Abstract: A call-management system (14) for a call center (FIG. 1) having a plurality of terminals (12) staffed by agents (13) includes a program-implemented arrangement (24) for communicating each agent's schedule to the agent via the agent's corresponding terminal and for monitoring the agent's adherence to the communicated schedule via the agent's corresponding terminal, thereby relieving a supervisor (19) of having to perform these functions. Other programs (25-27) that enable the supervisor to automatically communicate with the agents via their terminals are also included in the call-management system.

Abstract: A voice message service system stores subscriber-specific voice phrases (e.g., names) using digitally encoded phonemes while common system voice phrases are stored using digitally encoded voice samples. System voice announcements are formed by combining selected common system voice phrases with selected subscriber-specific voice phrases generated from phonemes. When a voice mail message is sent from one message system to another message system, the sender's identification is sent using digitally encoded phonemes in the message header. The destination message system uses the received digitally encoded phonemes to generate the sender's identification as a synthetic voice signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to business communication systems and, in particular, to a message service system network that interconnects a plurality of message service systems and provides a voice mail message transfer capability between voice mail message service systems. The voice mail message transfer is performed as a computer-to-computer data file transfer operation over high speed data lines. The data file consists of the digitally encoded and compressed voice mail message to which is appended the message sender's name and telephone number as well as the message recipient's telephone number.

Abstract: An arrangement for controlling switch connections (115) between a plurality of accessing circuits (113a through 113n) and a plurality of peripheral circuits (116) prevents simultaneous connections by more than one accessing circuit to any one peripheral circuit. Address signals which identify requested connections are decoded to generate connection request signals. A resistor network (501A through 501N and 506A through 506N) responsive to the connection request signals generates voltage level signals representative of the number of accessing circuits requesting connection to each peripheral circuit. The voltage level signals are compared to a threshold signal to generate a connection enable signal if only one accessing signal is requesting connection to a given peripheral circuit and to generate a busy signal if more than one accessing circuit is requesting connection to a given peripheral circuit. Switch connections are completed only after receiving a connection enable signal.

Abstract: A message storage system (104) deletes trailing silence from messages stored therein. Voice messages are converted to digital signals and stored as data blocks in a digital storage system (114a). Voice signals are detected in messages to be stored and voice present bits are generated and included in the individual data blocks to indicate whether voice signals are present in the data blocks. During storage of the data blocks, the voice present bits which identify data blocks containing no voice signals increment a counter (311), and voice present bits which identify data blocks containing voice signals clear the counter (311). The final count in the counter is representative of the trailing data blocks which do not contain voice signals, i.e., silence, and these data blocks are deleted from the digital storage system.

Abstract: An arrangement tears down existing connection paths in a two stage switching network wherein switching paths are set up progressively by control circuits in both switching stages. A first-stage setup command is received by a first-stage control circuit and the second-stage control circuit of the previously established connection path. The first-stage control circuit responds to the first-stage setup command to set up a connection path through the first-stage switch and the second-stage control circuit responds to the first-stage setup command to tear down the previously established connection path.