System for working at a remote office PBX

• US 6,950,507 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2001
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Alan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry W
• Application Number:
  US10/026,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,375 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.07, 379/142.15, 379/127.01, 379/156, 379/105, 379/166, 379/93.01, 379/93.14, 379/201.01, 379/211.02, 379/229, 379/230, 379/212.01, 379/352, 379/355.01, 379/242, 379/221.15, 379/225, 379/227, 379/201, 379/219, 379/221.5, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/555, 455/557, 370/401, 370/524, 370/352, 709/217
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

An arrangement that includes at least two PBXs interconnected by a network employs CTI ports to control operation of the PBXs. Through such control, a user can set up a telephonic presence in a visited PBX such that, to the user and to all others who interact with the user, it appears that the user is at the user'"'"'s office, rather than at an office that is served by the visited PBX. This is effected by forwarding calls that are destined to the user at the user'"'"'s office to the visited PBX, and by translating all dialing commands of the user at the visited PBX, and acting upon the translated commands, so as to provide the user with the features available to the user at the user'"'"'s office while presenting an appearance to called parties that the user is at the user'"'"'s office.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

a switching network;

a digital network;

a first PBX including

trunks connected to said switching network,

lines adapted to operate with telephonic instruments,

a first processor for controlling operation of the first PBX,

a first memory associated with said first processor, and

a digital port coupled to said first processor, through which information contained in said first PBX can be accessed, and through which control signals can be applied to store in said first memory and thereby control manner of operation of said first PBX;

a first security processor for coupling the digital port of said first PBX to said digital network, for insuring that only bona fide messages pass through to said digital port from said digital network;

a second PBX including

trunks connected to said switching network,

lines adapted to operate with telephonic instruments,

a second processor for controlling operation of said second PBX,

a second memory associated with said second processor, and

a digital port coupled to said second processor through which information contained in said second PBX can be accessed, and through which control signals can be applied to store in said second memory and thereby control manner of operation of said second PBX; and

a second security processor for coupling the digital port of said second PBX to said digital network, for insuring that only bona fide messages pass through to said digital port from said digital network;

wherein said first memory contains a calling plan module that specifies telecommunication capabilities of line A of said first PBX, and a directive that specifies a line B in said second PBX that is to be used instead of line A, and said second memory contains a directive that line B is to be treated as if it is line A, and a module associated with line B that contains a facsimile of said calling plan module contained in said first memory.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 where said first security processor and said second security processor perform decryption of messages arriving from said digital network.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 where said second processor includes a module that translates signal activations by a telephonic instrument connected to line B to develop control signals for said second PBX that implement said calling pan of said line A, as specified in said second memory.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 where said first security processor carries out an authentication process, and a format conversion process.

5. The arrangement of claim 2 further comprising a go-between processor coupled to said digital network that is interposed in the signals flow between said first security processor and said second security processor for performing format translation and encryption of communication.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 where said module contained in said second memory includes caller ID information of line A.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 where said second network is a packet network, a private network, a virtual private network, or subsumed by said switching network.

8. A method for providing virtual telephonic presence at a first telephonic instrument served by a first PBX while physically present at a second telephonic instrument served by a second PBX, comprising the steps of:

said first PBX receiving a request, on behalf of line B of said second PBX, to provide a calling plan of line A of said first PBX which describes telecommunication capabilities of a telephonic instrument connected to said line A;

installing in said first PBX information about said line B of said second PBX, including a directive that said line B is to be used in all communications pertaining to said line A;

said fist PBX delivering said calling plan of said line A to said second PBX;

installing in a memory accessible by said second PBX, in association with said line B, said calling plan pf said line A, a directive to provide service to said line B in accord with said calling plan of said line A, and information that allows outgoing calls from said line B to provide caller ID information of said line A;

and said first PBX and said second PBX cooperating to provide to said line B outgoing and incoming telecommunication service in accord with said calling plan of line A and in a manner that is transparent to users.

9. The method of claim 8 where said step of receiving a request receives an encrypted request, and said method further includes a step of decrypting said request.

10. The method of claim 9 further executing a process for authentication of authority of party from whom said request is received to make said request.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

said first PBX receiving a call from party X, destined to line A;

said fist PBX sending a message to said second PBX to ring line B;

said second PBX ringing line B;

said second PBX informing said first PBX of a ringing-no-answer condition at line B; and

said first PBX connecting said party X to a messaging platform associated with said first PBX.

12. The method of claim 8 where said memory accessible by said second PBX that is part of said second PBX, an adjunct of said second PBX, or is remote to said second PBX and is reachable by said second PBX through a network.

13. A method for providing virtual telephonic presence at a line A of a first PBX while physically present at a telephonic instrument connected to line B of a second PBX, comprising the steps of:

receiving a connection request at said telephonic instrument;

determining that a directive exists with respect to said telephonic instrument that a foreign calling plan is to be emulated, which foreign calling plan is a calling plan for line A, previously obtained from said first PBX and installed in said second PBX to be associated with said line B;

translating said connection request in accordance with information regarding said calling plan to create translated connection request; and

undertaking to establish a connection pursuant to said translated connection request.

14. The method of claim 13 where said information regarding said calling plan is accessed in course of said translating from memory of said second PBX, from memory of a processor that is an adjunct of said second PBX, or from memory of a processor that is reachable by said second PBX through a network.

15. The method of claim 13 where said information regarding said calling plan is accessed in course of said translating from memory of a processor that is an adjunct of said second PBX, or from memory of a processor that is reachable by said second PBX through a network, and said translating is performed by said processor.