CA2108224C - Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups - Google Patents

Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups

Info

Publication number
CA2108224C
CA2108224C CA 2108224 CA2108224A CA2108224C CA 2108224 C CA2108224 C CA 2108224C CA 2108224 CA2108224 CA 2108224 CA 2108224 A CA2108224 A CA 2108224A CA 2108224 C CA2108224 C CA 2108224C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
ringing
station
different
hunt group
numbers
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA 2108224
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2108224A1 (en
Inventor
Deborah L. Pinard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Mitel Knowledge Corp
Mitel Networks Corp
Mitel Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mitel Knowledge Corp, Mitel Networks Corp, Mitel Corp filed Critical Mitel Knowledge Corp
Priority to CA 2108224 priority Critical patent/CA2108224C/en
Priority to DE19944430344 priority patent/DE4430344C2/en
Priority to GB9420588A priority patent/GB2282937B/en
Publication of CA2108224A1 publication Critical patent/CA2108224A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2108224C publication Critical patent/CA2108224C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04QSELECTING
    • H04Q3/00Selecting arrangements
    • H04Q3/58Arrangements providing connection between main exchange and sub-exchange or satellite
    • H04Q3/62Arrangements providing connection between main exchange and sub-exchange or satellite for connecting to private branch exchanges
    • H04Q3/625Arrangements in the private branch exchange
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04MTELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Devices For Supply Of Signal Current (AREA)
  • Sub-Exchange Stations And Push- Button Telephones (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a telephone switching system comprised of at least one telephone line having multiple station numbers, apparatus for storing a first hunt group list of numbers designating plural stations including a pilot number and a number designating one of the multiple station numbers, and apparatus for receiving the pilot number and in response ringing each of the plural designated stations including the one of the multiple station numbers, whereby a station connected to the one telephone line can be rung.

