Abstract: The invention provides a call processing system to handle calls to a call center. The invention includes a call processing system that transmits a service control point (SCP) query for an SCP after receiving an initial signal for the call. The SCP then transmits an address query for the call center resource processor and receives an address response including the absolute address for the call from the call center resource processor. The SCP transmits an SCP response including the absolute address for the call processing system. The call processing system processes the SCP response to generate a route instruction to cause a network element system to route the call to a call center resource in call packets containing the absolute address. The call processing system transmits the route instruction for the network element system.

Abstract: A connector and associated method for interconnecting a plurality of adjacent paired wire terminations on a standard 110 style punch down wiring block for a telephone system. The connector includes two isolated conductors disposed along the length of the connector body and a plurality of pins connected to the respective conductors and extending away from the body. The pins are adapted for insertion into respective 110 style punch down block terminations when the connector is installed in a connected position on the wiring block, thereby connecting in parallel a plurality of telephones hard-wired to the adjacent paired wire terminations. The connector may be formed to have one or more break points disposed between respective pairs of the pins for easy breaking/cutting of the connector to a desired length for interconnecting a predetermined number of telephones.

Abstract: A handset is disclosed which comprises a display 3 and a scroll key 9 for scrolling data on the display. The scroll key has two portions which lie on a line oblique to the horizontal. When depressed these portions effect different scrolling actions.

Abstract: A contact center records and analyzes customer communications. The contact center includes a monitoring system which records customer communications and a customer experience analyzing unit which reviews the customer communications. The customer experience analyzing unit identifies at least one parameter of the customer communications and automatically determines whether the identified parameter of the customer communications indicates a negative or unsatisfactory experience. This customer experience analyzing unit can perform a stress analysis on audio telephone calls to determine a stress parameter by processing the audio portions of the telephone calls. It can then be determined whether the customer experience of the caller was satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for observing and controlling a multi-layered communication network, comprising steps of: storing control contents for each layer; observing traffic information of each link which belongs to an upper layer; storing the traffic information observed and related information for each link; altering a route in a lower layer and capacity for each link based on the observed traffic information for each link, related information for each link and the control contents for each layer.

Abstract: A system and method for discriminating call content types for individual telephone lines at a plurality of user sites outside of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is described. The system includes: a database containing security rules for each of a plurality of extensions, the rules specifying actions to be taken based upon a call content type of the call on the extension, wherein the call content type is determined at the user sites outside the PSTN; and a line sensor within the user sites outside the PSTN for determining the call content type of the call. The line sensor continuously checks the call content type to determine if the call content type changes.

Abstract: A system and method for predicting the wait time of a caller to a call center is disclosed. The call center associates a set of agents to which the caller may be queued. This set of agents selected may depend on the skills that each agent possesses, the type of service request made by the caller, caller priority, time of day, day of week and other conditions. An initial wait time estimate may then be given to the caller who is just queued. As a caller's conditions may dynamically change, a caller's position in the queue may also change as well as the pool of available agents. Periodic wait time estimate updates may also be given to the queued caller. A caller's wait time may be estimated based upon mean inter-arrival times for recently past calls into the call center. An average inter-arrival time may be calculated for the last several calls. Alternatively, a caller's wait time may be estimated based upon calls that are recently queued and dequeued.

Abstract: A private branch exchange comprising means, including at least an extension terminal, for connecting the extension terminal to a communication network, means for transmitting to the communication network a call including information relating to a caller number, when a transmission call is made from the extension terminal, means for sending, when a call is received from the communication network and the call includes information on a number, the call to the extension terminal corresponding to the called number, memory means for storing information on a predetermined number which is preconfirmed to function as a called number for callback, determination means for determining, when a call has been received from the extension terminal, whether or not the predetermined number is obtained, which corresponds to a caller number received from the extension terminal or a caller number corresponding to the extension number, with use of the information stored in the memory means, and means for employing, when the acquisi

Abstract: A service switching point counts the number of pending queries sent to a service control point and awaiting a response. When the counted number reaches a threshold, further call attempts are rejected. This prevents the load on the service control point from becoming excessive.

Abstract: A line card circuit using a pair of comparators such that the output of the first comparator is coupled to an input of the second comparator through an RC circuit. The RC circuit is tuned such that short transients, such as false pulses and false off hook indications passed by the first comparator are not passed by the RC circuit to the second comparator. The input of the first comparator is coupled to the subscriber line and the output of the second comparator is coupled to the switch's hook status detection circuitry.

