Abstract: The formation of a 3D Immersive Cloud Environment (ICE) that can be displayed to a user to form a user interface where the data is easy to understand and interact with by the user. The techniques described herein take a large number of discrete data elements and generates the ICE from the discrete data elements by determining a relative layout placement of the discrete data elements and determining a spherical layout positioning of the discrete data elements. The ICE is then displayed to the user. The techniques described herein permit the efficient display of large amounts of data in an interactive user interface utilizing some or the entire Field of Regard (FoR) rendering space that is available around the user. The displayed data may maintain a relative order, does not require complex hierarchies, and can include spatial cues to efficiently convey information to the user.

Abstract: A private branch exchange is provided having the capability of receiving external alarms via the standard telephony line or trunk interfaces. According to one embodiment, a PBX 200 includes a switching control circuit 202 having line monitor 212 and DTMF 210 capabilities. The switching control circuit 202 is coupled to a central processing unit 204 which in turn is coupled to a memory 206. The memory 206 stores a database 208 identifying a predetermined number of telephony trunk 214 and/or line input/output circuits 218 over which external alarms are to be reported. The CPU 204 identifies an external alarm contact closure as a fault on the telephone line or trunk, thereby insuring proper identification of the location of the alarm.