Transparent signaling for remote terminals

Abstract

A remote telecommunication terminal providing telecommunication functions identical to those functions provided by local telecommunication terminal directly connected to a telecommunications system via a direct standard link using a standard protocol. The remote telecommunication terminal is interconnected to the telecommunication system through an intervening switching system such as the public telephone network. One such remote telecommunication terminal is a remote telemarketing terminal. A remote telemarketing terminal cooperates with the telemarketing system to establish a virtual interface on the telemarketing system. The telemarketing system views this virtual interface as being identical to a physical interface such as one connected to a local telemarketing terminal via a standard link. The remote telemarketing terminal then establishes a virtual link between itself and the virtual interface on the telemarketing system. The virtual link is established on transport channels of standard links that interconnect the remote telemarketing terminal to the switching system and from the switching system to the telemarketing system. The switching system is unaware of the establishment of a virtual link on these transport channels and does not respond to signaling information on a virtual signaling channel of the virtual link.