System and method for providing communication on a wide area network
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for providing private branch exchange services, comprising:
- a first communication platform coupled to a first network and a second network, said first communication platform providing private branch exchange services in response to a request received from said first network;
a second communication platform coupled to said first network and a third network, said second communication platform providing private branch exchange services in response to a request received from said first network;
wherein said first communication platform and said second communication platform each include a voice communication module and a communication platform for managing said voice communication module so as to provide said private branch exchange services, said private branch exchange services including providing substantially real-time voice communications between a first caller connecting to said first communication platform through said second network and a second caller connecting to said second communication platform through said third network; and
wherein said first communication platform and said second communication platform each include software designed to detect private branch exchange service requests and subsequently exchange a plurality of signals between said first communication platform and said second communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests.
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Abstract
In a first aspect of the present invention, at least one communication platform is networked to a switched backbone, such as the network commonly referred to as the Internet, and is configured to communicate with and manage at least one network interface, such as a private branch exchange (PBX), and a voice communication module so as to provide telecommunication services that includes voice-over-IP communication between or among communication platform users and call-holding, transferring, forwarding, conferencing, and the like (PBX-like features). The communication platform networked through the switched backbone with other communication platforms. The communication platform is networked to the switched backbone through a first network interface and to telephone lines driven by PBX equipment through a PBX network interface and/or to a telephone compatible network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone network interface. Additional network interfaces may be included to support additional networks such as a local area network separately or in conjunction with other described networks. The communication platform manages the network interfaces, the voice communication module, and the PBX equipment through program control so as to provide telecommunication services which includes providing voice communication between a first user and a second user and PBX-like features. Each user may be on different networks that are networked to the switched backbone via the network interfaces.
166 Citations
91 Claims
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1. A system for providing private branch exchange services, comprising:
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a first communication platform coupled to a first network and a second network, said first communication platform providing private branch exchange services in response to a request received from said first network; a second communication platform coupled to said first network and a third network, said second communication platform providing private branch exchange services in response to a request received from said first network; wherein said first communication platform and said second communication platform each include a voice communication module and a communication platform for managing said voice communication module so as to provide said private branch exchange services, said private branch exchange services including providing substantially real-time voice communications between a first caller connecting to said first communication platform through said second network and a second caller connecting to said second communication platform through said third network; and wherein said first communication platform and said second communication platform each include software designed to detect private branch exchange service requests and subsequently exchange a plurality of signals between said first communication platform and said second communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for providing private branch exchange services on a switched wide area network, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication platform having a computer system having an internal memory operating under program control and a telephone network interface, said telephone network interface responsive to telephone calls received from a telephone network; a voice communication module coupled to said computer and said telephone network interface, and responsive to voice communication commands received from said communication platform so that telephone calls received from said telephone network can be switched to said voice communication module for transmission to another communication platform, said telephone network interface and said voice communication module coupled through a communications bus; and wherein said communication platform includes software designed to detect private branch exchange service requests and subsequently exchange a plurality of signals with another communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for providing telecommunication services, the method comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first communication platform to a first network and a second network, said first communication platform responsive to a request sent through said first network by providing telecommunication services that correspond to said request; coupling a second communication platform to said first network and a third network, said second communication platform responsive to a request received from said first network by providing telecommunication services that correspond to said request, said first communication platform and said second communication platform each including a voice communication module running under program control; managing said voice communication module so as to provide telecommunication services corresponding to said request, said telecommunication services including providing substantially real-time voice communications between a first caller connecting to said first communication platform through said second network and a second caller connecting to said second communication platform through said third network; and detecting private branch exchange service requests on either said first communication platform or said second communication platform and subsequently exchanging a plurality of signals between said first communication platform and said second communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A method for providing telecommunication services on a switched communication backbone, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first communication platform having a telephone network interface and a voice communication module; networking said first communication platform to a local telephone network through said telephone network interface, and to the switched communication backbone through said voice communication module; wherein said first communication platform responds to a telephone call received from said local telephone network from a caller by; receiving a telephone call, prompting for a destination telephone number, storing said destination telephone number in an internal memory when received, establishing a voice communication link with a destination communication platform that services a local area defined by said destination telephone number, said destination communication platform having a telephone network interface and a voice communication module, and passing said telephone number from said internal memory to destination communication platform through said voice communication link; detecting private branch exchange service requests and subsequently exchanging a plurality of signals between said first communication platform and said destination communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests; and wherein said destination communication platform responds to said telephone number by calling said destination telephone number, and establishing a live call if said step of calling results in a live answer status. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A method for providing telecommunication services on the switched communication backbone, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first and second communication platform, each of said platforms having a telephone network interface and a voice communication module; networking said first communication platform to a local telephone network and said second communication platform to a remote telephone network; networking said first and said second communication platforms to ultimately connect to the switched communication backbone through said voice communication module of said first communication platform and said voice communication module of said second communication platform, respectively; and wherein said first communication platform responds to a telephone call received from a caller on said local telephone network by; prompting for a destination telephone number, storing said destination telephone number in an internal memory when received, establishing a voice communication link with a destination communication platform that services said destination telephone number, passing said telephone number from said internal memory to destination communication platform, initiating a telephone call using said destination telephone number through a telephone network coupled to said second communication platform; and detecting private branch exchange service requests on said first communication platform and subsequently exchanging a plurality of signals between said first communication platform and said destination communication platform for executing said private branch exchange services in response to said private branch exchange service requests. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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Specification