Importance

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Abstract

Method and apparatus to enable a PBX or CBX to receive ANI and DNIS information and to provide this information to customer business applications. One embodiment discloses a trunk adapter 20 that includes an ISDN primary or basic interface 20A that receives ANI and/or DNIS information from a network provider's switch. The trunk adapter, in response to answer supervision, employs DTMF signals to outpulse this information, via a novel protocol, over a T1 interface, through a PBX 14 to a VRU 14A. The VRU 14A subsequently provides the ANI and/or DNIS information to a Host data processor 12. The PBX 14 is essentially 'transparent' to the DTMF tones that are used to convey the ANI and DNIS information from the trunk adapter 20 to the VRU 14A. In another embodiment the network provider's switch directly provides the ANI and/or DNIS information via DTMF in accordance with the novel protocol. The protocol comprises DTMF digits having the format '* ANI * DNIS * ', where both ANI and DNIS are digits corresponding to the billing number of the call and the number dialed, respectively, and the first phoneset star '*' digit signals the beginning of the DTMF packet of information, the second separates the ANI data filed from the DNIS data field, and the third terminates the packet of information.

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First Claim