Direct Inward Dialing Patents (Class 379/233)
  • Patent number: 5572585
    Abstract: A communication system and a call processing method, with which a communication attribute of an incoming call or a held call is recognized, and the call is processed on the basis of matching characteristics of the communication attributes of accommodated terminals. When the call does not match with a given terminal in terms of a communication attribute, an associated message is displayed. When a given terminal is matched with the call within an allowable range of its communication attribute, the attribute of the given terminal is set to match with a requested communication attribute simultaneously with a response to the call by the given terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushi Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 5563940
    Abstract: In an incoming call service by which an extension can be directly called when a call comes in from another office, a dedicated terminal for selecting an extension to which the incoming call is connected is installed to enable the user to select it as desired, thereby increasing usage of call incoming lines for effective use. An exchange which connects an incoming call from another office directly to an extension, an input device for accepting specification of an extension corresponding to a specific incoming call, and a controller which includes a definition device for defining the correspondence between the specific incoming call and extension are provided. Upon receipt of an incoming call, the exchange connects the call to its corresponding extension in response to the correspondence defined in the definition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd., Hitachi Communications Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuo Tsuzuki, Masahiro Kumon, Yoshiharu Kondoh, Mitsuhiro Kotake, Masayuki Hashimura
  • Patent number: 5557659
    Abstract: In a computer network having a plurality of interconnected terminals and a shared memory device for storing digital data, a message handling system for sending and retrieving both voice and text messages over the computer network. A voice message is input either through a phone associated with one of the computer terminals or via a remote phone. The voice message is converted into a digital voice file which is stored on the shared memory device corresponding to the intended recipient's mailbox. Thereby, one mailbox can contain both voice and text messages. The same message handling mechanism is used for handling both voice and text messages. A list of the messages currently stored for each mailbox can be pulled for display by their respective terminals. A selected voice message may be selected for playback over the phone. Likewise, a text message may be selected for display by the terminal. Call answering and remote playback functions are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Inventor: Henry C. A. Hyde-Thomson
  • Patent number: 5550913
    Abstract: A network terminating unit, for interconnecting analog and digital communication systems to a digital network, having an analog voice module for connection to an analog private exchange, a high speed data communication module for connection to high speed communications devices, and an interface for common channel signalling connection to a digital network. The unit may further include a module for common channel signalling connectivity to a digital private exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: The Post Office
    Inventors: Samuel McMaster, Stephen A. Kirwan
  • Patent number: 5541992
    Abstract: In an incoming call service by which an extension can be directly called when a call comes in from another office, a dedicated terminal for selecting an extension to which the incoming call is connected is installed to enable the user to select it as desired, thereby increasing usage of call incoming lines for effective use. An exchange which connects an incoming call from another office directly to an extension, an input device for accepting specification of an extension corresponding to a specific incoming call, and a controller which includes a definition device for defining the correspondence between the specific incoming call and extension are provided. Upon receipt of an incoming call, the exchange connects the call to its corresponding extension in response to the correspondence defined in the definition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd., Hitachi Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuo Tsuzuki, Masahiro Kumon, Yoshiharu Kondoh, Mitsuhiro Kotake, Masayuki Hashimura
  • Patent number: 5535269
    Abstract: An additional direct inward dialing connection system includes a determining section, announcement machines, and a connection control section. When a direct inward dialing number from a caller is received via an office line or public telephone network, the determining section determines on the basis of the state of a called station terminal whether connection to the called station terminal can be established. When an output from the determining section indicates that connection to the called station terminal is not possible, one of the announcement machines notifies the caller of the reason for connection failure based on the state of the called station terminal. The machine also announces the number of a station terminal that may additionally dialed. When the number of the station terminal is received upon additional dialing performed by the caller, the connection control section connects a call from the caller to the station terminal corresponding to the received number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Takumu Hamada
  • Patent number: 5515422
