Abstract: Apparatus and method for achieving distributed telephony management within a network of telecommunication switches are disclosed. By using techniques known to computer communication technology but as yet unapplied to telephony, execution of tasks necessary for the proper functioning of a telephony network are performed with increased efficiency, ease, and throughput by distributing processing amongst the switches composing the network and attached computers.

Abstract: An integrated network switch is disclosed. The network includes a plurality of peripheral shelves, each having a plurality of ports for respective peripheral devices, and a common control. An interface is disposed between the common control and the peripheral shelves- A plurality of switches are included in the common control, each having switch ports for selectively interconnecting ports corresponding to the peripheral devices. Each of the switches has an assigned identification and each of the peripheral shelves has an assigned identification, including a shelf type and port numbers associated with the identified peripheral shelf. Provision is made for identifying an available switch, for ports associated with each shelf to be connected to the switch. Also, provision is made for dynamically designating ports of the identified peripheral shelf to switch ports of the available switch.

Abstract: A method for combining signals for a telephone conference may include a multiplicity of identical adders for combining six signals and providing a single combined output. The adders may be arranged in a repeatable hierarchical scheme in which each group of six conference members includes an adder for combining all six signals, with the output of this adder being provided to other groups of six so that each conference member receives signals from every other conference member. As few as three hierarchical levels of addition may be used with up to 216 members. Adders may also be arranged so that a member of a first conference may monitor other conferences without affecting the first conference.

Abstract: In a telephone automatic call distribution system (ACD), incoming telephone calls are assigned to a queue. Additionally, announcements are peridically provided to the incoming callers usually notifying the caller the system is processing the call and the manner of such processing. The number of agents available to handle calls is controlled by a load factor expressed as a ratio of incoming calls in the queue to number of agents available. This load factor is used as a threshold level, which when exceeded, causes the system to add an additional agent or additional groups of agents, increasing the probability the calls longest in the queue will be answered. The oldest call or the call that was first in and not yet answered is passed along to the next available agent group added to the system.