NL9100423A - Private exchange associated with computer local area network - has number of work-stations, each associated with telephone and personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

Each workstation (W1 to W3) contains a conventional telephone instrument (T1 to T3) and a Personal Computer (C1 to C3). All the computers are linked to nodes (N) on a Local Area Network (LAN). The network has a file server which enables the exchange of data between the computers. Each computer is also equipped with a modem which enables the user to communicate data to other organisations via the telephone extension (T), the internal private exchange (PABx) and the public switched telephone network.

Description

Telecommunication system / via the reciprocal end devices linked to a data processing system

A. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a telecommunication system, comprising switching means, a transmission network and telecommunication terminals, which are intended and suitable for exchanging, in particular, voice signals between telecommunication terminals connected to that transmission network which can be selected by means of control code signals. between those connected telecommunications terminal equipment and external telecommunications means.

Such a telecommunication system is generally known and comprises, for example, a business telecommunications center to which a plurality of end devices, such as telephone sets, are connected via a - usually star-shaped network. These telephones are usually for the most part placed in the workplace of company employees. Like the telephone, nowadays the personal computer or terminal connected to a computer system is often part of the standard workplace equipment, in particular using word processing, database and spreadsheet software. There is also nowadays software on the market for storing and retrieving telephone numbers, etc. The use of such 'electronic telephone books' has the advantage that they are easy and quick to consult and that 'updates' can be carried out quite frequently. The use of electronic telephone books, etc., creates the need to not only be able to search for telephone numbers, etc. and to display them on the screen, but to be able to immediately dial the found phone number, without first reading that number off the screen and then key in the telephone.

To meet this need, consultations are already underway between manufacturers of computer systems and telecommunication systems in order to formulate standards for a generally usable interface between the control of (business) computer systems (computer networks) and the control of business telecommunication systems. This involves linking the two types of systems at central level, i.e. linking the computer system with the central control of the business telecommunications exchange. However, this option has certain drawbacks, especially in the short term: - the investment for such a central coupling is relatively expensive; - due to the necessary standardization process, the availability of the link will be delayed for some time; - coupling of a computer system to the control of the business telecommunications exchange requires a number of stringent security measures to prevent, through the computer system, that the exchange can be manipulated undesirably; - the computer control must be sufficiently compatible with the control of the telecommunications exchange; - account should be taken of the possible development that, as in some computer systems such as LANs, a great deal of system control will also be transferred to terminal equipment in business telecommunication systems ("distributed intelligence").

B. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to overcome the above drawbacks of the present proposed coupling - at a central level - between business computer systems and business telecommunication systems. According to the invention it is proposed for this purpose a telecommunication system, comprising switching means, a transmission network and telecommunication terminal devices, which are intended and suitable for exchanging, in particular, voice signals between telecommunication terminal devices connected to that transmission network which are selectable by means of control code signals, or between those connected telecommunication terminal equipment and external telecommunication means, characterized by a data processing system, comprising data processing means, a data transmission network and data terminal equipment connected to that data transmission network, which are intended and suitable for storing, displaying and processing, in particular alphanumeric codes, of which data terminal equipment (C) a number, each via its own coupling means, is connected to one of said telecommunication terminal equipment (T).

According to the invention, the required coupling therefore does not take place at the central level, but at the local level, namely by means of paired, mutual coupling of the local terminals of the different systems. The invention is based on the insight that the need for coupling manifests itself at a local level - i.e. connection of the local telephone 'terminal' with the local computer terminal, both of which are part of the same local workplace - and that it is precisely for this reason that it is attractive to realize this connection at the local level instead of at the central level.

The system according to the invention has the advantage that in addition to the for the present purpose - making telephone numbers dialed by the (intelligent) computer terminal and processing incoming telephone calls, in other words, the 'operating the telephone' - necessary coupling, both systems can work completely independently, without influencing each other. Furthermore, for the required local interfaces -i.t.t. those at the central level - standards and / or interfaces already available.

For example, US4640989 [ASHER] discloses an interface which is formed by a plug-in card ('PCB') to be fitted in a PC, which comprises the complete circuit of a telephone set to which a telephone receiver is connected, as well as an interface for converting of signals from the telephony domain to the PC domain and vice versa. With such a plug-in card, the PC can therefore be used as a telephone set, whereby the PC can, for example, independently dial telephone numbers stored in a database. It is also possible - as indicated in this publication - that by means of such plug-in cards can connect different PCs via the telephone network and exchange signals with each other.

From W088 / 02206 [STANDARD / ALCATEL] an interface for coupling (e.g.) a PC to a telephone network is also known. This uses a 'normal' telephone set, whereby the interface between that set and the (company) exchange is included. As in the foregoing, this also concerns the coupling of a single PC or terminal to one of the I / O lines of a telephone exchange and the telephone connected to that I / O line. Here too, the possibility is indicated that such stand-alone PCs or terminals linked to the telephone network can communicate with each other via that telephone network. The advantage of the interface described in WO88 / 02206 is that, compared to the interface from US4640989, use is made of normal telephone sets.

