Feature telephone integration device

~17~73 FEATURE TELEP~IONE INTEGRATION DEVICE Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone communication system, and more particularly to a feature telephone integration device for utilization in a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) environment.

PBX systems are, o~ course, well known in the prior art.

Communications are established between any external device (such as, but not limited to, a voice processing system) and a PBX ~ystem. Operation of external systems, often called applications processors, is enhanced when information from the PBX Bystem i5 passed to the applications processor prior to, concurxent with or following a telephone call. Applications proce~sors add ~eatures and ~unctionality to a computer or tQlephone system~ Some of the functions an applicat~ons processor might add are automatic call distribution (ACD), voice mail, call detail recording, and ~o on.

An applications proces~or often acts like one or more telephone extensions to the PBX ~ystem. Calls terminate on the applications processor ~or several reasons, inaluding, ~or example, when calls are placed directly to the applications processor, when calls are forwarded from an internal extension to the applications processor, when ' ~ Z~7973 calls are forwarded from an internal extension to another extension and then to the applications processor, and when calls are forwarded from a trunk group to the applications proceRsor.

Calls which are ~orwarded ~rom an extension or trunk group to the applications processor may have been ~orwarded because of a busy condition, ring-no-answer condition, or other condition (euch as "do not disturb")~ An applications processor may handle a telephone call more efficiently if it knows why the call came to it in the first place. The ability of an applications processor to communicate with the P3X or computer system is often called integration. The mechanism or device which would enable this information to be passed to the applications processor would greatly enhance the value of the applications processor.

Summary of the Invention It is an ob;ect of the present invention to provide a feature telephone integration device for use in a PBX environment.

Many PBX ~ystems have feature telephones (also called ~eature phones or executive phones) which provide a great deal of in~ormation to the user of the telephone ~ystem.

50me or all o~ the information required by an applications processor ror integration, as described above, is passed by the P3X to its own ~eature phone. In most cases, the feature phones are proprietary devices designed and manufactured by the maker of the particular PBX. In some approaches, it has been possible to pro~ide a complete emulation o~ the feature phone in order to accomplish integration.

~297~3 - 3 The present invention provides a device which uses the co~nunications with a feature phone aæ the source of info~nation for an applications procassor. The present invention does not emulate a feature phone, but rather connects to the internal circuitry of a feature phone and monitors communication~ within the telephone itæelf, from the PBX, or other, which post information required on various displays of the feature phone.

The present invention includes a feature telephone set, an applications processor, a PBX system, an integration means for monitoring telephone communications between the applications processor, the feature telephone ~et and the 2BX to determine the nature or type of the telephone co~nunications. The apparatus further includes means for informing the applications processor of the ~pecific nature of type of the telephone communications.

The present invention is thus able to monitor situations such as where all characters are passed to a visual display on a feature phone, such as li~uid crystal displays ~LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs) and other indicators on the feature phone. The present invention is also able to electronically "depress" any key on the feature phone, which then causes the PBX to take certain speci~i¢ actions.

Other ob~ecks, ~eatures and advantage~ of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed dQscription when taken in con~unction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description o~ the Drawings Fig. 1 depicts a block diagram of a telephone æystem incorporating the present invention.

9~ Fig. 2 depicts a block diagram of a feature telephone integration device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 depicts a more detailed diagram of the integration device of Fig. 2.

Detailed Description of the Drawings Referring now to Fig. 1, a block diagram of a telephone syetem which utilizes ~ feature telephone integration device according to the present invention is depicted.

In Fig. 1, the telephone sy6tem includes a conventional PBX 10 which is connected to an applications processor (AP) 30 via lines or leads 32. PBX 10 is also connected to an integration device 15 via lead 14. Device 15 is connected to AP 30 via lead 42, which is a conventional RS232 interface. A more detailed diagram of the pre~ent invention is depicted in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, the system includes a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) 10 connected to a suitable ~eature phone 12 via suitable telephone lead 14. The feature phone 12, connected to a suitable PBX, could be any one o~ various models available such as through Rolm Corporation, ~T&T and the like. ~he feature phone telephone 12 includes a display 20 and indicator LEDs and ~unction key~ 24, both of which are aonnected to a P~X interface board 22.

The interface board ~2 i~ connected to telephone lead 14 for establishing communications between PBX 10 and featurc phone 12.

PBX interface board 22 aonnects to LC display 20 via lead 34. PBX interface board 22 also connects to indicator LEDs and function keys 24 via leads 36, 39.

" ~2~7~3 The system depicted in Fig. 2 also includes an applica tions processor 30 which is connected to PBX 10 via telephone connection 32 which typically has twenty-four connections. Applications processor 30 could be any of any well known applications processors available, such as a commercially available processor manu*actured by Octel Communications Corporation (known as "Aspen").

The system depicted in Fig. 2 also includes an integration device 40, which is interconnected to applications processor 30 via communication line 42 for communicating in an RS232 format.

The integration device 40 also provides connection to feature phone 12 via lead 34 for receiving display in~ormation going to LC di6play 20.

The integration device 40 al~o is connected to receive LED activity signals on lead 36 and provide electronic key/closure signals on lead 38. The integration device 40 i~ able to monitor communications with the feature telephone 12, and in addition is able to electronically "depress" any key on the feature telephone which causes PBX 10 to take certain predetermined actions.

Fig. 3 depicts a more detailed diagram o~ integration device 40 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3, lead 42 corresponds to the 6ame lead 42 in ~ig. 2 ~or communicating with the applications processor 30 of Fig. 2. The RS232 ~ormatted in~ormation is transmitted via a ~uitable driver/recaiver circuit 60, which is connacted to a microprocessor 62.

