Private branch exchange (PBX), voice store equipment, message processing method, program and recording medium

• US 7,570,747 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakatsu, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US10/831,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040247096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/93.05, 379/165
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A PBX which accommodates an extension station and voice store equipment, the PBX comprising a controller for controlling interconnection between the extension or the voice store equipment and an outside line, the controller including: a destination extension number determination unit for determining the destination extension number for an incoming call from the outside line; a destination extension determination unit for determining whether the destination extension is the extension station or the voice store equipment based on the determined destination extension number; a voice store equipment termination processing unit for performing termination processing concerning the voice store equipment in case it is determined on the destination extension determination means that the destination extension is the voice store equipment; and an extension station termination processing unit for performing termination processing concerning the extension station in case it is determined on the destination extension determination unit that the destination extension is the extension station.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of extension stations;

a voice store equipment; and

a private branch exchange which accommodates the plurality of extension stations and the voice store equipment,

the extension station including;

an input unit through which text data is set to the extension station; and

a display unit that displays the text data as an absence message, the voice store equipment including;

an interface circuit for connecting to the private branch exchange;

a Voice Storage Equipment switch that controls connection of the interface circuit to the private branch exchange; and

a message storage section that stores a voice message which corresponds to the text data, the voice message being voice data to which the text data is converted; and

a Voice Storage Equipment controller that controls the entire voice store equipment, the private branch exchange including;

an outside line interface circuit for connecting to an outside line;

an extension interface circuit for connecting to an extension;

a PBX switch that controls connection of an incoming call;

an absence message table that stores the text data set to the extension station; and

a PBX controller that controls connection between the outside line and either the extension or the voice store equipment,

wherein if the extension station receives an incoming signal from the outside line, the PBX controller transfers, to the voice store equipment, both the incoming signal and the text data stored in the absence message table,

wherein if the voice store equipment receives both the incoming signal and the text data through the interface circuit, the Voice Storage Equipment controller reads, from the message storage section, the voice message corresponding to the received text data and transmits the voice message to the private branch exchange using the Voice Storage Equipment switch, and

wherein the PBX controller transmits the voice message to the outside line using the PBX switch.

2. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the voice store equipment further includes a guidance section that store guidance data, and

wherein the Voice Storage Equipment controller adds, to the voice message read from the message storage section, the guidance data stored in the guidance section and transmits the voice message with the guidance data to the private branch exchange.

3. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the private branch exchange further includes an absence message assign table that stores an assignment data, the assignment data showing assignment status of the absence message,

wherein the voice store equipment further includes a voice converter that convert the text data into the voice data of the voice message, and

wherein if the text data is set as the absence message through the input unit, the absence message assign table stores the assignment data and the PBX controller sets transmission of the incoming signal to the voice converter.

4. The communication system according to claim 3,

wherein the voice store equipment further includes a guidance section that store guidance data, and

wherein the Voice Storage Equipment controller adds, to the voice message read from the message storage section, the guidance data stored in the guidance section and transmits the voice message with the guidance data to the private branch exchange.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein numerical data is set to the extension station through the input unit.