Message signaling arrangement between a switching system and user terminals

US4741026A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories · US
• AT&T Information Systems Inc. · US

Inventors

• Leslie A. Baxter · Eatontown, US
• James R. Campbell · Olney, US
• Wayne A. Davidson · Valhalla, US
• Laura M. Fandre · Naperville, US
• Robert M. Lund · Boulder, US
• Ronald W. Michelsen · McLeansboro, US
• Nicholas P. Palumbo · Old Bridge, US
• Gerald S. Soloway · Morganville, US
• Barry J. Weinbaum · Waretown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 29, 1986
• Grant date: Apr 26, 1988
• Expiry date: May 29, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S379/915
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A signaling arrangement where all terminal configuration data is stored in a switching system, but where each user terminal responds to a message from the system, defining one of the user terminal buttons as the selected call appearance at the terminal, by operating in a functional signaling mode to communicate with the system using functional messages concerning a call at the selected call appearance. Idle and ringing preference methods for use in terminating calls and auto-drop and auto-hold alternatives for use when moving from one call appearance to another are disclosed as well as methods for holding or dropping calls. Implicit and explicit conferencing methods are also disclosed.