Integration of remote access and service

• US 6,674,853 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Spencer, Douglas A., Ezell, Joel, Petty, Norman W., Helton, John S., Zakowski, Wayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/718,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 379/242, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/229, 379/230, 379/211.02, 379/100.01, 379/93.01, 370/401, 370/409, 370/355, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2874 Processing of data for distribution to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks

Abstract

allowing a central business communication system to handle all aspects of call setup on a remote switch. Call control for a telecommunication call set up on a remote switch continues to be handled by the central business communication system; however, the switching of the bearer channels is performed automatically on the remote switch if the telecommunication call is between telecommunication terminals on the remote switch. In addition, if the telecommunication call is between two remote switches, the remote switches will automatically communicate the bearer channels through an interconnecting media without going through the central business communication system. In addition, when an Internet protocol (IP) such as IETF RFC 791 is utilized to communicate the bearer channels between the central business communication system and the remote switch, multi-frequency dialing tones received from analog telephones connected to the remote switching network are converted to digital information before transmission via the IP communication channels to the central business telecommunication system.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting telephone calls by a central switching system via a wide area network where the central switching system retains call control over the redirected telephone calls and the central switching system having a switching network and each of a plurality of remote switches having an individual switching network and each individual switching network having a plurality of connected telephone sets, comprising the steps of:

establishing by a first one of the plurality of remote switches one of a plurality of control channels for each of a first plurality of telephone sets connected to the first one of the plurality, of remote switches;

determining a call origination by the central switching system by a first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via a first one of the plurality of control channels for the establishment of a first one of the telephone calls to a second one of the first plurality of telephone sets;

establishing a first one of a plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

transmitting an alert message to the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via a second one of the plurality of control channels;

establishing a second one of plurality of bearer channels to the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

communicating the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels by the switching network of the central switching system and the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

transmitting a call answer message by the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the second one of the plurality of control channels to the central switching system;

determining by the central switching system in response to the call answer message that the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets can directly communicate bearer information;

transmitting first and second path control messages to the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets to directly communicate by the central switching system via the first and second ones of the plurality of control channels, respectively; and

establishing a bearer connection between the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets by the first one of the plurality of remote switches via the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches in response to the first and second path control messages from the central switching system received via the first and second ones of the plurality of control channels.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of transmitting third and fourth path control messages to the first and second ones of the first plurality of the telephone sets to remove the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels by central switching system;

and

removing the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels by the first one of plurality of remote switches in response to the third and fourth path control messages.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of remote switches comprises a controller for communicating control messages with the central switching system and the step of establishing a bearer connection between the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets comprises the steps of receiving the first and second control messages;

determining that both the first and second ones of the plurality of telephone sets are connected to the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches; and

controlling the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches to establish the bearer connection between the first and second ones of first plurality of telephone sets.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of determining another call origination by the central switching system by the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the first one of the plurality of control channels for the establishment of a second one of the telephone calls to a first one of a second plurality of telephone sets connected to a switching network of a second one of the plurality of remote switches;

establishing a third one of a plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

transmitting another alert message to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via a third one of the plurality of control channels;

.

establishing a fourth one of plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets by the central switching system via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the second one of the plurality of remote switches;

communicating the third one of the plurality of bearer channels by the switching network of the central switching system and the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches and the fourth one of the plurality of bearer channels by the switching network of the central switching system and the switching network of the second one of the plurality of remote switches;

transmitting another call answer message by the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the third one of the plurality of control channels to the central switching system;

determining by the central switching system in response to the other call answer message that the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets and the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets can directly communicate bearer information;

transmitting a third path control message by the central switching system to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the first one of the plurality of control channels and a fourth path control messages to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the third one of the plurality of control channels to directly communicate; and

establishing by the first one of the plurality of remote switches a bearer connection between the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets and the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the wide area network, the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches and the switching network of the second one of the plurality of remote switches in response to the third path control message from the central switching system received via the first one of the plurality of control channels.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of detecting multi-frequency dialing signals in the first one of the plurality of bearer channels by the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

decoding the multi-frequency dialing signals into dialed digits by the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

inserting the dialed digits into digit control messages by the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches; and

transmitting the digit control messages to the central switching system by the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of determining a call origination comprises the steps of receiving the transmitted digit control messages;

and

identifying the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets as called telephone set.

