Abstract: A system and method for managing customer communications over communication channels are disclosed. A method may include (1) at least one of a plurality of computer processors determining a communication channel for contacting a customer; (2) at least one of the plurality of computer processors determining contact information for the customer to be used with the determined communication channel; (3) presenting the contact information to an agent; (4) receiving, at an electronic device, authorization to initiate contact with the customer using the contact information; and (5) at least one of a plurality of computer processors automatically initiating contact with the customer using the communication channel.

Abstract: According to various embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for local number portability in a telecommunication network are disclosed. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a telephone number (TN) to test for its porting activity as part of a local number portability (LNP) order, accessing a LNP call tester (LCT) to determine a current local routing number (LRN) for the TN, and determining, based on the TN and current LRN, whether the porting activity is completed for the TN in relation to a core telecommunications carrier servicing an owner of the TN. The porting activity may include at least one of port in, port out, and migration of the TN. In one embodiment, the planned porting activity for the TN associated with the LNP order is known prior to determining whether the porting activity has been completed. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A terminal operated at a switching facility has at least one indicating element which indicates operating modes of another terminal allocated to the indicating element. The other terminal is operated at another switching facility. Calls to the other terminal may be picked up by operating a function element, e.g., pressing a key, associated with the indicating element that indicates the operating modes of the other terminal, when an incoming call to the other terminal is indicated.

Abstract: A routing table circuit for a router has one or more input ports and output ports for message communication. In the routing table circuit, one or more routing table memories store a plurality of routing table arrays. The routing table arrays are arranged hierarchically in levels, and each routing table array is associated with a predetermined subset of prefixes. Each routing table array has entries. The entries include a block default route pointer field to store a block default route pointer, if any, and a routing field. The route engine may access any level of table array by using a next level route pointer stored in the routing field. Using the block default route and the routing field, the present invention further reduces the number of memory accesses and the update cost for route insertion and deletion by identifying and skipping elements that do not require route updating.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a voice storage device includes a port control unit for monitoring a service state of a port of a PBX extension circuit, and a private branch exchange is configured to transmit, upon receipt of an incoming call, an incoming signal including caller information and the number of a port receiving the incoming call to the voice storage device without bringing an outside line to an off-hook state. As the voice storage device receives the incoming signal, the port control unit detects the port, which is available. When the port is available, paging directed to an individual extension telephone is performed through the private branch exchange by use of this available port, and until the outside line goes off-hook, a caller keeps hearing a ringback tone with the ringing signal being sent from a telephone office to the caller.

Abstract: A new technique for fast alternate-path automatic rerouting of labeled data packets normally routed over a predetermined primary label switched path upon failure or congestion in the primary path.

Abstract: A method of hunting for a communication channel in a communication system where a plurality of communication lines each have a plurality of communication channels includes the steps of maintaining a record of current channel statuses of the communication channels with respect to all the communication lines, and distributing busy channels evenly among the communication lines by selecting a communication channel based on the record of channel statuses and assigning the selected communication channel to a call.

Abstract: Network resources for a call between a calling party and a called party are allocated. The network resources for the call are reserved based on a reservation request. The network resources are reserved before any one network resource from the reserved network resources is committed. The reserved network resources for the call are committed when a called party indicates acceptance for the call.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for providing automatic call distribution and auto-attendant capabilities to a digital telephone switch not having those capabilities. Digital interface circuitry is provided to emulate the appearance of a digital telephone connected to the telephone switch. The telephone switch is programmed to automatically route incoming calls to the interface circuitry and also to transmit the status of other digital telephones connected to the telephone switch to the interface circuitry. A processor is provided which determines the busy/idle state of other telephones connected to the switch, and transmits to the telephone switch a transfer command which re-routes the incoming telephone call to an idle telephone. Storage circuitry is provided for storing a user-defined algorithm for distributing incoming calls to the available digital telephones.

Abstract: The present invention provides an approach to reconnect a communications network such as a DS3 telephone-type network when a span of DS3 channels is rendered inoperative, such as by cutting, within the 1.5 second time frame necessary to prevent disablement of local offices. This is accomplished by preplanning a restoration connection for each possible operating link failure in each span using spare capacity. A dedicated (DS3) communication loop is used to inform all nodes in the network substantially simultaneously to implement their portion of a plan associated with the failed span. After the restoration occurs for a given failed span, the concept can be extended to start planning for further failures or can be designed to restore further failures on a real time basis.

Abstract: A communication channel ownership arrangement where two call units (switching modules) each own certain ones of the bidirectional channels between the units. By virtue of ownership, a call unit can immediately assign owned channels to calls without consulting the other call unit. While the ownership of channels to calls may be artibrary at system initialization, ownership is modifiable on a per-call basis to dynamically adapt to the actual directional traffic patterns that are present at a given time to minimize the coordination and communication required between the call units.

Abstract: A distributed control switching system where calls, to and from a directory number that is shared by a key-system group of terminals, are processed cooperatiavely by multiple, distributed control units but in response to busy/idle data for the shared directory number stored advantageously by only a lead one of the control units. In addition to processing a call, for example to complete a connection to or from one of the terminals of the group, the multiple control units also cooperate as the call progresses to inform each of the group terminals of the call status as though the terminals were connected in parallel to a central office line as in an electromechanical key system.

Abstract: A distributed control switching system where the system control units cooperatively perform the terminating port determination function. Multi-port hunt groups having members that span a number of switching modules each having an associated control entity, are controlled in an efficient manner by assigning, for each multi-port hunt group, one of the switching modules as the group controller for that multi-port group. All calls to a given group necessarily require a control communication with the group controller which maintains the dynamic busy/idle data for the group and performs the hunting function to assign idle group members to calls.

Abstract: A distributed control switching system where multi-port hunt groups are controlled by hunting for idle group members in a sequential fashion starting with the members on one of the switching modules of the system and continuing through a predetermined sequence of modules until an idle group member is found. The busy/idle hunt data is distributed across the modules so that each module maintains the hunt data for only the group members on that module. Therefore, no inter-module control communication is devoted to updating the hunt data of other modules.

Abstract: A plurality of switching modules, e.g. components of a digital telephone exchange, each include a pair of central processing units (CPUs) operating in master-slave relationship under the supervisory control of two support processors alos constituting a master-slave pair. Each support processor communicates via a respective bus with all switching modules by way of respective signal lines extending from that bus to one CPU of each pair. Each signal line includes two closely juxtaposed, cascaded interfaces each of which, in turn, has an externally and an internally accessible input/output (I/O) section. The externally accessible I/O section of each interface inserted in the active line between the master processor and the master CPU of any module is normally operational and communicates by an in-line link with the corresponding I/O section of the interface in cascade therewith.