Method and system for managing internal and external calls for a group of communication clients sharing a common customer identifier

A network element for implementing a virtual private branch exchange (PBX) feature for a customer associated with a plurality of VoIP communication clients each capable of placing and receiving VoIP telephone calls, comprising:

• means for receiving information regarding a call comprising a source address/sub-address pair and a destination identifier;
• means for consulting a database to determine using the information regarding the call if the call is an external inbound call directed to the customer or an internal call from one of the VoIP communication clients associated with the customer that identifies a different particular one of the VoIP communication clients, the database comprising a plurality of records each record storing a customer identifier and at least one address/sub-address pairs of at least one communication client of the associated customer, at least one of the stored records further storing a plurality of sub-address each associated with a respective alias of a communication device;
• means for causing the call to be routed to each of the plurality of VoIP communication clients associated with the customer, without being passed through a PBX or key system, if the call is determined to be an external inbound call directed to the customer;
• means for causing the call to be routed to a different particular one of the VoIP communication clients associated with an alias, without being passed through a PBX or key system, if the call is determined to be an internal call by matching the source address/sub-address pair of the received call information to a stored record in the database and an alias in the received call information to the alias in the record.

Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable program code which, when executed by a network element, causes the network element to implement a virtual private branch exchange (PBX) feature for a customer associated with a plurality of VoIP communication clients each capable of placing and receiving VoIP telephone calls, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• first computer-readable program code for causing the network element to be attentive to receipt of information regarding a call comprising a source address/sub-address pair and a destination identifier;
• second computer-readable program code for causing the network element to consult a database to determine using the information regarding the call if the call is an external inbound call directed to the customer or an internal call from one of the VoIP communication clients associated with the customer that identifies a different particular one of the VoIP communication clients, the database comprising a plurality of records each record storing a customer identifier and at least one address/sub-address pairs of at least one communication client of the associated customer, at least one of the stored records further storing a plurality of sub-address each associated with a respective alias of a communication device;
• third computer-readable program code for causing the network element to cause the call to be routed to each of the plurality of VoIP communication clients associated with the customer, without being passed through a PBX or key system, if the call is determined to be an external inbound call directed to the customer;
• fourth computer-readable program code for causing the network element to cause the call to be routed to a different particular one of the VoIP communication clients associated with an alias, without being passed through a PBX or key system, if the call is determined to be an internal call by matching the source address/sub-address pair of the received call information to a stored record in the database and the alias in the received call information to an alias in the record.

A system, comprising

• a plurality of VoIP communication clients for communication over a network, the plurality of VoIP communication clients being associated with a customer and a respective alias, and each capable of placing and receiving VoIP telephone calls;
• a database comprising a plurality of records each record storing a customer identifier and at least one address/sub-address pairs of at least one communication client of the associated customer, at least one of the stored records further storing a plurality of sub-address each associated with a respective alias of a communication device
• a network element in the network, said network element implementing a virtual private branch exchange (PBX) feature for said customer, said network element comprising:
• a switching entity with hardware configured to route calls from a respective calling party to a respective called party on a basis of control instructions;
• a control entity configured to generate said control instructions, said control instructions for causing the switching entity to route a given call, without passing the call through a PBX or key system, either to the plurality of VoIP communication clients or to a particular one of the VoIP communication clients, depending on whether the call is determined to be an external inbound call for the customer or an internal call by matching a source address/sub-address pair of received call information to a stored record in the database and an alias in the received call information to an alias in the record from a different one of the VoIP communication clients that identifies the particular one of the VoIP communication clients, respectively.