Description

2~0822~ - ~ Field Of The Invention This invention relates to telephone systems, and in particular a structure and method for allowing a single telephone line to participate in dif~erent hunt groups. Backqround To The Invention When a person i5 away from his telephone but wishes incoming calls to be answered, usually one of two te~hn;ques is used to provide this result: call forwarding, and hunt group implementation. In call forwarding, a destination line number i~ ; registered against a single telephone lin~, which is used by the telephone switching system to which to route incoming calls. Using hunt groups, a group of telephone lines are listed against a single telephone line, and when implemented, each of the listed telephone lines in the group is rung for incoming calls to that single telephone line. Plural lines can designate the same hunt group, so that, for example, in night service all telephone calls to any of many telephones will ring all telephone lines of the group, so that a person such as maintenance staff working late within hearing range of one of the telephone lines of the group could take the call. When hunt groups are designated in a central office, a telephone line can only be a member of a single hunt group, for at least billing consi~erations. Some telephone lines have plural telephone numbers. For example, a telephone line can be rung with one ringing cadence when an incoming call is to one number associated with that line, and with a different cadence when an incoming call is to a different number associated with that line. It has not been possible to include such lines in hunt groups. Summary Of The Invention The present invention provides for each of plural station numbers associated with one talephone line to be members of plural hunt groups. Thus, for example, if one 2~08224 . station number (e.g. teleph4ne directory number) is the master number of a home, and a secondary station number is associated with a teen-ager living in the same home, when the teen-ager wishes to receive calls at any of plural homes of friends the teen-ager can invoks a hunt group which is headed by the secondary number. All incoming calls to the secondary number will ring the telephone lines in that hunt group. In accordance with one embodiment, all of the lines of the hunt group will ring using a distinctive ringing cadence for the secondary number~ With the teen- ager being at the home of a friend who has a telephone nu h~r that is in the hunt group, he and persons at each o~ the telephones which have numbers in the hunt group can distinguish incoming calls to the teen-ager because of the distinctive cadence, from calls to the master numbers of the various telephones, and the master number of the telephone ;~ at the home of the teenager. In accordance with another embodiment, if the secondary number is listed in a hunt group which is headed by a designator of a different telephone, for example when a hunt group is set up by the friend of the teenager, which contains the (secondary) telephone num~er of the teenager, with incoming telephone calls to the friend, the telephone lines listed in the hunt group will be rung, but the - telephone line of the teenager will be rung usiny the distinctive cadence of the number of the teenager, allowing the parents of the teenager to ignore the ringing. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a telephone switching system is comprised of at least one telephone line having multiple station numbers, apparatus for storing a first hunt group list of numbers designating plural stations including a pilot number and a ni h~r designating one of the multiple station numbers, and apparatus for receiving the pilot number and in response ringing each of the plural designated stations including the 2~224 one o~ the multiple station numbers, whereby a station connected to the one telephone line can be rung. In accordance with another embodiment, a telephone switching system is comprised of apparatus ~or storing hunt ~- group lists relating to groups of telephone lines, a single telephone line being cont~;ne~ in more than one hunt group list, and apparatus for ringing each of the telephone lines relating to the separate hunt group lists. In accordance with another embodiment, a method of ringing a telephone line is comprised of storing different numbers each designating the same telephone line in different hunt group lists, receiving a call to one of the dif~erent numbers, ringing each of the telephone lines in the hunt group contained the one number, and ringing the telephone line designated by the one number with a particular ringing cadence. Brie~ Introduction To The Drawinqs A better underst~n~;ng o~ the invention will be obkained by referring to the detailed description below, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system which contains an embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a detail of the memory o~ the system of Figure 1. Detailed Descri~tion Of The Invention Figure l is a block diagram illustrating a telephone switching system, of the type described in U.S. patents 4,615,028 issued September 30th, 1986, invented by Conrad Lewis and Gino Totti and 4,616,360 issued October 7, 1986, invented by Conrad Lewis. It should be understood that other telephone switching systems could be used in place thereof. In the system of Figure l, station sets 1 such as telephone sets are interconnected with each other and with trunks 2 via at least one circuit switch 3, telephone lines 4 connected to the station set being switched to circuit ~ 2~82~ ~ switch links via peripheral controls 5 which interface the telephone lines and trunks via peripheral interface circuits (PICs) 6. Ringing generators 7 are connected to the peripheral controls 5 in order to provide ringing signals to S the telephone