7. An apparatus for redirecting telephone calls having a central switching system and a wide area network where the central switching system retains call control over the redirected telephone calls and the central switching system having a switching network and each of a plurality of remote switches having an individual switching network and each individual switching network having a plurality of connected telephone sets with each of the remote switches being interconnected with the central switching system via wide area network, comprising the steps of:

a first one of the plurality of remote switches establishing one of a plurality of control channels for each of a first plurality of telephone sets connected to the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

the central switching system determining a call origination by a first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via a first one of the plurality of control channels for the establishment of a first one of the telephone calls to a second one of the first plurality of telephone sets;

the central switching system further establishing a first one of a plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

the central switching system further transmitting an alert message to the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets via a second one of the plurality of control channels;

the central switching system further establishing a second one of plurality of bearer channels to the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

the switching network of the central switching system communicating the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels;

the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets transmitting a call answer message via the second one of the plurality of control channels to the central switching system;

the central switching system further determining in response to the call answer message that the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets can directly communicate bearer information;

the central switching system further transmitting first and second path control messages to the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets to directly communicate via the first and second ones of the plurality of control channels, respectively; and

the first one of the plurality of remote switches further establishing a bearer connection between the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets via the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches in response to the first and second path control messages from the central switching system received via the first and second ones of the plurality of control channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises central switching system further transmitting third and fourth path control messages to the first and second ones of the first plurality of the telephone sets to remove the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels;

and

the first one of the plurality of remote switches further removing the first and second ones of the plurality of bearer channels in response to the third and fourth path control messages.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of remote switches comprises a controller for communicating control messages with the central switching system and for establishing a bearer connection between the first and second ones of the first plurality of telephone sets comprises the central switching system further receiving the first and second control messages;

the central switching system further determining that both the first and second ones of the plurality of telephone sets are connected to the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches; and

the controller of the first one of the plurality of remote switches further controlling the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches to establish the bearer connection between the first and second ones of first plurality of telephone sets.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises the central switching system further determining another call origination by the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the first one of the plurality of control channels for the establishment of a second one of the telephone calls to a first one of a second plurality of telephone sets connected to a switching network of a second one of the plurality of remote switches;

the central switching system further establishing a third one of a plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches;

the central switching system further transmitting another alert message to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via a third one of the plurality of control channels;

the central switching system further establishing a fourth one of plurality of bearer channels to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the switching network of the central switching system and switching network of the second one of the plurality of remote switches;

the switching network of the central switching system further communicating the third one of the plurality of bearer;

the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets further transmitting another call answer message via the third one of the plurality of control channels to the central switching system;

the central switching system further determining in response to the other call answer message that the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets and the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets can directly communicate bearer information;

the central switching system further transmitting a third path control message to the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets via the first one of the plurality of control channels and a fourth path control messages to the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the third one of the plurality of control channels to directly communicate; and

the first one of the plurality of remote switches further establishing a bearer connection between the first one of the first plurality of telephone sets and the first one of the second plurality of telephone sets via the wide area network, the switching network of the first one of the plurality of remote switches and the switching network of the second one of the plurality of remote switches in response to the third path control message from the central switching system received via the first one of the plurality of control channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises a digital signal processor in the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches for detecting multi-frequency dialing signals in the first one of the plurality of bearer channels;

the digital signal processor further decoding the multi-frequency dialing signals into dialed digits;

the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches further inserting the dialed digits into digit control messages; and

the controller in the first one of the plurality of remote switches further transmitting the digit control messages to the central switching system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the determination the call origination comprises the central switching system further receiving the transmitted digit control messages;

and

the central switching system further identifying the second one of the first plurality of telephone sets as a called telephone set.