    Abstract: An automated attendant service supports any combination of single-line telephones, CENTREX telephones and one or more PBX in a single logical configuration. Multiple access numbers can be used to call the automated service and calls forwarded from DID lines can also be handled. The appropriate transfer codes are determined for the switch connecting a caller to the automated attendant service. Subscribers to the automated attendant service may be connected via different types of switches using different call progress signals. Analysis of the call progress signals is performed using parameters specific to the switch used for each call to an extension. The types of transfers supported by the automated attendant service include screened calls in which the caller is prompted to give a name provided identification. The name given by the caller may be stored, together with the time of the call and the phone number of the caller, so that a subscriber may return calls even if the caller does not leave a message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Boston Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick J. MeLampy, Christopher R. Sklarin, Scott A. Jones
  • Patent number: 5481605
    Abstract: A method of deciding whether an extension terminal is called or not is provided. The kind of communication is recognized on the basis of a set-up message received from the ISDN. Whether the extension terminal is called or not is decided on the basis of the result of comparison between the kind of the extension terminal and the kind of the communication recognized. There is also provided a private branch exchange comprising: a detector to detect a reception from an analog external line; a digital interface to connect a terminal corresponding to a procedure for a digital line; and a judging circuit to judge whether the terminal corresponds to a procedure for an analog line or not, wherein when the judging circuit decides that the terminal corresponds to the procedure for the analog line when the reception is detected by the detector, the digital interface transmits the set-up message to the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeki Sakurai, Shoichi Takashima
  • Patent number: 5450488
    Abstract: A centralized multiple service voice messaging system. Additional directory numbers are dedicated to the message service system. The central office switching processor is programmed to forward calls dialed to these dedicated directory numbers to the voice mail system. The voice mail system, in turn, is programmed to recognize these numbers and perform a service based on the directory number dialed by the calling party and, in some cases, the directory number of the calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Inventors: John B. Pugaczewski, Mark S. Maize
  • Patent number: 5357558
    Abstract: A radio communication apparatus includes a main telephone connected to a digital line network and a plurality of sub telephones each being capable of performing a radio communication to the main telephone. The main telephone includes a memory for storing a subaddress and a direct dial-in number of each of the plurality of sub telephones, and an unit for, upon receiving an incoming signal transmitted from the digital line network, detecting a subaddress or a direct dial-in number included in the incoming signal, discriminating a sub telephone associated with the detected subaddress or direct dial-in number in accordance with the data stored in the memory, and transmitting the incoming signal to the discriminated sub telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Munehiro Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 5339356
    Abstract: A virtual private network connecting system in a virtual private network is formed by accommodating in a public network a plurality of PBX units each assigned a unique private office number (ON), the system executed by the units comprising in each of the PBX unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Tadao Ishii
  • Patent number: 5317631
    Abstract: An Improved Local Switching System provides a full set of business telephone functions for at least two main switch telephone lines and a number of local stations. A Master Switching Unit (MSU) serves outgoing, incoming and local call requests and maintains stable talking connections. A call router (ACR) monitors one of the main switch lines for incoming calls, refers call requests to the MSU, accepts responsibility for transferring MSU stable talking connections to the call router; and handles outgoing calls when the MSU is not available to serve-an call origination request. A transfer switch, under control of the call router, transfers the main switch lines between the MSU and the call router.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Areanex Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Abraham Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 5317628
    Abstract: A message management system comprising apparatus for producing a multi-media message, including a visually sensible portion and a aurally sensible portion, control apparatus for transmitting the multi-media message to a selected subscriber and apparatus for providing notification to the selected subscriber of the arrival of a multi-media message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignees: Efrat Future Technology Ltd., Comverse Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Boaz Misholi, Itzchak Danziger, Stephen R. Kowarsky, Nimrod Sandlerman
  • Patent number: 5303298
    Abstract: Disclosed is an intercept system for integrating the personalized services of switchboard attendants associated with on-premise PBX switching systems, with the capabilities of the intercept system for allowing calling parties the opportunity to complete their own calls to the on-premise switching systems when the telephone extension numbers of the called parties are known to the calling parties. Depending on the mode of system operation selected, the intercept system either presents all incoming calls directly to the switchboard attendants, or intercepts all incoming calls and presents the caller the opportunity to complete the call, or a combination in which incoming calls are first offered to the switchboard attendants for assistance and then after a time wherein attendant assistance is not gained, the call is intercepted and the caller is given an opportunity to complete the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: Syntellect Acquisition Corporation
