Abstract: Creating the capability of a meet-me-conference call on a telephone terminal by actuation of a meet-me-conference button on the telephone terminal. The meet-me-conference button is actuated for a particular line appearance, and the meet-me-conference is then established by other telephone terminals calling the telephone number associated with that line appearance. The user of the telephone terminal can join the conference at a later point in time by going off-hook (call originator). As other parties call that line appearance, the telephone terminal adds them to the conference. As parties join the conference, their names are displayed on the telephone terminal, and a second button on the telephone terminal can be utilized to drop parties as they are added to the conference. A second actuation of the meet-me-conference button prevents further callers to the line appearance from being added to the conference which is also referred to as deactivation of the meet-me-conference.

Abstract: A remote telecommunication terminal providing telecommunication functions identical to those functions provided by local telecommunication terminal directly connected to a telecommunications system via a direct standard link using a standard protocol. The remote telecommunication terminal is interconnected to the telecommunication system through an intervening switching system such as the public telephone network. One such remote telecommunication terminal is a remote telemarketing terminal. A remote telemarketing terminal cooperates with the telemarketing system to establish a virtual interface on the telemarketing system. The telemarketing system views this virtual interface as being identical to a physical interface such as one connected to a local telemarketing terminal via a standard link. The remote telemarketing terminal then establishes a virtual link between itself and the virtual interface on the telemarketing system.

Abstract: A switching architecture with identical switching nodes having a topology which allows for multiple paths between any two endpoint switching nodes without intervening switching nodes being involved in call control on those paths. This architecture is made feasible by a new type of link, the flexible rate interface (FRI) link. The FRI link has its own signaling channel distinct from the signaling channel of a standard link and is transparent to intervening switching nodes. Only endpoint switching nodes are aware of the existence of the FRI link with respect to call control. A standard protocol is utilized on the signaling channels of both the standard link and the FRI link. Advantageously, the standard link may be an ISDN link and the standard protocol may be the ISDN protocol.

Abstract: A switching architecture interconnecting remote switches to a central processor via standard links which may be set up through any number of intervening switching systems utilizing standard switching procedures. The standard links are ISDN links that may be set up dynamically via switching networks within the switching system or via the public switching network. The fact that an ISDN goes through a portion of the switching system or the public switching network is transparent to both the central processor and remote switch. Upon detecting that a primary central processor is no longer in control, each remote switch attempts to obtain an alternate path to the primary central processor. If a remote switch is unable to obtain an alternate path to the primary central processor, the remote switch switches to an alternate central processor on the assumption that the primary central processor has failed.

Abstract: An apparatus for establishing a flexible rate interface (FRI) link on a standard ISDN link. The FRI link has its own signaling channel that is distinct from the signaling channel of the standard ISDN link, and the signaling channel of the FRI link is transparent to intervening switching systems. There are no geographical restrictions on a FRI link. The signaling channel of a FRI link may be established by designating a B channel of a standard link, by using a logical link of a D channel of a standard ISDN link, or by using standard ISDN user information transport facilities to communicate the signaling channel. FRI transport channels are B channels of a standard ISDN link or subchannels of a B channel.

Abstract: In a telecommunication switching system, an apparatus for automatically converting ISDN codeset and codepoint protocol in messages transmitted to the telecommunication switching system from a plurality of other telecommunication switching systems each using a diffrent ISDN codeset and codepoint protcol than the telecommunication switching system to identify the same data information. All telecommunication switching systems are interconnected by data channels. Further, the apparatus is responsive to another ISDN message generated by the telecommunications switching system for transmission to another one of the plurality of telecommunication switching systems to convert the codeset and codepoint protocol of the other message to the codepoint and codeset protocol of the other one of the plurality of telecommunication switching systems.

Abstract: A circuit switching system for interconnecting end point systems, such as packet switches, compressed voice concentrators, or data multiplexers, by allowing multiple logical links on each logical channel. The circuit switching system is connected to the end point system by a number of communication facilities with each facility having a plurality of logical channels. For packet switches, the circuit switching system is responsive to a first request to establish a first logical link on a logical channel to a packet switch and is responsive to a second request for another logical link to that packet switch to establish a second logical link on the same logical channel. The circuit switching system is responsive to a third request for establishing a logical link to another packet switch on the same logical channel for denying this request and for negotiating another logical channel.

Abstract: A data structure and program routines for use in a private branch exchange telephone system (PBX) for automatically routing calls via a private telephone network in response to a dialed public telephone network number and for restricting outgoing calls from the PBX to specific public network telephone stations. In a large corporate PBX switching network interconnected by both a public telephone network and a private telephone network, a telephone set connected to one PBX system establishes a switch connection through the private network by dialing the public telephone network's number for a destination telephone set connected to another PBX system. In response to the dialed number, the first PBX system automatically determines that the destination telephone set can be reached via the private telephone network and automatically converts the dialed public telephone network number to a private telephone network number designating the destination telephone set.