LAN telephone system

Abstract

A distributed private branch telephone exchange (PBX) including a local area network carrying telephony traffic, an interface to the PSTN and a station interface connecting to a telephone device transmitting telephony over the local area network. The distributed PBX may contain a number of multi-port modules connected over a local area data network. The multi-port modules convert between synchronous and asynchronous signals and connect between a telephony environment, such as a telephone device, a local area network, and a personal computing device. The distributed PBX also includes PBX software and a graphical user interface (GUI) which facilitate the management of various PBX functions.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . A module for interfacing between a telephony network and a computer data network comprising: 
 asynchronous media streams over said data network via said second connection.    
     
     
         24 . The invention according  claim 23 , wherein said digital signal processor generates and receives multiple data streams.  
     
     
         25 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said network is an ATM network.  
     
     
         26 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said network is an ethernet network.  
     
     
         27 . The invention according to  claim 26 , wherein said network is a cells in frames ethernet network.  
     
     
         28 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said network is an internet protocol over ATM network.  
     
     
         29 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said network is an internet protocol over an ethernet network.  
     
     
         30 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said computer data network also carries computer data traffic.  
     
     
         31 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein said digital signal processor generates and receives multiple data streams.  
     
     
         32 . The invention according to  claim 23 , wherein converting between synchronous and asynchronous data comprises a synchronous-to-asynchronous converter using first-in-first-out buffering.  
     
     
         33 . In a computer data network for transmitting data the improvement comprising: 
 a plurality of telephone means;    an external interface means for coupling said computer data computer network to at least one outside trunk line of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein said external interface means translates telephony transmissions from the PSTN to data for transmission over said computer data network;    software means for said computer network, said software means comprising first means for performing the functions of a private branch exchange (PBX) for said plurality of telephone means that are connected to the computer data network;    said software means comprising second means for receiving requests for service over said computer data computer network for any of said plurality of telephones means;    said software means comprising third means for establishing bi-directional media streams over said computer data computer network between any two of said telephone means upon receiving a request over said computer data computer network for calling one of said plurality of telephone means from another of said plurality of telephone means; and    said software means comprising fourth means for establishing bi-directional media streams over said computer data computer network between any one of said plurality of telephone means and said interface to said PSTN upon receiving a request over said computer network for an outside line for said one of said plurality of telephone means.    
     
     
         34 . In a computer data network for transmitting data, the improvement comprising: 
 a plurality of telephone means;    an external interface means for coupling said computer data computer network to at least one outside trunk line of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein said external interface means translates telephony data from the PSTN to data for transmission over said computer data network;    software means for said computer network, said software means comprising first means for performing the functions of a private branch exchange (PBX) for said of plurality of telephone means that are connected to the computer data network;    said software means comprising second means for receiving requests for service over said computer data computer network for any of said plurality of telephones means;    said software means comprising third means for establishing bi-directional media streams over said computer data computer network between any one of said plurality of telephone means and said interface to said PSTN upon receiving a request over said computer network for an outside line for said one of said plurality of telephone means.    
     
     
         35 . In a computer data network for transmitting data, the improvement comprising: 
 a plurality of telephone means;    software means for said computer network, said software means comprising first means for performing the functions of a private branch exchange (PBX) for said of plurality of telephone means that are connected to the computer data network;    said software means comprising second means for receiving requests for service over said computer network for any of said plurality of telephones means;    said software means comprising third means for establishing bi-directional media streams over said computer network between any two of said telephone means upon receiving a request over said computer network for calling one of said plurality of telephone means from another of said plurality of telephone means.    
     
     
         36 . In a computer data network for transmitting signals between nodes, the improvement comprising: 
 a software means performing the functions of a private branch exchange running on at least one computer operatively coupled to said computer data network;    a PSTN interface means for coupling the computer data network to a public switched telephone network;    a plurality of telephone means;    telephone interface means for coupling said plurality of telephone means to said computer data network, said telephone interface means converting analog signals into digital data for transmission over said computer data network;    said server comprising computer means, and memory means; and    software means stored in said memory means for controlling the signaling between said plurality of telephone means and said network, whereby said network acts as a switch for connecting audio signals from any of said telephone means to a called party.    
     
     
         37 . The invention according to  claim 36 , wherein said computer network is one of a: asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), ethernet, or Internet Protocol (IP) network.  
     
     
         38 . A method of using a computer data network for switching audio signals, comprising: 
 (a) coupling a plurality of telephones to the computer data network for digital data transmission over the computer data network;    (b) using the computer data network as a PBX for switching between the plurality of telephones for making call from one telephone to another of the plurality of telephones, or between at least one of the telephones and the public switched telephone network (PSTN);    (c) said step (b) comprising assigning priority to the audio signals from the plurality of telephones.    
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein said step (a) comprises connecting the plurality of telephones to one of a: asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, ethernet network, or Internet Protocol (IP) network.