ATM LAN telephone system

US5892764A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Sphere Communications, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Ernst B. Riemann · Libertyville, US
• Alan Weir · Gurnee, US
• Randall Vyskocil · Buffalo Grove, US
• David F. Niesman · Buffalo Grove, US
• M. A. Kergozou · Leatherhead, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 16, 1996
• Grant date: Apr 6, 1999
• Expiry date: Sep 16, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04Q3/72
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed private branch telephone exchange (PBX) including a local area network carrying telephony traffic, an interface to the PSTN and a station interface connecting to a telephone device transmitting telephony over the local area network. The distributed PBX may contain a number of multi-port modules connected over a local area data network. The multi-port modules convert between synchronous and asynchronous signals and connect between a telephony environment, such as a telephone device, a local area network, and a personal computing device. The distributed PBX also includes PBX software and a graphical user interface (GUI) which facilitate the management of various PBX functions.