    Inventors: Sanford J. Morganstein, Edward F. Tuck, Bakulesh A. Mehta, Herbert B. Krakau
  • Patent number: 5291549
    Abstract: A private branch exchange which accommodates a plurality of extension terminals and which is arranged to effect line exchanges by specifying a destination terminal from among the extension terminals on the basis of a called-subaddress information element contained in incoming information. When the incoming information containing the called-subaddress information element is received, it is determined whether the called-subaddress information element is contained in the incoming information. If there is no called-subaddress information element, the call is refused. It is also determined whether connection with an extension terminal is possible or impossible, on the basis of the received incoming information. If the connection is impossible, information to that effect is transmitted to a calling party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michihiro Izumi
  • Patent number: 5268958
    Abstract: In an integrated services digital network (ISDN), a caller number indicative of the telephone number of a caller can be usually attached in a call data. In a private branch exchange according to the present invention, the caller number of a caller and the extension number or numbers of an extension telephone set or sets to which the call is desired to be directly sent from the caller are previously registered in a suitable memory table in a predetermined correlation, so that when the private branch exchange receives a call from the ISDN, it retrieves the table to check whether or not the received call is previously registered in the table in the form of a caller number. When the call is registered one, the call is preferentially allocated to one or ones of the extension telephone sets having one or ones of the extension numbers associated with the caller number of the received call. The number registration in the table may be carried out through each of the extension telephone sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kazuo Nakano
  • Patent number: 5267305
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transparent inband signaling during a telephone conversation provides an advantageous way of enabling a party to a telephone conversation to signal a telecommunications system to perform desired functions. A person signaling a system with a general inband signal, such as DTMF, can do so transparently, that is without the other party hearing the inband signals used. This innovation is based on detecting the inband signal, muting the inband signal to prevent the other party from hearing it, and determining which party generated it while allowing the conversation to continue substantially uninterrupted. The inband signal is delayed prior to muting for a short period of time in an alternate embodiment in order to compensate for the time delay in reliably detecting DTMF signals thus mute the inband signal more completely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: Ambassador College
    Inventors: John R. Prohs, Nick Efthyvoulos, Michael J. Little, Michael R. Scheid
  • Patent number: 5245650
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for adding a tenant function to a voice mail system. The steps of the method include: receiving a telephone call from a subscriber; determining a tenant group number of a line corresponding to the telephone call; storing the tenant group number the corresponding line; inputting a voice mail number; determining whether the voice mail number is represented in the same tenant group; and providing a voice mail service when the voice mail number represents the same tenant group, or otherwise transmitting a message that a wrong voice mail number has been input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 5233648
    Abstract: A direct dialing-in method in a PABX is disclosed. In this method, a called party number translation table storing a plurality of pairs of first and last addresses for defining address groups, each constituted of a predetermined number of serial numbers, and specified addresses set for all kinds of terminals, at each group, is prepared. A called party number is extracted from the called party number information element of a SET UP message from a central exchange in ISDN having received a direct dialing-in number. It is checked with the aid of the translation table which of the address groups includes the called party number. The called party number is converted into a relative address in an address group including the called party number. The kind of a terminal on a call side is judged from the bearer capability information element and the high layer compatibility information element of the SET UP message simultaneously with the determination of the relative address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuzi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5212691