lines. Random access memories (RAMs) 8 are also connected to the peripheral controls 5, which store - control signals for operation of the peripheral controls. ~; A processor (main control) 10 is connected via a main bus 12 to the circuit switch 3, to control it's operation. A message switch 13 is also connected to bus 12 and to peripheral controls 5, to receive control messages from processor 10 and to route them to peripheral control 5, for storage in memories 8 or for transmission to telephone lines 4, destined for the station sets 1. A system memory 14, connected to bus 12, contains control programs and data used by the processor for controlliny the operation of the system. An operator console 16 is connected to the main bus 12, which is used to configure and test the system when required. In accordance with the present invention, a hunt group memory 17 is connected to bus 12, for read and write access by processor 10. This memory is used to store hunt group tahles. With reference to Figure 2, the details of an the ~; present invention will be described. Using the operator console 17, for example, an operator who has been asked to prepare a hunt group prepares a hunt group such as hunt group list 18 with members designated by the subscriber (e.g. the teen-ager). The hunt group is headed by a pilot number, which can be either a special number stored in a table and associated with the subscriber number, or can be the subscriber number itself. The hunt group list should also contain the subscriber numbers of the other m~mbers of the hunt group, as shown. This list is converted, if necessary, to a hunt group table 20, which is headed by the pilot number of the subscriber, ~ 210322~ ' and lists information designating each of the stations (tel~phone lines and numbers associated therewith) of the other h~rs of the hunt group. Contained within system memory 14 are station S tables 22. Each station table retains information used by the switching system about the characteristics of each station number, for example the classes of service allocated to each station number. One of the characteristics stored in station tables 22 is the ringing cadence of each station number. Each of the station identifiers stored in the hunt group tales 20 contains a pointer to a particular station table 22. The system memory 14 contains a table 24 which is looked up as a result of an incoming call, referred to herein as a digit tree table. This table contains reference to the station associated with each incoming telephone number, and in particular a pointer to the station table 22 containing the station characteristics so that the processor can avail itsel~ of the information stored in the station table for a particular incoming call and properly process the call. For example, incoming dialed digits 5110103 has an entry in digit tree table 24, and a cross-reference to station y. This cross-reference is a pointer to the station table carrying the characteristics of station y. In the present invention, when a hunt group is set up the digit tree replaces the cxoss-reference to a particular station table of a particular subscriber for which the hunt group is set up, with reference to a corresponding hunt group table ~0. Each of the members of the hunt group also has its own pointer to a particular station table 22. In the case that a particular telephone line has ~ ; two different station numbersl each appears on a separate station table. Each of those station tables can contain data causing different ringing cadences to be used. ''. ~ 2108224 , -". .. Thus for an incoming call to a number which is the pilot number, or which designates the pilot number of one hunt group table, a station designated in that hunt group will be only one of the numbers of the multi-number station. ; S That one number will point from the hunt group to a particular station table. The data relating to that station number is retrieved by the processor, and is transmitted to the peripheral control ~or controlling the ringing of that station in the hunt group in accordance with the particular ringing cadence stored in the pointed~to station table. The other station number can be contained in a ~ different hunt group. When an incoming call is placed to a ~' station designating the pilot number (which can be that other station number), the hunt group table points to the station table relating to that other station nl her. The ringiny cadence is retrieved, which ringing cadence will typically be different from that of the cadence associated with the first station number. In this case, all station numbers in a hunt group are rung with the particular cadence stored in association with it in its station table. With the pilot station number designating as part of the hunt group it's own station nl h~r, its own station number will be rung using its own particular ringing cadence. However, instead of using the cadences stored in each of the station tables associated with each station listed in the hunt group tables, thP processor can look up the station table of the pilot station, retrieve the ringing cadence, ignore the ringing cadences of the station table~ for each o~ the stations in the hunt group table, and cause each of the stations in the hunt group to ring with the distinctive cadence of the hunt group pilot. Thus the subscriber located at any of the stations will recognize his own ringing cadence, and know that the call is ~or him, while others at those stations will not recognize the cadence and knaw that the call i5 not for them. 6 '~ :~' 2~0822~ : A person understanding this invention may now design variations and improvements, using the principl~s described herein, and falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto. All such structures are considered to be S part of the present invention. ~ ':,

