JP2009177249A - Key telephone system, main device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit the number of outside lines that each group can use using virtual extensions in a key telephone system having extension telephone sets each having a small number of function keys. <P>SOLUTION: In the key telephone system which divides a plurality of telephone sets into a plurality of groups and allocates one or more virtual extensions to each group to perform incoming/outgoing control, an answer key function for answering incoming calls to at least two groups is allocated to one of function buttons of each telephone set. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a key telephone system, a main device, and a program, and more particularly, to an improvement of a key telephone system that performs outgoing / incoming control using a virtual extension.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional key telephone system includes a key telephone system main apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as main apparatus) 1 and one or more extension telephones (button telephones) 2-1 connected to the main apparatus 1. 2-n (n: natural number).

  The main apparatus 1 includes an external line interface 11 to which external lines 301 to 30m (m: natural number) are connected, an internal line interface 12 to which internal telephones 2-1 to 2-n are connected, and a call control circuit that connects these interfaces. 13, a CPU 14 that controls the call control circuit 13, and a memory 15 that stores programs executed by the CPU 14 and various data (setting information and the like).

  In this type of key telephone system, the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-n may be used by being divided into a plurality of groups. In such a case, the virtual extension is used so that an outside line is not occupied by a certain group.

  For example, when five extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 form a group A as shown in FIG. 1, three virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 are assigned to the group A as shown in FIG. If # 3 is assigned, the number of external lines that can be used by the five extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to group A can be limited to three.

  Each of the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-n has function buttons A1 to A4, B1 to B4,..., Z1 to Z4 as shown in FIG. Various functions can be assigned to these function buttons. By assigning a virtual extension to these function buttons, it becomes possible to respond to an incoming call to the virtual extension or to make a call from the virtual extension (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Normally, one function key is assigned one function or one outside line, but there is also a private branch exchange system in which a plurality of outside lines are assigned to one function key (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-157749 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-104696

  In a conventional key telephone system, since virtual extensions are assigned one-to-one to function keys of an extension telephone, each telephone needs to have at least the number of function keys corresponding to the virtual extension.

  Further, as described in the cited document 2, it is conceivable to assign the function keys in units of groups, but many function keys are still required.

  Thus, the conventional key telephone system has a problem that many function keys are required. In other words, in a system having an extension telephone with a small number of function keys, there is a problem that the number of outside lines that can be used by each group cannot be limited using a virtual extension.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to limit the number of external lines that each group can use using a virtual extension even in a system having an extension telephone with a small number of function keys.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups, and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to control outgoing / incoming calls. One feature is that a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups is assigned.

  Also, the present invention divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups, and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to perform outgoing / incoming call control. A storage unit for storing setting information for assigning a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups; and a control unit for controlling a call control circuit based on the setting information. .

  Furthermore, the present invention relates to a function button for each telephone set in a program used in a main apparatus of a key telephone system that divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to control outgoing / incoming calls. And causing the computer to execute a step of controlling the call control circuit based on setting information stored in the storage unit in order to assign a response key function for responding to incoming calls to at least two groups. Features.

  According to the present invention, a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups is assigned to one of the function buttons of each telephone so that a system using an extension telephone with a small number of function keys can be used. The number of external lines that can be used in each group can be limited using virtual extensions.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  A key telephone system according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG. The key telephone system according to the present embodiment is different from the conventional one in the program and setting information stored in the memory 15, the control operation of the CPU 14 based on the program and the operation of each unit corresponding to the control operation.

  In the illustrated key telephone system, a plurality of extension telephones 2-1 to 2-n are divided into a plurality of groups, and one or more virtual extensions are assigned to each group. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 are divided into group A, and virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 are assigned to group A. Virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 constitute a virtual group A. The number of external lines that can be used by the five extension telephones belonging to group A is three by performing incoming calls from the external line to the extension telephones of group A and outgoing calls from group A through the virtual extension lines # 1 to # 3. It can be limited to. The same applies to the other extension telephones 2-6 to 2-n. In this way, by keeping the number of virtual extensions assigned to each group smaller than the number of outside lines, it is possible to prevent any group from monopolizing all the outside lines.

  In the present embodiment, a representative extension group in which a plurality of virtual groups are grouped is defined. For example, assuming that the extension telephones are divided into six groups A to F and the virtual groups A to F are defined correspondingly, the virtual groups A to C designate the first representative extension group as a virtual group. Groups D to F constitute a second representative extension group.

  Each extension telephone has, for example, a plurality of function keys as shown in FIG. Various functions, external lines, virtual internal lines, and the like are assigned to the function keys. Each function key is also provided with a lamp indicating its operating state.

  In the present embodiment, the number of function keys may be significantly smaller than in the example shown in FIG. 3 (in the following example, it is sufficient that there are at least two function keys). In the following description, the first representative extension group is assigned to one of the function keys, and the second representative extension group is assigned to the other one. This allocation is performed by creating and changing setting information stored in the memory 15.

  Next, setting information stored in the memory 15 will be described.