    Abstract: In a private network where PBXs (1, 2) are connected through a primary rate interface (47, 48) to an ISDN network (45), one of the PBXs has routing data for virtual tie trunks for signaling and speech transmission, respectively, to be established via the ISDN to a distant PBX (2), and channel status data indicating their set-up or clear-down state according to time of day and calendar day. The stored data is periodically accessed, and depending on the contents of the channel status data, a call setup or clearing message is sent from the PBX (1) to the ISDN to set-up or clear-down the virtual tie trunks. On receipt of a response from the distant PBX, busy/idle status of the virtual tie trunks is changed according to the accessed channel status data. In response to a request from a user station, a path is established therefrom to the virtual speech tie trunk and a call setup message is sent direct to the distant PBX through the virtual signaling tie trunk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Hokari
  • Patent number: 5193110
    Abstract: An integrated services platform for a telephone communication system includes a plurality of application processing ports for providing different types of information services through the telephone communication system. A master control unit and a high speed digital switch control processing of incoming phone calls to recognize the type of service being requested by a subscriber and non-subscriber, and route the call to the appropriate application processing port which is capable of providing the requested service. Application processing ports can be provided to implement a number of information services including videotex, voice, speech synthesis, E-mail, facsimile store and forward, speech recognition, telex, residential call answering, business voice messaging, home shopping, classified advertising, trucking dispatch, doctor's register and automated attendant. In this manner, a centrally located services platform can be provided to provide a number of different types of service to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Assignee: Boston Technology, Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott A. Jones, Allen T. Arumainayagam, Amitava Mukherjee, Donald F. Picard, Richard E. Cohen
  • Patent number: 5175761
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for initiating multiple call transfers from a Voice Mail System ("VMS") to telephone extensions on a Private Branch Exchange ("PBX") integrated with the VMS. A plurality of first lines between the PBX and the VMS provide voice communication between callers and the VMS via the PBX. The VMS includes an applications processor which is integrated (coupled) to the PBX via an integration link. The applications processor determines if at least one of a plurality of second lines in a hunt group are free, and transmits a command to the PBX to effect a call transfer to an extension on the PBX if at least one second line is found free. If no second line is found free, the applications processor places the transfer request in a queue. The plurality of second lines in the hunt group are searched in response to the PBX receiving the special command over the integration link to find a free second line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: ROLM Systems
    Inventors: Zafar M. Khalid, Rachel Ramsay, Joseph F. Khouri
  • Patent number: 5099511
    Abstract: A private branch exchange for controlling the calls terminated from a direct-in line receives a call set-up message containing termination information including termination address information and termination subaddress information. The termination subaddress information is supplied by the originating station and includes a security code and an internal station number. A dial signal deciding part converts the security code into a class-of-service number in accordance with a security code table containing to class-of-service numbers. The services of the private branch exchange which are offered to a subscriber, for example termination to station or origination of call, are determined by indexing a class-of-service table containing class-of-service information using the class-of-service number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Masaharu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 5022069
    Abstract: A modular switching system for terminating and originating calls between central office subscriber lines and local stations provides the appearance of a business environment to an establishment served by one or more central office lines and as few as one local station. Central office lines may comprise standard subscriber lines or PBX trunks. The switching system includes one or more master switching units (102, 112) equal in number to the central office lines which are seved by the system; and a plurality of station switching subsystems (120, 130) corresponding in number to the local stations served by the switching system. Each master switching unit includes a main port for connection to a telephone answering device (TAD). A TAD comprises a manual attendant's module and/or an automatic telephone answering set to provide a recorded audio announcement (OGM) which advises a calling party how to proceed to complete a call to a particular local station served by the called central office number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Inventor: Abraham Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 4975941
    Abstract: Disclosed is an intercept system for integrating the personalized services of switchboard attendants associated with on-premises PBX switching systems with the capabilities of the intercept system for allowing calling parties the opportunity to complete their own calls to the on-premises switching systems when the telephone extension numbers of the called parties are known to the calling parties. Depending on the mode of system operation selected, the intercept system either presents all incoming calls directly to the switchbard attendants, or intercepts all incoming calls and presents the caller the opportunity to complete the call, or a combination in which incoming calls are first offered to the switchboard attendants for assistance and then after a time wherein attendant assistance is not gained, the call is intercepted and the caller is given an opportunity to complete the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Dytel Corporation
