing a predetermined set of instructions.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a predetermined signaling protocol.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a Q signal sequence.

14. The method as in claim 11, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a call vector.

15. A method for handling call requests, comprising:

providing a private network including a plurality of private branch exchanges, the private branch exchanges being connectable to and being compatible with a public switched telephone network, and being connectable to but not being compatible with a wireless communication network;

providing a plurality of controllers having computer integration technology on the private network;

coupling one of the plurality of controllers to each of the plurality of private branch exchanges and to the wireless communication network, each of said controllers being capable of instructing the corresponding private branch exchange to which it is coupled to execute a proper protocol via computer telephony integration;

receiving a request at one of the private branch exchanges to complete a call originating from a central office to a wireless communication device;

executing a program in the controller corresponding to said one of the private branch exchanges for determining whether or not a predetermined condition has been met, and if the predetermined condition has been met, determining said proper protocol for processing said request; and

instructing said one private branch exchange receiving said call request to execute said proper protocol,

thereby enabling completion of said call originating from the central office to the wireless communication device.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein said act of determining comprises determining whether an appropriate signaling protocol is available for enabling said private branch exchange to communicate with at least one of said public switched telephone network and an audio switch associated with said wireless communications device.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein said act of determining whether an appropriate signaling protocol is available comprises determining whether a Q signal sequence is available for enabling completion of said call.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein said act of instructing further comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said public switched telephone network.

19. The method as in claim 18 further comprising instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device via an audio switch.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said wireless communications device via a two-way radio console and said audio switch.

22. The method as in claim 19 further comprising instructing said private branch exchange to communicate status of said call to said central office.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate a busy signal to said central office when said wireless communications device is not available to receive said call.

24. The method as in claim 22, wherein said act of instructing comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate a verbal message to said central office.

25. The method as in claim 18, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to communicate with said public switched telephone network by executing a predetermined set of instructions.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a predetermined signaling protocol.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a Q signal sequence.

28. The method as in claim 25, wherein said act of instructing said private branch exchange comprises instructing said private branch exchange to execute a call vector.

29. A system for handling call requests, comprising:

a private network having plurality of private branch exchanges being connectable to and being compatible with a public switched telephone network, and being connectable to but being not compatible with a wireless communication network, thus preventing the private branch exchanges from communicating with the wireless communication network,

the private network also having a plurality of controllers having computer integrated technology, each of said controllers being coupled to one of the private branch exchanges and the wireless communication network and for determining whether or not a predetermined condition has been met, instructing a corresponding one of the plurality of private branch exchanges with regard to communicating between the wireless communication network and the public switched telephone network, and

if the predetermined condition has been met, enabling each of the private branch exchanges to communicate outgoing and incoming calls between the wireless communications network and the public switched network.

30. The system as in claim 29 further comprising said wireless communication network.

31. The system as in claim 30, wherein said wireless communication network comprises an audio switch coupled to said private branch exchange and also coupled to said controller for enabling communication between said wireless communication network and said public switched telephone network.

32. The system as in claim 31, wherein said wireless communication network comprises a two-way radio console coupled to said audio switch and also coupled to said controller for enabling communication between said wireless communication system and said public switched telephone network.

33. The system as in claim 32, wherein said wireless communication network comprises a plurality of wireless communication devices, each of said devices being capable of communicating with said two-way radio console via a wireless link.

34. The system as in claim 33, wherein said plurality of wireless communication devices comprise a plurality of wireless transceivers.

35. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is an adjunct controller.

36. The system as in claim 29, wherein said private branch exchange is a DEFINITY®

private branch exchange.

37. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to:

receive a request to complete a call in a direction from a wireless communication device to a central office, or vice versa;

determine proper protocol for processing said request; and

instruct said private branch exchange to execute said proper protocol via said computer telephony integration technology, thereby enabling completion of said call.

38. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to determine whether an appropriate signaling protocol is available for enabling said private branch exchange to communicate with at least one of said public switched telephone network and an audio switch associated with said wireless communications device.

39. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to determine whether a Q signal sequence is available for enabling completion of said call.

40. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate with a wireless communication device of said wireless communication network.

41. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate status of said call to either said central office or a wireless communication device of said wireless communication network.

42. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate a busy signal to either said central office or a wireless communication device of said wireless communication network in response to said call request when an intended receiving device of said call is not available to receive said call.

43. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate a verbal status message to either said central office or a wireless communication device of said wireless communication network in response to said call request.

44. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate with said public switched telephone network by executing a predetermined set of instructions.

45. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to communicate with said public switched telephone network by executing a signaling protocol.

46. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to execute a Q signal sequence for communicating with said public switched telephone network.

47. The system as in claim 29, wherein said controller is configured to instruct said private branch exchange to execute a call vector for communicating with said public switched telephone network.

48. A system for handling call requests, including

a private network having an adjunct controller coupled to a private branch exchange, the adjunct controller also being coupled to a wireless communication network,

the private branch exchange being connectable to and being compatible with a public switched telephone network, and being connectable to but not compatible with the wireless communication network,

the adjunct controller having computer telephony integration technology for executing a program in order to determine whether or not a predetermined condition has been met, instructing the private branch exchange with regard to communicating between the wireless communication network and the public switched telephone network, and

if the predetermined condition has been met, enabling the private branch exchange to communicate between the wireless communications network and the public switched telephone network, so that calls originating at a central office may be completed to wireless devices on the wireless communications network, and other calls originating at the wireless devices on the wireless communication may be completed at the central office.