Communication management system with line status notification for key switch emulation

• US 7,336,668 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Inventors: Adams, Christopher Lyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faroul; Farah
• Application Number:
  US10/659,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20040062264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 370/432, 370/466, 370/463, 370/396, 370/395.52, 370/395.53, 370/395.54, 370/395.4, 370/395.31, 370/398, 370/399, 370/397, 370/352, 370353-354, 370355-356
• US Class Current: 370/396
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A real time communication device is provided for operation with a packet switched network interconnecting the real time communication device with a control unit and a plurality of remote real time communication devices. The device comprises a network interface for communicating over the packet switched network. The device further comprises means for establishing a logical channel to support a media session over the packet switched network with an endpoint. The endpoint is an endpoint selected from the group of endpoints consisting of the control unit and a one of the plurality of remote real time communication devices. The device further comprises means for sending a multicast status message on the packet switched network addressed to a multicast group. The multicast group comprises any of the remote real time communication devices that have joined the multicast group. The multicast status message announces a state of the real time communication device. The state is a state selected from a group of states consisting of a first state wherein the real time communication device is participating in a media session and a second state wherein the real time communication device is not participating in a media session.

Claims

1. A telephony system comprising a control unit and a plurality of telephony stations interconnected by a packet switched network, the control unit being coupled to a telephony service provider network by a plurality of outside telephone lines;

a first of the telephony stations comprising;

a network interface for communicating over the packet switched network;

means for establishing a logical channel to support a media session over the packet switched network with an endpoint, selected from a group of endpoints consisting of the control unit and another of the plurality of telephony stations, for the exchange of real time streaming media with the endpoint during a media session;

means for receiving microphone input and generating compressed digital audio frames representative thereof for transmission to the endpoint during the media session and for receiving compressed digital audio frames from the endpoint and driving a speaker to output audio in response thereto;

a user interface comprising a plurality of indicators, each being associated with one of a plurality of selection buttons,

at least one of the plurality of indicators being associated with one of the plurality of outside telephone lines, the indicator indicating a status of the outside telephone line, the status being one of “

available” and

“

in-use”

;

the selection button associated with such indicator being effective to initiate a real time communication session to a remote device utilizing such outside telephone line when activated by a user;

a status application comprising a multicast client, the multicast client;

obtaining a multicast group address of a multicast group associated with the control unit;

joining the multicast group; and

updating the status of the indicator associated with the outside telephone line between the “

available” and

“

in-use”

status in response to receiving a multicast status message addressed to the multicast group address and identifying the outside telephone line and its status.

2. The telephony system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of indicators is associated with a second of the plurality of telephony stations, the indicator indicating a status of the second of the plurality of telephony stations, the status being one of “

on-hook” and

“

off-hook”

;

the selection button associated with the indicator being effective to initiate a real time communication session to the second of the plurality of telephony stations when activated by a user; and

the status application updates the status of the indicator associated with second of the plurality of telephony stations between the “

on-hook” and

“

off-hook”

status in response to receiving a multicast status message addressed to the multicast group address and identifying the second of the plurality of telephony stations.

3. The telephony system of claim 2, wherein the status application further comprises a multicast host, the multicast host:

sending a multicast status message addressed to the multicast group address; and

wherein the multicast status message identifies the first of the telephony stations and includes an indication of the status of the first of the telephony stations, the status being one of “

on-hook” and

“

off-hook”

.

4. The real time communication device of claim 3, wherein:

the multicast group address is an IP multicast address distinct from an IP address of the control unit, an IP address of the first of the telephony stations, and an IP address of the second of the telephony stations.

5. The telephony system of claim 4, wherein the multicast host further sends a multicast status message in response to passage of a time duration during following sending of a previous multicast status message even if there has been change in status of the first of the telephony stations.

6. The telephony system of claim 4, wherein the multicast host further sends a multicast status message in response to receiving a status refresh request on the multicast group address.