    Inventors: Sanford J. Morganstein, Edward F. Tuck, Bakulesh A. Mehta, Herbert B. Krakau
  • Patent number: 4955047
    Abstract: Apparatus (24) for connecting an outside caller (10) to an extension (14) of a local exchange (16) having a direct inward system access (DISA) feature includes a processor (90) and a memory (93) coupled to the processor (90) for storing at least one predetermined security code. A dialing information receiver (58) is controlled by the processor (90) to receive dialing information input from the outside caller (10). A second memory (94) is coupled to the processor (90) and the receiver (58) for storing the dialing information. A transmitter (58) is coupled to the processor (90) and the local exchanger (16) for transmitting second dialing information related to the dialing information to the local exchange (16). The processor may make a correlation between the dialing information and the second dialing information, or the dialing information may be passed through unchanged as the second dialing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Dytel Corporation
    Inventors: Sanford J. Morganstein, Ron H. Bindl, Mark D. Klecka, Herbert B. Krakau, Thomas M. Dawson
  • Patent number: 4941171
    Abstract: An electronic private branch exchange having a function to cause a plurality of particular extension telephone sets to simltaneously respond to an incoming signal from the corresponding one of a plurality of main wire trunks. The exchange is capable of changing an extension telephone set at which an incoming signal tone is to be produced, in accordance with a time zone as needed. When there is an incoming signal from a main wire trunk, extension telephone sets to perform an incoming signal processing are searched from a first memory. A time zero in which an incoming signal tone is to be sent to the searched extension telephone sets is read from a second memory. If the read contents of the second memory and those of a third memory coincide, an incoming signal processing is performed, accompanied by a transmission of an incoming signal tone to those extension telephone sets. The contents of the third memory can be changed by a certain extension telephone set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Iwao Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 4930153
    Abstract: An interface is described which attaches between the incoming trunk lines from a central office and a PBX system and which monitors the communication between the central office and the PBX to record the signals representative of telephone extension of a called party for later downloading to telephone peripheral equipment attached to the PBX, such as voice mail systems. The interface passively monitors the line during handshake communication between the central office and the PBX and receives the digits of the dialed extension and stores them in memory. The interface then monitors the line for a request to send from the peripheral equipment attached to the PBX. When the request is received, the interface assumes supervision of the telephone line by terminating the line to the central office and the line to the PBX. The interface then downloads the digits of the dialed extension to the telephone peripheral equipment, such as a voice mail system, for identifying the extension to which the message belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Nicollet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Guenter E. Hagedorn
  • Patent number: 4924510
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for reducing call setup time for calls to Advanced 800 customers by eliminating one database query. (Toll charges for 800 calls are paid by the called customer.) In the prior art, a call to an Advanced 800 customer required accessing a Basic 800 database, then, using data obtained therefrom, accessing an Advanced 800 database. In accordance with this invention, a table of the most frequently called Advanced 800 numbers and the corresponding data normally obtained from the Basic 800 database is dynamically maintained in each roll switching system. When an 800 call is received at a toll switching system, the table is examined to see if the Advanced 800 service accessing data is stored therein. If so, the advanced 800 database is directly accessed without first accessing the Basic 800 database; if not, the call is processed as in the prior art, plus updating the table if the call is to an Advanced 800 customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company
    Inventor: Van-Ban Le
  • Patent number: 4914690
    Abstract: A universal PBX-to-central office interface for standards conversion is described for supporting normally incompatible telephone equipment in PBX environments. The present invention is adapted for connection between the central office and a PBX along DID and DOD trunk lines. The present invention will capture incoming signaling and data in any one of three dialing modes (DTMF, MF and pulse dial) and convert this standard to whatever dialing mode is required by the equipment attached to the interface. The present invention will also do signaling conversion for peripheral equipment attached to PBX systems such as voice mail systems. The interface is capable of capturing extension signals transmitted from the central office to the PBX and saving them in memory for later downloading to a voice mail system to recover the extension of the dialed party after it has been forwarded to the voice mail system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Nicollet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Guenter E. Hagedorn
  • Patent number: 4852149
