Computer telephony (CT) network serving multiple telephone switches
AssigneeInter-Tel, Inc.
InventorsLaura S. Schultz, Mark J. Dancho, David Mello
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enhanced computer telephony (CT) network design for a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system network improves the computer telephony interface (CTI) capabilities of the network. Bi-directional data from remote telephone switching nodes of different PBX systems, each using a common software application, is combined into a single data stream by the network to simplify control of the remote PBX systems. Commands to, and events received from, the different PBX switching nodes are combined by use of a gateway to automatically and transparently route digital information for control of the correct remote system node.
Claims9
A computer telephony (CT) network for a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system network including in combination:
- a plurality of private branch exchange (PBX) systems using a common software application and linked together through a network, each of the PBX systems having a unique address;
- a gateway processing system located on a network with one of the plurality of PBX systems, the gateway processing system having a plurality of sockets with each socket corresponding to a different one of the addresses of the plurality of PBX systems;
- a memory in the gateway processing system for storing a translation table identifying extension numbers on each of the PBX systems and combining these extension numbers with the unique addresses for each PBX system to provide mapping information for sending a command from any of the applications on a socket to a socket (node) for the PBX system corresponding to the actual physical location for an affected party extension number.
A method for expanding PBX systems from a single PBX system to multiple interconnected PBX systems including the steps of:
- providing a gateway at a PBX system for translating bi-directional commands over a packet network to a community of PBX nodes, each utilizing a common software application;
- and
- providing a translation table in the gateway to allow PBX network changes and rearrangements by translating addresses for the PBX systems and individual extension numbers for individual devices to transparently route the system events through the gateway from and to the different PBX nodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.