Personal desktop router

摘要

A client-server telephone call router system as part of a customer premises system has a client-server router adapted to execute on a telephony switch, such as a public branch exchange (PBX) or other telephony switch, or on a processor connected by CTI link to a telephony switch. The telephony switch or processor executing the router is connected to a local area network (LAN) that also interconnects computer workstations proximate to telephones connected to the telephony switch. Client user interface applications run on the computer workstations, allowing clients to edit routing rules for the router, which has a list of routing rules keyed to users and workstations of the customer premises system. The editing rules are kept by the router in portions dedicated to individual users. With this system a user can edit at a workstation on the LAN his/her own routing rules, and transmit the edits to the client-server router where the rules will be followed to route calls for that user and protocol.

主权项

1. A method for routing telephone calls at customer premises having a telephony switch, individual telephones connected to the telephony switch, and computer workstations including video display units (VDUs) connected on a local area network (LAN) also coupled to the telephony switch, wherein individual ones of the computer workstations are located proximate individual ones of the telephones, the method comprising:
receiving a telephone call at a telephony switch connected to individual telephones at the customer premises; broadcasting identifying data for the telephone call to first and second computer workstations of the computer workstations, via the LAN; determining a routing for the call at one of the first and second computer workstations by use of a client interface, and transmitting the routing determination to a client-server router via the LAN connection, wherein the determining the routing for the call is based on the broadcast identifying data and a routing rule associated with a user of the one of the first and second computer workstations; and routing the telephone call to the one of the first and second computer workstations but not a second one of the first and second computer workstations by the client-server router according to the routing determination transmitted to the client-server router via the LAN connection.