Microprocessor 62 provides for interconnection to the other components of Fig. 3 by a suitable address/data bus 64. Other components in Fig. 3 include a program memory ~2~ 73 70 and a suitable random access memory (RAM) 72 inter~ connected to bus 64.

Also included in Fig. 3 are indicator LEDs and function key connectors such as circuit 82. The components in Fig. 3 are con~igured for separate telephone connections and thus there i~ a redundancy for the respective ~elephone connections. However, in order to understand the aspeats of the present invention, only the components for a separate telephone connection need be described.

Each circuit %2 is connected to receive information via a key close register such as register 80. Each circuit 82 provides LED information for LED register 84, and row information for register 86.

A row interrupt signal is gsnerated on lead 90. In order to provide suitable di6play information and control signals, a display interrupt signal i~ generated on lead 100 via the interconnections o~ logic circuit 98, display information connectors 92, shift register 96 and counter 94.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, each redundant configuration i6 provided for separate telephone connections, as described above.

In a pre~erred embodiment, the feature phone such as manu~acturQ~ ~y Rolm Corporation is 6uitably interconnected with the integration device 40 o~ Fig. 3. However, it should be understood that the aspects of the present invention can be applied to any feature telephone, in general.

The present invention has the ability to request that a telephone line on the applications processor 30 of Fig. 2 be reserved. ~he present invention monitors the ~2~7~ communications from PBX 10 to feature phone 12 to provide the necessary integrakion information o~ each call for the applications processor 30.

The present invention will electronically "see" an LED flashing, and electronically push the corresponding button for that line appearance. This i6 controlled by the signals on leads 36 and 38, depicted in Fig. 2.

When a feature phcne answers any line, ~BX 10 will send characters to it corresponding to all activity relating to the call, such as the source of the call, reason for the call, and the like. The present invention monitors all of this communication with the display 20 o~ Fig. 2.

The present invention may employ additional feature phones for the purpose of illuminating or de-illuminating message waiting indicators. A feature phone has the capability of pushing a button, dialing an extension number and determining whether or not a message waiting light i8 illuminated for any extension in the system.

The present invention electronically accomplishes this task using feature phone ~unckions.

Since illuminating and de-illuminating message waiting indi~ators may be an intensive task, the present inven tion may employ a ~eparate ~eature phone.

In order to more alearly explain the aspects o~ the present invention, two specifio examples o~ inaoming calls will now be described in con~unction with the present invention depicted in Figs. 1-3.

A first type o~ lncoming call could be a normal subscriber access call. In that type of operation, there is a set o~ line appearances, which are telephone line appearances reserved on the feature phone table, which is ~L2~37~73 - 8 a table created within the software o~ the PBX 10. The table indicates where all of the telephone line appearances are.

The present invention ~'looks" at the LXD indicators 12 in Fig. 2 to æee if someon~ i6 calling one of those lines.

This is accomplished by reading lead 36, which is the LED activity line, which indicates some form of flashing when a telephone call is incoming.

Before the call is actually answered, the invention ~'crosses" interface 42 and talks to the application processor 30 to ask for a telephone line, and if available, to reserve that telephone line.

When the telephone line is available, the present invention answers the calls and read the display information on LC display 20.

The present invention answers the call by indicating a key closure to the switch via a ~ignal on electronic key closure lead 38 of Fig. 2, which then answers the call.

This simulates the answering just like a normal person would. ~he outside caller is connected to the telephone itself.

The invention then processes the display information ~rom di6play 20 through lead 34 to dQtermine the kind o~ call which i8 inc oming. This would determine whether it i8 An inslde call, what the extension number is, and 50 forth.

Once the clisplay information i8 processed, the present invention uses a feature within PBX 10 which is known a~ ~Park~ ~he present invention "depresses" a function key on indicator 24 o~ Fig. 2 and d als the extension number ~L~97~ g of the port in the applications processor 30 that has been reserved.

When this happens, the caller is rer~uted to a port on applications processor 30 which sends a message across inter~ace ~2 which gives incoming call information about the person that is calling and which port the call is on.

The applications processor will go o~f hook on that port/ dial a connect feature code, which will cut a voice path through from the ~aller to the applications processor 30.

After that message is sent out, the present invention takes no further action in connection with the telephone interface.

Another type of operation utilizes an operator to transfer the call into the applications processor 30. There is another set o~ line appearances typically available which is different than one in which a normal subscriber is calling on or being ~orwarded to.

The present invention monitors this type o~ activity through the LED indicator line 36 and checks to determine if it is ringing, as in normal operation.

., The pre6ent invention then reservas a port on the applications processor 30 throuyh the message to inter~ace 42.

onca the reserve message is received, the present invention sends another message to the applications processor 30 to ldenti~y which extension number should be "picked." ~he call that is ringing on the present invention i6 "picked" by applications processor 30, using the port that was reserved.

If there is a message waiting ~or a user, the applications processor sends a message to the present invention i, , ~2~73 across interface 42 to tell which extension is desired for a message. The present invention will "electronically depress" the appropriate key on indicator 24 for that particular line appearance on which there is a message waiting line.

The present invention "reads" the ~ED activity to make sure that there is a dial tone on the line, then depresses a message waiting key, which is on typical type feature phones, dials the extension number of the person desired, reads the LED activity to see whether or not it is already set or cleared, and changes if need be through the key closures to complete the operation.

The present invention is a deviae which uses the communications with a feature phone as the source of information for an applications proces~or. The device does not emulate a feature phone but rather connects to the internal circuitry o~ the feature phone and monitors communications within the telephone to it ~rom the PBX, or other, which post information required on various displays of feature phone 12.

The present invention is thus abla to monitor all characters pa~sed to the visual display on a feature phone, all LCDs, LEDs and other indicators on a feature phone. The present invention is also able to electronically depress any key on the feature phone which then causes the PBX to take certain actions.