Claims (12)

  1. I Claim: 1. A telephone switching system is comprising: a) at least one telephone line having multiple station numbers, b) means for storing a first hunt group list of numbers designating plural stations including a pilot number and a number designating one of the multiple station numbers, and c) means for receiving the pilot number and in response ringing each of the plural designated stations including the one of the multiple station numbers, whereby a station connected to the one telephone line can be rung.
  2. 2. A system as defined in claim 1 including means for storing plural hunt group lists each having a hunt group list of numbers designating plural stations, including a different pilot number and a number designating a different one of said multiple station numbers, and means for receiving said different pilot number and in response ringing each of said plural designated stations in a different hunt group including said different one of said multiple station numbers, whereby said station connected to said one telephone line can be rung.
  3. 3. A system as defined in claim 2 including means for ringing said station connected to said one telephone line using different cadences when rung resulting from different hunt groups designating said one and said different numbers.
  4. 4. A system as defined in claim 2 in which said means for storing is comprised of a memory containing said hunt group lists in separate tables, and a station table for storing station characteristics, each station listed in each hunt group list having a pointer to a station table entry, the station characteristics being used by a switching system processor to ring stations pointed to by a hunt group according to characteristics stored therein.
  5. 5. A system as defined in claim 4 in which one of the characteristics stored in the station tables is ringing cadence, which cadence is different for different station numbers relating to a single station.
  6. 6. A telephone switching system comprising means for storing hunt group lists relating to groups of telephone lines, a single telephone line being contained in more than one hunt group list, and means for ringing separately each of the telephone lines relating to the separate hunt group lists.
  7. 7. A system as defined in claim 6 in which groups of numbers stored in each of said more that one hunt group list designating a single telephone line, are different from each other.
  8. 8. A method of ringing a telephone line comprised of storing different numbers each designating the same telephone line in different hunt group lists, receiving a call to one of the different numbers, ringing each of the telephone lines in the hunt group containing the one number, and ringing the telephone line designated by the one number with a particular ringing cadence.
  9. 9. A method as defined in claim 8 including receiving a call to another one of said different numbers, ringing each of the telephone lines in the hunt group containing said another number, and ringing said same telephone line with a ringing cadence different from said particular ringing cadence.
  10. 10. A method as defined in claim 9 including looking up said ringing cadences in a station characteristic table prior to the ringing step.
  11. 11. A method as defined in claim 8 in which a hunt group contains a pilot number designating one of said different telephone numbers relating to said same telephone line, and including ringing each telephone line designated by the hunt group using a particular ringing cadence related to said one of said different telephone numbers.
  12. 12. A method as defined in claim 10 in which a hunt group contains a pilot number designating one of said different telephone numbers relating to said same telephone line, and including ringing each telephone line designated by the hunt group using a particular ringing cadence related to said one of said different telephone numbers.
CA 2108224 1993-10-12 1993-10-12 Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups Expired - Lifetime CA2108224C (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2108224 CA2108224C (en) 1993-10-12 1993-10-12 Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups
DE19944430344 DE4430344C2 (en) 1993-10-12 1994-08-26 Telephone switchgear
GB9420588A GB2282937B (en) 1993-10-12 1994-10-12 Method and apparatus for implementing hunt groups

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2108224 CA2108224C (en) 1993-10-12 1993-10-12 Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2108224A1 CA2108224A1 (en) 1995-04-13
CA2108224C true CA2108224C (en) 1997-09-09

Family

ID=4152435

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2108224 Expired - Lifetime CA2108224C (en) 1993-10-12 1993-10-12 Method and aparatus for implementing hunt groups

Country Status (3)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2108224C (en)
DE (1) DE4430344C2 (en)
GB (1) GB2282937B (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2243781C (en) 1997-08-22 2006-08-01 Mitel Corporation Dynamic communications group
US6473501B1 (en) 1999-06-11 2002-10-29 Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ) Concurrent hunt group searching methods and arrangements

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4436962A (en) * 1982-03-30 1984-03-13 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated Call coverage arrangement
US4436963A (en) * 1982-03-30 1984-03-13 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated Implied principal addressing in a call coverage arrangement
CA1199394A (en) * 1983-02-18 1986-01-14 Conrad Lewis Switching system with separate supervisory links
CA1203876A (en) * 1983-06-29 1986-04-29 Conrad Lewis Peripheral control for a digital telephone system
DE3443472A1 (en) * 1984-11-29 1986-06-05 Telefonbau Und Normalzeit Gmbh, 6000 Frankfurt Method for a telecommunication switching system, particularly a telephone switching system
CA1333296C (en) * 1988-11-15 1994-11-29 Dawn Smith Group emergency call system
US4958343A (en) * 1988-11-30 1990-09-18 At&T Bell Laboratories Communication channel reservation
US5027341A (en) * 1990-03-30 1991-06-25 Charter Leasing Corporation Station line switching control system
CA2088420C (en) * 1993-01-29 1996-10-08 Deborah L. Pinard Method of establishing communication link to one of multiple devices associated with single telephone number
JP3365811B2 (en) * 1993-03-16 2003-01-14 株式会社クラレ Method for producing hydraulic molded product

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2282937A (en) 1995-04-19
GB2282937B (en) 1998-05-13
DE4430344C2 (en) 2001-12-13
CA2108224A1 (en) 1995-04-13
DE4430344A1 (en) 1995-04-13
GB9420588D0 (en) 1994-11-30

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Effective date: 20131015