Abstract: A system and method for controlling a communications system that dynamically provides context sensitive functionality. In one embodiment, the system comprises a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) connected by communications channels to one or more communications devices and controlled, in part, by software objects that provide functionality that varies dependent on the hardware and software currently available and the status of that hardware and software. In one embodiment, the user of the communications device is presented, by way of an addressable display and associated function buttons, with only the function options appropriate to the context in which they are currently using the system. For instance, a conference option only becomes available when more than one incoming call is made to the same telephone.

Abstract: An enhanced softphone utilizes a simulated device driver as an interface with a speech recognition application, providing automatically generated transcripts of voice conversations carried over a communications network. The simulated device driver controls transmission of digitized audio from an audio control library to the speech recognition application. Digitized audio originating at the softphone is received by the audio control library as a first stream. Digitized audio terminating at the softphone is received by the audio control library as a second stream. The simulated audio device driver appends a first label to the first stream, and appends a second label to the second stream. The appended first stream and the appended second stream are transmitted to the speech recognition application for use in generating a transcript of a telephone conversation.

Abstract: By defining a static path through a communications network for a call placed by an IP-based telephonic device, stream of packets representing the call are rendered available for wiretapping on a communications network that includes a first and a second switching/routing element. The static path is defined using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP). The first switching/routing element responds to a call initiation request received from the telephonic device by sending an RSVP PATH message to the second switching/routing element. The first switching/routing element marks packets sent by the telephonic device with an identical MPLS Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) label, so that the plurality of packets will traverse a predesignated IP address in the communications path, and so as to allow law enforcement officials to monitor packets originating from an IP-based telephonic device using a monitoring mechanism situated at the predesignated IP address.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a communications system that dynamically provides context sensitive functionality. In one embodiment, the system comprises a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) connected by communications channels to one or more communications devices and controlled, in part, by software objects that provide functionality that varies dependent on the hardware and software currently available and the status of that hardware and software. In one embodiment, the user of the communications device is presented, by way of an addressable display and associated function buttons, with only the function options appropriate to the context in which they are currently using the system. For instance, a conference option only becomes available when more than one incoming call is made to the same telephone.