Telecommunications system for transferring calls without a private branch exchange

摘要

A telecommunications system is configured using a personal computer (PC) and voice processing boards in its expansion slots. The boards have ports to interface with telephone lines. The PC is programmed to establish telephone connections between the system and a caller on a first telephone line and between the system and an operator on a second telephone line. The PC associates channels A and B with the ports connected to the first and second lines, respectively. Before transferring the call, the system plays different pre-recorded messages to the caller and the operator. The system transfers the call on the first line to the second line by conferencing them so that the caller and operator can converse. The system operates in listen-only mode to detect operator touch tones which provide the telephone number of a called party and commands to end or begin conferencing. The PC subsequently establishes a telephone connection between the system and the called party on a third telephone line, or on the second line if the operator has hung up. The PC then conferences the first and the third or second line by transferring the call between the system and the called party to the caller so that the called party and the caller can speak to one another while the system is in a listen-only mode. The PC is also programmed to monitor the duration of timed calls.