Virtual PBX based on SIP and feature servers
AssigneeSymbolic Intelligence Enhanced Systems, Inc.
InventorShigeaki Hakusui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Modular internet telephony feature servers allow individual users to manage internet telephone calls. Modular internet telephony feature servers may be used in a hierarchical internet telephony system in which a higher tier internet telephony feature server forwards telephone calls to one or more lower tier internet telephony feature servers, and each lower tier internet telephony feature server is configurable separately from the higher tier internet telephony feature server and from other lower tier internet telephony feature servers to direct telephone calls received from the higher tier internet telephony feature server.
Claims22
A personal internet telephony apparatus comprising:
- a network interface, couplable to a communication network, for sending and receiving internet telephony signals over the communication network;
- a telephone interface, couplable to a telephone device, for sending telephone control signals to the telephone device and receiving telephone control signals from the telephone device;
- and
- a controller operably coupled between the network interface and the telephone interface, the controller implementing a personal internet telephony feature server for directing telephone calls, intended for the telephone device, received as internet telephony signals over the network interface and managing telephone services on behalf of the telephone device based on the telephone control signals received from the telephone device over the telephone interface.
A personal internet telephony apparatus comprising:
- a network interface, couplable to a communication network, for sending and receiving internet telephony signals over the communication network;
- a telephone interface, couplable to a telephone device, for sending telephone control signals to the telephone device and receiving telephone control signals from the telephone device;
- means for directing telephone calls, intended for the telephone device, received as internet telephony signals over the network interface;
- and
- means for managing telephone services on behalf of the telephone device based on the telephone control signals received from the telephone device over the telephone interface.
A hierarchical internet telephony system comprising:
- a higher tier internet telephony feature server coupled to a communication network, the multiple user internet telephony feature server directing telephone calls for a plurality of users;
- and
- a plurality of lower tier internet telephony feature servers in communication with the higher tier internet telephone feature server over the communication network, each lower tier internet telephony feature server directing telephone calls for an individual user, wherein the higher tier internet telephony feature server is configurable to direct telephone calls to the lower tier internet telephony feature servers, and wherein each lower tier internet telephony feature server is separately configurable to direct telephone calls forwarded to it by the higher tier internet telephony feature server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.