  The setting information stored in the memory 15 includes destination setting information shown in FIG. 4, virtual group setting information shown in FIG. 5, and extension-virtual group-representative extension group setting information shown in FIG.

  The destination setting information in FIG. 4 defines the relationship between the dial-in telephone number (received dial) and the call destination. Here, virtual group A for reception dial AAAA, virtual group B for reception dial BBBB, virtual group C for reception dial CCCC, virtual group D for reception dial DDDD, reception dial IEEE Is associated with the virtual group E, and the reception dial FFFF is associated with the virtual group F.

  Further, the virtual group setting information in FIG. 5 defines the relationship between each virtual group (A˜) and the virtual extensions (# 1˜) constituting the virtual group (A˜) and represents the use state of each virtual extension. Here, the virtual group A is composed of virtual extensions # 1 to # 3, the virtual group B is composed of virtual extensions # 4 and the like, and the usage state of each virtual extension (# 1) is shown. .

  Further, the extension-virtual group-representative extension group setting information in FIG. 6 represents the correspondence between the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-n and the virtual group, and whether or not a representative extension group is set for each virtual group. Represents.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the key telephone system of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9 in addition to FIGS. The following operations are realized by the CPU 14 executing a program stored in the memory 15.

  First, an outside line incoming call operation will be described.

  When there is a dial-in incoming call from the external line to the external line interface 11, the external line interface 11 notifies the CPU 14 of the called number (received dial) of the dial-in incoming call (step S1 in FIG. 7).

  The CPU 14 searches the destination setting (FIG. 4) in the memory 15 and specifies the call destination corresponding to the reception dial (step S2 in FIG. 7). Then, the CPU 14 starts a call operation corresponding to the specified call destination (step S3 in FIG. 7). Here, it is assumed that the reception dial is “AAAA” and the call destination is specified as “virtual group A”.

  Next, the CPU 14 refers to the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) in the memory 15 and recognizes that the “virtual group A” that is the call destination is composed of virtual extensions # 1 to # 3. Then, the CPU 14 checks the usage status of these virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 in a predetermined order.

  First, the CPU 14 checks the usage status of the virtual extension # 1 (step S11 in FIG. 8). If the virtual extension # 1 is unused (NO in step S11), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 1 (step S12 in FIG. 8) and uses the virtual extension # 1 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) ( The status is changed to “in use” (step S13 in FIG. 8).

  If virtual extension # 1 is in use (YES in step S11), CPU 14 checks the usage status of virtual extension # 2 (step S14 in FIG. 8). If the virtual extension # 2 is unused (NO in step S14), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 2 (step S15 in FIG. 8), and changes the status of the virtual extension # 2 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) to “ It is changed to “in use” (step S16 in FIG. 8).

  If both virtual extensions # 1 and # 2 are in use (YES in step S14), the CPU 14 checks the usage status of the virtual extension # 3 (step S17 in FIG. 8). If the virtual extension # 3 is unused (NO in step S17), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 3 (step S18 in FIG. 8), and changes the status of the virtual extension # 3 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) to “ It is changed to “in use” (step S19 in FIG. 8).

  As described above, the CPU 14 that has captured any of the virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 searches the extension-virtual group-representative extension group setting (FIG. 6), and the extension telephone belonging to the group A is the extension telephone 2- 1 to 2-5, and recognizes that the group A belongs to the first representative extension group. Then, the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to the group A that is the call destination are called (step S20 in FIG. 8). At this time, the CPU 14 rings all of the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 (or partly, depending on the setting and use status) and emits the LED of the function key to which the first representative extension group is assigned. (For example, blinking red).

  The called extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 can respond to incoming calls by depressing the function key to which the first representative extension group is assigned. That is, when the CPU 14 detects that one of the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 is depressed, the call control circuit 13 is controlled to form a speech path. .

  The CPU 14 also changes the light emission form of the LED of the function key pressed down for the incoming call response (for example, green lighting). Further, the CPU 14 changes the light emission form of the LED of the function key to which the first representative extension group of another extension telephone belonging to the group A is assigned. For example, when all the virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 constituting the virtual group A are in use, the LEDs of three extension telephones that use these virtual extensions are lit in green, and the remaining two extensions Turn on the LED of the phone in red. If any of the virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 is unused, the LEDs of one or two extension telephones that use the virtual extension are turned on in green, and the LEDs of the remaining extension telephones are turned off.

  Thereafter, when detecting the end of call or call abandonment, the CPU 14 releases the occupied virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 and changes the status of the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) to “unused”. Further, the light emission form of the LED of the function key to which the first representative extension group of the extension telephones belonging to group A is assigned is changed.

  If all of virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 are in use (YES in step S17), CPU 14 sends a busy tone to the caller (step S22 in FIG. 8).

  As described above, when there is an incoming call for the group A, the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to the group A respond by depressing the function key assigned to the first representative extension group. You can make a call.

  Similarly, when there is an incoming call addressed to group B (or C), the extension telephone belonging to group B (or C) responds by depressing the function key assigned to the first representative extension group. can do.

