Abstract: A system for configuring and registering Internet Protocol (IP) phones has at least one IP phone coupled to a private branch exchange (PBX) through a switch. A boot server stores a plurality of configuration files used to configure IP phones, and the IP phone downloads a default configuration file having a default extension identifier from the boot server in order to allow the IP phone to initiate a registration session with the PBX. Once the registration session is initiated, the PBX is configured to automatically learn a media access control (MAC) address of the IP phone and to generate at least one unique configuration file identified by the learned MAC address. The IP phone is then configured according to the generated unique configuration file without an administrator having to associate the MAC address with the extension identifier.

Abstract: A called telephone number substitution mechanism is incorporated into the call-routing software employed by the microcontroller of a customer premises-installed communication device, through which digitized voice and data services are supplied to a customer site. The number substitution mechanism automatically selectively modifies digits of an original (dialed) telephone number, as necessary, to conform with the connectivity requirements of the communication link serving the destination device, thereby enabling the call to reach the destination device.

Abstract: In addition using twenty-four DS0 channels of an E1 transport rate-based digital communication link to convey an entire T1 frame of voice/data channels, an additional 364 Kbps bandwidth is used to convey a plurality of (up to six) DS0 data channels, without having to modify the signaling properties of the T1 frame into the higher transport rate protocol. For non-primary T1 voice channels, robbed encoded signaling bits are inserted ‘as is’ into the E1 signaling channel and mu-law encoded voice is inserted into 24 DS0 channels of the E1 frame. For primary rate ISDN (having no robbed bits), the signaling channel of the E1 frame becomes available for any ISDN channel. This allows the ‘D’ channel of the ISDN frame to be inserted in any of the thirty-one available E1 time slots.

Abstract: A called telephone number substitution mechanism is incorporated into the call-routing software employed by the microcontroller of a customer premises-installed communication device, through which digitized voice and data services are supplied to a customer site. The number substitution mechanism automatically selectively modifies digits of an original (dialed) telephone number, as necessary, to conform with the connectivity requirements of the communication link serving the destination device, thereby enabling the call to reach the destination device.