Incidentally, with most digital telephones - as opposed to analog telephones - it is possible to connect a PC or terminal directly to it, e.g. via an RS232 connection, without the intervention of an interface as indicated above.

According to the present invention, the PCs or terminals do not communicate with each other via the telephone network - which is after all not ideally suited for this - but via the data transmission network to which those PCs or terminals are connected. In this way, a functional integration of the two types of end devices is achieved, which is strictly limited to the local level. Outside that local level, both networks and the central (telephony) switching means and (data) processing means operate completely independently of each other. This ensures that each system is used only to perform the functions for which it is designed - the telecommunications telecommunications system and the data processing system for data processing - and furthermore, that these systems do not affect each other, while only linking locally which - otherwise completely autonomous - systems take place. It is thus quite possible to have both systems, the telecommunication system and the computer system, work together via the different workplaces, without the systems being linked at central level.

For example, the computer system consists of a LAN with a network server, to which a number of PCs are connected, which are located at different workplaces, each staffed by a company employee. There is also a telephone at every workplace, connected to the company telephone exchange. According to the invention, therefore, both types of end devices are coupled to each other at such a workplace, which makes it possible, for example, to transfer a telephone call that comes in via the telephone to a first workplace, via the company exchange to a second other workplace, while simultaneously to transfer certain data - e.g. related to the person making the call - over the LAN to that other workplace. Since dialing information, etc. (DTMF code signals) can also be generated via the PC, switching the call from one telephone set to another can also be controlled from that PC.

D. IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLE

Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which at various workstations W a digital telephone T is coupled via an RS232 connection to an intelligent computer terminal C. The various telephone telephones T are connected via a star-shaped network to a - coupled to the public telephone network - business telephone exchange PABX that handles calls between the connected telephones (and similar devices, such as fax machines) and to and from the public telephone network. The computer terminals C are connected to a 'Local Area Network' LAN, via network 'nodes' N, which further comprises an annular network and a network 'server' SERVER included therein, which provides the network management, the provision of common control and application software, and controls the exchange of data.

Terminal C and telephone T can be used independently at each workstation. However, due to the RS232 connection, it is also possible to activate terminal C - under the control of software loaded in that terminal (e.g. as a 'resident' program) - when the telephone T is called. It is thus possible to have that call 'answered' by terminal C by simulating the pick-up of the telephone handset via the RS232 connection in the telephone T; terminal C can also send an acoustic signal or a synthetic 'spoken message' generated in that terminal C to the calling subscriber. The call is then taken over by the workplace 'operator' who is speaking to the calling subscriber. In addition, the operator can call up alphanumeric data (such as the client data from a database stored in the terminal or in the network server SERVER) on the screen of his terminal. This situation occurs, for example, with insurance companies, banks, etc. In such institutions, a 'customer service' department is usually occupied by a number of employees who have the task of calling clients who receive information, to notify us of changes, etc., as quickly and help as much as possible. It is also important that the telephone calls and the alphanumeric information belonging to the calling customers must be able to be transferred from one workplace to another in order to obtain a flexible deployment of employees. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, the telephone conversation with a "client" can be switched from one telephone extension T to another via the PABX, in the usual manner. If data about that client had already been called up at that time on the terminal belonging to that first telephone set, it can be transferred - in a known manner - via the LAN to the terminal belonging to that other telephone set. As a result of the RS232 connection, it is possible to transfer the whole, ie both the telephone call and the alphanumeric information, to the other workstation under the control of the memory in the terminal (s) or the SERVER available application software.

Although the terminal is therefore not connected to the telephone network - only telephones etc. are connected to that network - these telephones can be operated via the RS232 coupling, whereby the operations normally carried out by a human operator, such as dialing, can be performed. transfer the call to another telephone, redial, etc., are now being taken over by the terminal. Human actions are thus simulated by the terminal. It is not possible for the terminal (which is also not possible for a human operator) to intervene directly in the control of the PABX, which is an attractive advantage of the invention from the point of view of security and system integrity.

Figure 2 shows the embodiment of a workplace W using an analog telephone T. In this case, the telephone T is connected to the PABX, via an interface IFf, for example, as known from WO88 / 02206. For the rest, the operation of the same is the same as described in the foregoing.

Claims (1)

1. Telecommunication system, comprising switching means, a transmission network and telecommunication terminal devices, which are intended and suitable for exchanging, in particular, voice signals between telecommunication terminal devices connected to that transmission network which are selectable by means of control code signals or between those connected telecommunications terminals and external telecommunication means, characterized by a data processing system, comprising data processing means, a data transmission network and data terminal devices connected to that data transmission network, and intended and suitable for storing, displaying and processing in particular alphanumeric codes, of which data terminal devices ( C) a number, each via its own coupling means, connected to one of said telecommunication terminal devices (T).