Telephonic communications – Special services
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-19
2004-10-12
Deane, Jr., William J. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Special services
C379S201030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804339
ABSTRACT:
RESERVATION OF COPYRIGHT
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records available to the public, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications systems and, in particular, to a communication system employing a TAPI interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) is a high level programming interface for Windows™ which supports many types of telephony applications associated with conventional analog public telephone lines, PBX phone lines, ISDN phone lines, and the like. Thus, TAPI allows a communication application to support numerous telephony operations through a variety of mediums by making a function call to TAPI which will drive the hardware (fax/modem card, DSP card, network switch, and the like) coupled thereto.
The TAPI architecture
100
is illustrated in FIG.
1
. As shown, the TAPI architecture
100
includes a TAPI implementation
104
interfaced to telephony application programs
102
. TAPI
104
provides a connection to a TAPI service provider, such as a TAPI server
106
, which then interfaces to hardware such as voice cards
108
a
, H.323 interfaces
108
b
, or PBX's
108
c.
Typically, TAPI service provides have developed using non object oriented computer languages. Conventionally, for each service provider
106
, a separate and unique internal control database has been developed, which results in increased development time, little code reuse, and longer test cycles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other drawbacks in the prior art are overcome in large part by a TAPI database system and method according to the present invention. According to one implementation, an object-oriented TAPI database is provided which supports code re-use when used in other TAPI service providers. The database models all the major objects in TAPI telephony static—line, static phone, static addresses, open lines, open phones, open addresses, calls and request Ids.
Objects are modeled using free and in-use lists and are linked in the common TAPI relationships, allowing for quick retrieval of information from one object while accessing another object. Objects are searched using a efficient two-tiered search. Telephony objects follow a class hierarchy that allows for the efficient usage of common data and routines. Telephony objects are divided with areas for distinct sets of TAPI data, TAPI service provider data, and private TAPI data. Management objects follow a class hierarchy that allows for the efficient usage of common management data and routines and common operation upon telephony objects.
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patent: 6618476 (2003-09-01), Szeto et al.
patent: 2003/0002642 (2003-01-01), Jorasch et al.
patent: 2 341 291 (2000-08-01), None
Deane, Jr. William J.
Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc.
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