The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 1995
Filed:
Dec. 18, 1992
Bruce M Bales, Louisville, CO (US);
Robert L Crumpley, Westminster, CO (US);
Stephen M Thieler, Boulder, CO (US);
AT&T Corp., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
Allowing a shared line appearance feature to be implemented on a plurality of telephone station sets which are connected to different telecommunication switching systems. The telecommunication switching systems can be interconnected to each other via the public telephone network utilizing standard telecommunication links. A software application program provides a termination point for a directory number that is associated with a shared line appearance. The software application program receives all incoming calls directed to the directory number and determines the operations that should be performed with respect to the telephone station sets terminating the shared line appearance. The software application program directs the incoming calls to the telephone stations sets regardless to which telecommunication system each of the telephone station sets is interconnected. An outgoing call from one of the telephone station sets is switched to the software application program which then switches the outgoing call to the destination telephone terminal as if the outgoing call had originated at the location of the software application program. With respect to the outgoing call, the software application program also transmits messages to the other telephone station sets terminating the shared line appearance, so that those telephone station sets can indicate that the shared line appearance is busy.