Alternate routing for a telephone system

摘要

An alternate routing scheme for a telephone system wherein a plurality of switching offices are grouped into a cluster, with each switching office in the cluster having direct trunk lines to all the other switching offices in its cluster. This allows each switching office in the cluster to serve the dual function both of an originating (or terminating) office and of a tandeming office for its own cluster. Suitable equipment monitors the busy status of all the switching offices in the cluster, and determines a most likely alternate routing scheme for each switching office. The alternate routing scheme for each particular switching office is stored at that particular office and is periodically updated, by suitable equipment, so as to account for changes in the busy status of the other switching offices and trunk lines in the cluster.