  Further, when there is an incoming call addressed to groups D to F, the extension telephones belonging to groups D to F can respond and talk by depressing a function key assigned to the second representative extension group.

  Next, the outside line transmission operation will be described. Here, a case will be described in which an outside line is transmitted from any of the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to group A, but the same applies to the case of an outside line transmission from an extension telephone belonging to another group.

  When one of the extension buttons 2-1 to 2-5 is pressed down or an automatic outside line special access number is dialed, the operation is transmitted to the CPU 14 via the extension interface 12 (step of FIG. 9). S31).

  When the external line transmission operation of the extension telephone is transmitted, the CPU 14 searches the extension-virtual group-representative extension group setting (FIG. 6) in the memory 15, and the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 on which the operation has been performed. Recognizes that “virtual group A” belongs to “virtual group A” (step S32 of FIG. 9).

  Next, the CPU 14 refers to the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) in the memory 15 and recognizes that the “virtual group A” is composed of virtual extensions # 1 to # 3. Then, the usage state of the virtual extension # 1 is confirmed (step S33 in FIG. 9).

  If the usage state of the virtual extension # 1 is unused (NO in step S33), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 1 (step S34 in FIG. 9), and the virtual extension # 1 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5). Is changed to “in use” (step S35 in FIG. 9).

  If the usage state of the virtual extension # 1 is in use (YES in step S33), the CPU 14 checks the usage state of the virtual extension # 2 (step S36 in FIG. 9).

  If the usage state of the virtual extension # 2 is unused (NO in step S36), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 2 (step S37 in FIG. 9), and the virtual extension # 2 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5). Is changed to “in use” (step S38 in FIG. 9).

  Further, if the usage state of virtual extension # 2 is in use (YES in step S36), CPU 14 checks the usage state of virtual extension # 3 (step S39 in FIG. 9).

  If the usage state of the virtual extension # 3 is unused (NO in step S39), the CPU 14 captures the virtual extension # 3 (step S40 in FIG. 9), and the virtual extension # 3 in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5). Is changed to “in use” (step S41 in FIG. 9). Further, the CPU 14 changes the light emission state of the function key LED assigned to the first representative extension group of the extension telephone on which the outgoing call operation has been performed (for example, blinking in green).

  As described above, when any of the virtual extensions # 1 to # 3 is captured, the CPU 14 searches for a free outside line (step S42 in FIG. 9), and if there is a free outside line (YES in step S42), it is free. The outside line is captured and transmitted (step S43 in FIG. 9). At this time, the light emission state of the LED of the function key assigned to the first representative extension group of the extension telephone on which the operation has been performed is changed (for example, lit green).

  If there is no free outside line (NO in step S42), the status of the virtual extension in the virtual group setting (FIG. 5) changed during use is returned to unused (step S44). Then, the CPU 14 sends a warning sound indicating that all outside lines are in use to the extension telephone that has performed the outside line transmission operation (step S45 in FIG. 9).

  The CPU 14 also sends a warning sound when all the external lines # 1 to # 3 are in use (YES in step S39) (step S45 in FIG. 9). In this case, among the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to the group A, the LED of the function key assigned to the first representative extension group of the extension telephone using the external line is, for example, green. The LED of the function key assigned to the first representative extension group of the remaining extension telephones is lit red, for example.

  As described above, when there is an outside line transmission operation from the extension telephones 2-1 to 2-5 belonging to the group A, the outside line transmission is performed.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the number of external lines that each group can occupy using the number of virtual extensions and the number of virtual extension groups (two in the above example) is used, Restrictions can be made using virtual extensions.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, an external line can be captured by depressing a function key of an extension telephone when an external line is transmitted.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the key telephone system to which this invention is applied. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the key telephone system of FIG. It is a front view which shows the example of 1 structure of the extension telephone used for the key telephone system of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the callee setting information stored in the memory contained in the main apparatus of the key telephone system of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the virtual group setting information stored in the memory contained in the main apparatus of the key telephone system of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the extension-virtual group-representative extension group setting information stored in the memory contained in the main apparatus of the key telephone system of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the incoming operation | movement of the key telephone system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement following FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the transmission operation | movement of the key telephone system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key telephone system main apparatus 2-1 to 2-n Extension telephone 11 External line interface 12 Extension interface 13 Call control circuit 14 CPU
15 Memory 301-30m Dial-in line

Claims (3)

In a key telephone system that divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to control outgoing / incoming calls,
A key telephone system characterized in that a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups is assigned to one of the function buttons of each telephone. In a main apparatus of a key telephone system that divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to control outgoing / incoming calls,
A storage unit for storing setting information for assigning a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups to one of the function buttons of each telephone, and a control for controlling the call control circuit based on the setting information And a main device. In a program used for a main apparatus of a key telephone system that divides a plurality of telephones into a plurality of groups and assigns one or more virtual extensions to each group to perform outgoing / incoming call control,
A step of controlling the call control circuit based on setting information stored in the storage unit in order to assign a response key function for responding to an incoming call to at least two groups to one of the function buttons of each telephone. A program characterized by being executed.

Images