Apparatus and method for coupling an automated attendant to a telecommunications system
US6337906B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 23, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2242/22
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method for coupling an automated attendant to a telecommunications system. The apparatus includes a switching device which establishes connection between a plurality of trunk lines of an existing telecommunications system and a plurality of ports of an automated attendant. A switching device of the apparatus is controllable to establish communication between any of the trunk lines and any of a plurality of station line ports that are adapted to be coupled to a plurality of telephone stations, respectively. The apparatus substantially isolates either the switching network or the automated attendant from the AC audio portion of a telecommunications signal based on whether the automated attendant or the switching network is handling the telecommunications signal, and is capable of monitoring the status of the trunk and stations lines to detect for an on-hook condition.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.