Abstract: A transaction control system is capable of receiving both real-time transactions and non-real-time transactions. The control system processes the received transactions using a transaction controller, which is capable of processing both real-time transactions and non-real-time transactions. The control system is also capable of identifying a transaction type associated with the received transaction and assigning a priority to the received transaction. Real-time transactions may be assigned a higher priority than non-real-time transactions. The control system can also associate a Quality of Service (QOS) with each received transaction. The control system is capable of queuing a received transaction in a transaction queue if no agents are available to process the received transaction. A highest priority transaction is removed from the transaction queue when an agent becomes available to process a new transaction.

Abstract: In a telephone system employing a PBX server to communicate with local telephones over a local area network, fallback adapters are provided to automatically respond to a power failure and also respond to the failure of the PBX server to automatically connect the telephones directly to a telephone line. This automatic connection enables the telephones to be used as analog phones and make and receive calls directly without using the PBX server. Power failure is detected by relays which default to a position to connect the telephones directly to the telephone line. The fallback detectors have controller logic which detects the presence of a ringing signal on the telephone line and the failure of the PBX to respond to the ringing signal. In addition, the fallback detectors detect the failure of the PBX to respond when a telephone is used to attempt to make an outgoing call or a call to another one of the local telephones.

Abstract: A communication apparatus 1 or 2 connected to a PBX 4 or 5 and an ATM network 3, is provided with a DTMF signal detecting portion 102 for detecting whether or not a DTMF signal is contained in a voice signal from the PBX 4 or 5, a DTMF signal monitoring portion 103, a DTMF cell generating portion 105 for coding and sending out a DTMF signal, a DTMF cell decomposing portion 110 for decoding a coded DTMF signal and a DTMF signal generating portion 113 for generating a DTMF signal on the basis of the information content of a decoded DTMF signal and sending out this DTMF signal to the PBX 4 or 5, and the transmission side communication apparatus 1 or 2 codes a DTMF signal in a specified form and transmits the DTMF signal and the reception side communication apparatus 1 or 2 decodes the coded DTMF signal and, on the basis of this content information, restores the DTMF signal in a DTMF signal generating portion 113.

Abstract: In ordinary telephones, a communication partner is called without considering the location of the communication partner and whether or not the communication partner is busy. In the present invention, it is determined whether or not the communication partner is to be called at least based on information relating the position of a communication apparatus possessed by the communication partner.

Abstract: The present invention allows a single trigger, such as a Termination Attempt Trigger, to invoke multiple feature service logic programs (feature SLPs) through the use of a Feature Interaction Manager service logic program (FIM-SLP) installed at a service control point (SCP). A database, accessible by the service control point, contains subscriber information such as the type of services subscribed and the order in which the services are to be invoked. The Feature Interaction Manager service logic program invokes individual feature SLPs based on the information contained in the database that specify how the feature SLPs will interact. In one embodiment, the present invention allows multiple services to be deployed within a common service control point. In a different embodiment, the Feature Interaction Manager service logic program located in a first service control point can also invoke features SLPs that are located in other service control points.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for designing a signaling network of call coordinators (CCs) for internet telephony. The new method can be used to design a CC network of arbitrary size that satisfies, with high probability, limitations on the maximum number of sockets per CC and on the maximum number of hops between an arbitrary pair of switches in the network. According to the disclosed method, the network of CCs is treated initially as a collection of isolated points, one point for each CC. Then, links are added between pairs of CCs, excluding pairs lying within the same switch. The links are added randomly, but with a particular probability p, which may be different for different pairs. Thus, whether a given link is added depends, in effect, upon the outcome of a loaded coin toss in which the probability of a positive outcome is p.

Abstract: An improved technique of managing a multiparty conference of a digital domain such as the Internet is disclosed. As parties are added to the conference, the original conference member adding such parties is kept apprised of the status of the addition. Moreover, a joining member attempts to establish communications with all of the present conference members identified in an original invite message from one of the conference members. If some of the conference members subsequently drop out of the conference, overhead is minimized by allowing each of those dropped-out conference members to advise the joining member of the same.

Abstract: A TAPI method according to an implementation of the present invention includes installing a TAPI service provider and associating a first PID with the TAPI service provider; re-installing the TAPI service provider and associating a second PID with the TAPI service provider; and automatically associating TAPI devices that had been associated with the first PID with the second PID.

Abstract: A telephony security system and method for controlling and logging access between an enterprise'send-user stations at a plurality of customer sites and their respective circuits into the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The system and method includes a discrete line sensor within the customer sites for determining a call type of the call, and taking actions on the call based on predetermined security rules.

Abstract: A system and method for locating the subscriber of a telephony product in which a best guess location is assigned to each subscriber of the telephony product. Under certain predetermined conditions, the telephony product directs incoming phone calls to a subscriber by first attempting to locate the subscriber at the best guess location. If the best guess location does not successfully answer or is not attempted first, an alternate search method is used.