Communication management system with line status notification for key switch emulation

摘要

A real time communication device is provided for operation with a packet switched network interconnecting the real time communication device with a control unit and a plurality of remote real time communication devices. The device comprises a network interface for communicating over the packet switched network. The device further comprises means for establishing a logical channel to support a media session over the packet switched network with an endpoint. The endpoint is an endpoint selected from the group of endpoints consisting of the control unit and a one of the plurality of remote real time communication devices. The device further comprises means for sending a multicast status message on the packet switched network addressed to a multicast group. The multicast group comprises any of the remote real time communication devices that have joined the multicast group. The multicast status message announces a state of the real time communication device. The state is a state selected from a group of states consisting of a first state wherein the real time communication device is participating in a media session and a second state wherein the real time communication device is not participating in a media session.