Method for setting up a communication connection and a private branch exchange for carrying out the method

• US 8,102,990 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Riede, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US12/336,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 379/231, 379/232, 379/233, 379/234, 379/258
• US Class Current: 379/258
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A method for setting up a communication connection between a calling communication terminal and another communication terminal belonging to a group in a communication network selected by the calling party dialing an allocated group telephone number, the other communication terminal being selected by an exchange unit of the selected communication network by means of availability information, and the connection initiated through the exchange of a start message and a number of connection confirmation messages between the calling communication terminal and the selected other communication terminal. A private branch exchange with a server which comprises an exchange unit and to which a plurality of communication terminals combined in groups is connected, carries out the method. The server sets up communication connections with selected communication terminals through the exchange of a start message and a number of connection confirmation messages between a calling communication terminal and the respective selected communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a communication connection comprising:

a calling communication terminal and another communication terminal belonging to a group in a communication network, the group selected by a calling party dialing an allocated group telephone number;

the other communication terminal being selected by an exchange unit of the communication network by means of an availability information,

and the set-up of the connection being initiated through an exchange of a start message and a number of connection confirmation messages between the calling communication terminal and the selected other communication terminal, wherein, in case of nonavailability of all communication terminals belonging to the selected group of the communication network, a start message coming in from the calling communication terminal is directed to a virtual communication terminal allocated to the group telephone number.

2. A method according to claim 1, where the start message directed to the virtual communication terminal is answered by a status message concerning the availability of the communication terminals belonging to the selected group of the communication network.

3. A method according to claim 2, where a status message is sent to the calling communication terminal when at least one of the communication terminals belonging to the selected group of the communication network becomes available.

4. A private branch exchange which comprises:

an exchange unit to which a plurality of communication terminals combined in groups are connected;

a server designed for setting up communication connections with selected communication terminals through an exchange of a start message and a number of connection confirmation messages between a calling communication terminal and the respective selected communication terminal and designed for monitoring the availability of the communication terminals; and

a virtual communication terminal allocated to a respective group telephone number being defined on the server for the exchange of the start and status messages for each group of communication terminals if all communication terminals of the respective group are not available.