Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

At+t Corp.

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Menachem T Ardon

Meyer J Zola

Gustavus H Zimmerman, Iii

Douglas S Sand

Lawrence J Trimnell

James C Kennedy

John P Sassano

Robert L Lee

This invention relates to arrangements for interconnecting a plurality of stand-alone switches by data and communication channels (the latter typically used for communicating voice signals) in such a way as to make the plurality of switches act as if they were one switch. The invention further relates to arrangements for permitting groups of lines, the groups connected to different stand-alone switches, to be treated essentially as if they were connected to a single switch. Each switch of a symbiotic network (a group of stand-alone switches) or a virtual symbiotic network (the grouping of the groups of lines) accesses pertinent data in its own data base or the data base of one of the other switches of the symbiotic or virtual symbiotic network and treats the results of such data base accesses as if they were made internally in the switch. For a symbiotic network the trunks of all the switches of the network going to a common destination (and one such common destination can be any of the switches of another symbiotic network) are grouped into a single group so that an outgoing call can readily be made over a trunk connected to any of the switches of the symbiotic network. Similarly, incoming trunks to any switch of the symbiotic network from a common external source can be grouped into a single trunk group at that external source (which can be another symbiotic network). Advantageously, such an arrangement provides a convenient way of achieving the advantages of a giant switch without requiring the capacity of such a switch and without requiring the geographic concentration of traffic necessary to keep the links to a giant switch reasonably short. Advantageously, a virtual symbiotic network provides an economical and flexible solution to the problem of providing services such as wide area Centrex.

Telecommunications network

A method or apparatus for offering multiple switch access to selected lines and trunks of a multiple telecommunications switch complex. The selected lines and trunks are connected to peripheral units whose outputs are distributed by a network to a group of switches. The switches are interconnected by a second network. Advantageously, the selected lines can be served by several switches so that the failure of one switch does not deprive these lines of service. Advantageously, the two networks and the group of switches form a giant switch having high reliability.

Telecommunications network for serving users from multiple switches

Remote call pick-up is provided for analog telephones. Upon receiving a call request for a first analog CPE, a first record associated with the first CPE is read. The record contains a directory number for a second analog CPE. The first CPE is rung with a standard ring pattern and the second CPE is concurrently rung with an alternate ring pattern signifying that the second CPE is not the original call destination. The call is completed to the second CPE if a remote call pick-up code is received from the second CPE before the first CPE goes off-hook.

Telecommunication system with remote call pick-up capabilities

A method and apparatus for serving selected lines and trunks from two or more switches. The selected line and trunks are connected to peripheral units each served by two or more switches. The switches each maintain translation information and the supervisory states of the selected lines and trunks. Advantageously, at low cost, the selected lines and trunks can be provided with service even when one of the switches is out of service.

Telecommunications network for serving users from two switches

A destination telecommunication switch receives a request to establish a call to a first party served by the switch. The request includes call type data that identifies the party originating the call request as one of a plurality of call categories. A first record associated with the first party is read from a database. The first record includes at least one set of data which defines a call category and a corresponding call processing technique to be utilized for the call category. The switch processes the incoming call in accordance with the predetermined call category handling if the incoming call is identified by call category data in the database.

Screening of incoming telephone calls prior to call completion to the

A keyset that connects to telephone switches via analog lines, wherein a processor in the keyset communicates with the switch via in-band signaling to provide keyset functionary. When a call comes into the switch for one of the directory numbers (DNs) associated with the keyset, the switch sends a frequency shift key (FSK) encoded message to all of the keysets associated with that DN. The FSK message includes at least the DN of the terminating telephone line, and may also include an extension number or other code. The processor in the keysets receives the message, decodes it, and then alerts the users of the incoming call.

Analog multibutton telephone keysets

Distributed key telephone station network

Trunk utilization in a telecommunications network

An arrangement for controlling a large time slot interchange (TSI) unit. The TSI unit is a single stage unit for interconnecting any incoming time slot with any outgoing time slot. No blockage is incurred in such a single stage switch. A plurality of module processors is used each for controlling a group of TSI slices, the size of the group being selected to match the capabilities of the module processor. The module processors communicate with each other in order to cooperate in setting up connections through the TSI unit. Each module processor processes terminating, originating, incoming or outgoing processes for calls connected to the terminals served by the module processor. Advantageously, a large non-blocking TSI unit is made available for serving a large switching system without incurring blockage. Moreover, the TSI unit and its complement of module processors can be arranged to grow in a cost effective manner from a relatively small unit to a unit that is near the largest size practical switching system.

Single stage telecommunications switch with partitioned processors

Customer oriented telecommunications network

A telecommunication network having a switching system connected to a called station by a line that provides notification to a called party of information relating to an incoming call. This information generally consists of the called number, but may also include an extension or other code. The called party identification is delivered to the called telephone station set during the silent period after ringing, or, advantageously, before ringing starts. A signal (e.g., FSK) is sent to the called telephone station set shortly before the ringing signal is sent to the called station. A converter at the customer premises receives the FSK signal and demodulates it. A control unit connected to the converter then causes the called DN to be displayed, may cause a distinctive ring to be made, or take other action depending upon its program.

Identification of called directory number at multiple directory number

A system and method for delivering called party identification to a called telephone wireless station set during paging of the called wireless telephone, or, advantageously, after call set up but before ringing starts. A control unit then may cause the called line to be displayed, may cause a distinctive ring to be made, or take other action depending upon its program.

System and method for identifying the incoming directory number when

A method of establishing an N time slot connection through first and second, single-buffered time slot interchangers where the time slots interconnecting the two time slot interchangers, referred to herein as network time slots, are chosen in accordance with particular selection criteria such that all N time slots received by the first time slot interchanger in a single frame, are also transmitted from the second time slot interchanger in a single frame.

Method for establishing wideband communications through a time division

A call processing method for distributed switching which substantially increases the percentage of calls that are intra-module calls by distributing the members of trunk groups among a plurality of switching modules and biasing the processing of a call originating on one switching module such that an available trunk group member on that same switching module is assigned to the call if possible. The path hunt function for intra-module calls is separated from the corresponding function for inter-module calls and only the latter function is performed by the system central control. The separation is achieved by dividing the set of switch path resources, e.g., channels or time slots, associated with a switching module into two disjoint subsets--a first subset for intra-module call connections and a second subset for inter-module call connections.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Menachem T Ardon