Method and apparatus for retrieving remotely located information

An information retrieval system for establishing connections through a switching system to a remotely located host computer, comprising:

• a group of terminals coupled to said switching system via communication paths, each one of the terminals being coupled via a corresponding one of the communication paths;
• a plurality of geographically distributed communication path concentrating means for concentrating M number of groups of communication paths into N number of groups of communication paths extending between said concentrating means and said host computer, said M being a number greater than said N number;
• and
• said terminals each including means for sending call origination information according to a predetermined priority where the concentrating means that is geographically closest to the terminal is called first.

An information retrieval method of establishing connections from a group of terminals through a switching system to a remotely located host computer, comprising:

• using a group of terminals coupled to said switching system via a corresponding one of a plurality of communication paths, each one of said terminals including
• manual input means for enabling the user to communicate with the switching system;
• memory means for storing a plurality of individual items of call origination information;
• call origination means coupled to the corresponding communication path for transmitting said items of call origination information via said corresponding communication path to the switching system for causing it to extend the corresponding communication path to the host computer;
• and
• logic means for transferring the items of call origination information to said call origination means;
• establishing and concentrating through geographically distributed concentrating means, M number of groups of communication paths into N number of groups of communication paths extending between said concentrating means and said host computer, said M being a number greater than said N number;
• and
• using the logic means to send call origination information from each one of said terminals according to a predetermined priority where the concentrating means that is geographically closest to the terminal is called first, including:
• designating a priority associated with a first item and a second item of the plurality of individual items of call origination information, to produce an ordered sequence of priorities based upon a cost associated with each one of the first and second items of call origination information;
• causing said logic means to transfer a first one of said items of said call origination information to said call origination means in an attempt to extend a communication path to said host computer;
• receiving a busy signal indicative of an unsuccessful attempt to extend the communication path;
• and
• responsive to said busy signal and to the designated priority, causing said logic means to transfer a second one of said items of a lower priority to said call origination means in a further attempt to extend a communication path to said host computer.