Method and apparatus for controlling a telephone

Abstract

A communication system comprised of a computer system connected to a local area network (LAN), a local area communications system (LAX) connected to the LAN including plural line circuits, plural telephones connected to the LAX via the line circuits, one of which is associated with the computer system, control apparatus in the computer for sending messages to the LAX via the LAN for controlling the telephone associated with the computer system, an auxiliary keyboard associated with the one telephone associated with the computer system, connected to the computer system for commanding the control apparatus to send messages to the LAX to control the one telephone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.