Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Flow controlling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2003-07-22
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Flow controlling
C710S010000, C710S120000, C712S229000, C713S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598098
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of communications. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for modifying the operation of a system, particularly a telecommunication system, by providing the user with a multi-mode external programming interface for controlling predetermined functions in the system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many organizations, offices and small businesses use PBXs to manage incoming outgoing and internal telephone calls. The operation of modern PBXs is controlled by dedicated software, which is run by a microcomputer, embedded into the PBX control circuitry. Such software comprises many parameters, which are usually stored in the database of the PBX. Since each organization has a specific set of requirements associated with its phone-call management system, PBX manufactures define many parameters programmable to an external user. A typical PBX comprises an interface consisting of one or more data ports, through which the PBX can exchange data with an external data source (such as a workstation). The data source manipulates these parameters by using a limited access to the database, and varies some of the operational parameters of the PBX. Some examples of parameters include the words shown on the display of a specific telephone connected to the PBX that is equipped with display capabilities, or the meaning of one or more programmable keys on any specific phone.
A Typical PBX programming interface is a common serial port, such as an RS-232 port, which communicates with an external terminal and allows the programming of each parameter by using the known American Standard Code Information Interchange (ASCII) programming mode. In a typical ASCII programming mode, the external terminal operates in full duplex mode, in which each character is transmitted to the system, and echoed back. Only the echoed character is displayed on the screen. Each parameter is programmed using the PBX systems unique programming codes. The data rate of characters being transmitted in the ASCII manual-programming mode, is determined by the typing rate of the programmer and therefore, is relatively slow. The microcomputer is thus designed to poll the RS-232 port at regular intervals (typically once every 0.1 seconds) in order to check for and handle a sent ASCII character.
However, this programming mode is cumbersome, since it requires manual programming of each and every parameter using a text based dialog system, with unique codes for each PBX.
Call handling tools in PBXs have been developed for controlling incoming and outgoing calls. The Windows based Telephony Application Program Interface (TAPI), jointly developed by Intel Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, is a standard program interface that enables a user to handle phone calls by clicking icons on his workstation display. The PBX manufacturer provides a specific driver, which can be loaded into the user's workstation and communicates directly with the PBX's hardware. Another tool, which is not limited to Windows environment, is Telephony Server Application Program Interface (TSAPI), jointly developed by Novell and AT&T. TSAPI is a standard program interface that enables a user to create Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications, such as providing a link between computer and telephony systems to get on-screen information for use by the caller. However, these interfaces, are mainly directed to call handling, and are not designed to handle administrative tasks, such as programming specific keys on a user's telephone, or placing a new user's name on the display of his display telephone. UNIMAX Systems (Minneapolis, Minn., USA) offers to develop a Graphical User Interface (GUI) based programming interface to handle the administrative tasks of a PBX. However, this system requires a specially designed interface for each PBX with a layout fixed by its original designer, and therefore lacks flexibility. Moreover, because of the need to support ASCII manual programming, the operating rate of this programming interface is limited to the manual typing rate
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,294 discloses a dual speed modem for receiving and transmitting data over a telephone line. The modem comprises a processor for storing digital data samples of an analog signal which is connected to circuitry for converting digital data to an analog signal for transmission over the telephone line, and for converting analog signals, received from the telephone line, to digital data. A selection circuitry is incorporated with the processor for selecting a desired data rate, according to the data rate of an originate modem. Relatively higher bit rate is desired whenever differential Phase-Shift Keying (PSK) is employed, and relatively lower bit rate is desired whenever Frequency-Shift Keying (FSK) is employed. However, this modem incorporates a relatively expensive circuitry for continuously detecting and analyzing the actual data rate, and for adjusting its data processing rate to the received data rate. In addition, the mode of operation is set by the microprocessor, and is not responsive to the actual data received.
All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of providing a PBX user with a GUI based interface that can function at higher speeds than traditional ASCII based codes, while maintaining support for legacy programming systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for controlling predetermined functions of a PBX, which support both the legacy ASCII communication method, and higher speed binary methods.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for controlling predetermined functions of a PBX, which support both manual text based programming and GUI based programming.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
Summary of the Invention
For purposes of clarity and as an aid in the understanding of the invention, the following terms and abbreviations are defined below:
Protocol—a special set of rules for data communication between endpoints of a system;
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)—a protocol which tracks individual units of data (data “packets”) and reassembles them to form a whole message;
Internet Protocol (IP)—a protocol used to send data packets from one computer to another over the Internet;
Interrupt—a signal from a device or from a program which control a system, that causes a main program that operates the system to stop and continue to run the current program, or to run another program;
Application Programming Interface (API)—interface which specifies software-defined entry points that is used by application programmers to access the functionality of an operating system;
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART—an electronic integrated circuit that transmits and receives data through the serial port of a system, by converting bytes into serial bits for transmission, and vice-versa;
Flag—a predefined bit pattern used in a transmitted protocol to define an event.
Hereinafter, the term “computing platform” refers to a particular computer hardware system or to a particular software operating system. Examples of such hardware systems include those with any type of suitable data processor, such as a computer. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; Macintosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX™ or SOLARIS™ of Sun Microsystems™; a PalmPilot™, a PilotPC™, or any other handheld device; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.x™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT
Agami Yaron
Markinzon Evald
Timchenko Marina
Berkowitz Marvin C.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Mai Rijue
Nath & Associates PLLC
Novick Harold L.
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