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Abstract

An architectural model is proposed which enables the breaking of the dedicated bond between voice-oriented peripheral equipment (PE) based resources and the voice call processing services that classically reside in PBXs, Central Offices, and Key Systems. In addition to being able to physically remote voice PE across data networks, this model enables the voice PE to become a shareable, network-owned resource (as per a Distributed Client/Server model) rather than the dedicated, non-shareable resource of a single voice host attached to the network. This places the voice PE in the same league that data resources (eg bridges, routers, . . . ) and server-based applications have always been. Disjoint voice products based upon this proposed architectural model would likewise be able to simultaneously share voice PE resources, thereby enabling equipment concentration and it's corresponding cost reductions at network level, as well as PE-based sparing/redundancy. In addition, a new, more powerful usage paradigm is described for the telephone that resembles that of the PC. Of course, nothing prevents the network from being configured with only a singleton voice client utilizing the various servers. This degenerate case then corresponds to a distributed, but still logically unbundled PBX complete with traditional telephones.

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First Claim