    Abstract: A Call Filter System (CFS): (1) logically interfaces between a public telephone network and business customer premises equipment; (2) automatically processes incoming and outgoing calls which are amenable to such intervention; and (3) enlists the aid of human intervention on calls requiring such intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Dialogic Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Zwick, Charles R. Walden Jr., Louis J. Francz, Jay L. Gerbehy
  • Patent number: 4823378
    Abstract: A universal PBX-to-central office interface for standards conversion is described for supporting normally incompatible telephone equipment in PBX environments. The present invention is adapted for connection between the central office and a PBX along DID and DOD trunk lines. The present invention will capture incomping signaling and data in any one of three dialing modes (DTMF, MF and pulse dial) and convert this standard to whatever dialing mode is required by the equipment attached to the interface. The present invention will also do signaling conversion for peripheral equipment attached to PBX systems such as voice mail systems. The interface is capable of capturing extension signals transmitted from the central office to the PBX and saving them in memory for later downloading to a voice mail system to recover the extension of the dialed party after it has been forwarded to the voice mail system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Nicollet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Guenter E. Hagedorn
  • Patent number: 4811381
    Abstract: A direct inward dial integration device is connected to the trunk side of a PBX in a business telephone system. The present invention permits a voice message system (VMS) to answer forwarded calls with a personal greeting of a called party. When a direct inward dial call is made, the identity of the extension (i.e., the extension number) being called is transmitted to the PBX by the telephone system. The integration device detects and stores the extension identity. If an incoming call is forwarded to the VMS, the VMS generates a query sigal, which causes the integration device to automatically transmit the stored extension number to the voice message system. Thus the voice message system can identify the called party. The VMS responds by answering the call with a personal greeting of the called party and inviting the outside caller to leave a recorded message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Octel Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Woo, Paul M. Barnett
  • Patent number: 4792967
    Abstract: A private branch exchange (PBX) direct in dailing (DID) and an E&M tie trunk voice message integration adapter and method is disclosed. The invention permits a calling party on a DID line to a desired extension connected to a PBX to be automatically connected to the called party's mailbox in a VMS when the called extension is busy or does not answer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Opcom
    Inventors: David J. Ladd, Stevan C. Smith
  • Patent number: 4696028
    Abstract: Disclosed is an intercept system for integrating the personalized services of switchboard attendants associated with on-premises PBX switching systems with the capabilities of the intercept system for allowing calling parties the opportunity to complete their own calls to the on-premises switching systems when the telephone extension numbers of the called parties are known to the calling parties. Depending on the mode of system operation selected, the intercept system either presents all incoming calls directly to the switchboard attendants, or intercepts all incoming calls and presents the caller the opportunity to complete the call, or a combination in which incoming calls are first offered to the switchboard attendants for assistance and then after a time wherein attendant assistance is not gained, the call is intercepted and the caller is given an opportunity to complete the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1987
    Assignee: Dytel Corporation
    Inventors: Sanford J. Morganstein, Edward F. Tuck, Bakulesh A. Mehta, Herbert B. Krakau
  • Patent number: 4672660
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for identifying who is placing a call to a telephone prior to answering. The apparatus, which is preferably located at the telephone central office, includes a switching matrix having a plurality of DID access lines coupling the switching matrix to the central telephone office. The switching matrix also has a plurality of input and output lines which are assigned to individual subscribers' telephones who desire to identify callers prior to answering. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, twenty DID access lines are used to couple the telephone central office to the switching matrix and one hundred subscription and input and output lines are used to couple the switching matrix to individual subscriber telephones. The switching matrix is coupled to a programmed microprocessor which controls the operation of the system including the generation of a digitally synthesized vocal announcement of at least the number being called.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Amtel Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Curtin
  • Patent number: 4629831
    Abstract: The series connected interceptor is a control system for assisting in providing improved service operations for a PBX system. This control system is connected in series in a DID trunk between a TELCO central office and a PBX. By the nature of where it is connected and its function, the control system enables a telephone answering service to sense when an incoming DID call has rung on an extension for a predefined number of rings and to answer such call with the identity of the extension being called. The control system also can provide incoming DID call screening or call forwarding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Amtel Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Curtin, Stephen Soto, Steven Krueger