Abstract:
A method for call forwarding in a communications network in which a single first subscriber line and at least one second subscriber line provided for a call transfer originating from the first subscriber line are assigned to a call acceptance group. A call made to the first subscriber line is forwarded within the call acceptance group to the second subscriber line and/or is signaled there for call answering.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a method for call forwarding in a communications network wherein team functions encompassing multiple communications systems are provided.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Team functions are made available in a PABX system by setting up integrated executive-secretary systems. When setting up an integrated executive-secretary system, selected subscriber lines are combined to form an executive-secretary group which defines the role of the subscriber lines and specifies the relationships between the individual subscriber lines within the executive-secretary group. The definable roles are executive, secretary and assistant secretary. The relationships between the subscriber lines within an executive-secretary group are defined through allocation of an executive subscriber line to a secretary subscriber line or a secretary subscriber line to an assistant secretary subscriber line.  
           [0005]    The Siemens Hicom communications system provides an integrated executive-secretary function with a maximum of four executive telephones and a maximum of two secretary telephones for each executive-secretary system (Hicom 300E V 2.0, Description of user facilities, Sect. 4.30 and Sect. 6.3.1, 23.04.1999, Siemens Part Number: P 31003-G1036-L100-3-18). A call made to an executive telephone is switched in a standard operating mode to a first secretary telephone and is signaled on the executive telephone and, where appropriate, on a further secretary telephone. The call can be answered by both the executive telephone and the further secretary telephone. Following call transfer to the executive telephone, a call made to the executive telephone is switched directly to the latter in a further operating mode and, where appropriate, is signaled on the secretary telephones. The relevant operating mode and the relevant call transfer are signaled on the executive telephone and the associated secretary telephones. The team function for an executive-secretary system has hitherto been available within one PABX system only.  
           [0006]    An object of the present invention is to design a method for providing team functions encompassing multiple communications systems.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Accordingly, the present invention is for a method for call forwarding in a communications network having a number of first and second subscriber lines, wherein a call made to a first subscriber line is switched in a first operating mode to the first subscriber line and is signaled on at least one selected second subscriber line for call answering, and a call made to a first subscriber line is switched in a second operating mode to a selected second subscriber line for call answering and is signaled on the first subscriber line and/or at least one further second subscriber line, the method including the steps of: assigning to a call acceptance group, both a single first subscriber line and at least one second subscriber line provided for a call transfer originating from the first subscriber line; and at least one of forwarding and signaling a call made to the first subscriber line within the call acceptance group to the second subscriber line.  
           [0008]    A fundamental aspect of the method according to the present invention is that no hardware modifications are required for the provision of team functions encompassing multiple communications systems in communications networks in which the user facility of a network-wide call acceptance group is available. In a network-wide call acceptance group, a call made to a subscriber line of the call acceptance group is signaled in parallel to further subscriber lines which are assigned to the call acceptance group for call answering. In addition, the method according to the present invention offers the advantage that the restrictions in terms of the maximum number of executive subscriber lines and secretary subscriber lines for each executive-secretary system are lifted. This applies in particular to integrated executive-secretary systems which are set up to encompass multiple communications systems.  
       
    
    
       [0009]    Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments and the Drawings.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 shows a communications network with a number of communications systems and a number of interrelated first and second subscriber lines. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 shows a communications network with four PABX systems PABX 1  to PABX 4 , two first subscriber lines C 1 T 1  and C 2 T 1  and a number of second subscriber lines S 1 T 1  to S 2 T 3 . The first subscriber lines C 1 T 1  and C 2 T 1  are made available on executive workstations C 1  and C 2 . A subscriber terminal device TE, on which a user interface is, in each case, made available for the use of team functions, is allocated to the first subscriber lines. The second subscriber lines S 1 T 1  to S 2 T 3  are assigned to two secretary workstations S 1  and S 2 . A shared, team-function-supporting subscriber terminal device TE is assigned to the second subscriber lines S 1 T 1  to S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 1  to S 2 T 3  on a secretary workstation S 1 . S 2 . The second subscriber lines S 1 T 1  to S 2 T 1  are set up, in each case, as main subscriber lines for the secretary workstations S 1  and S 2 . The second subscriber lines S 1 T 2 , S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 2  and S 2 T 3  are set up in the present example as virtual subscriber lines which are provided for call transfer originating from the relevant executive workstation C 1  and C 2 .  
         [0012]    In the present case, the secretary workstations S 1  and S 2  and the executive workstations C 1  and C 2  are distributed among the four PABX systems PABX 1  to PABX 4 . A call acceptance group AUN 1  and AUN 2  is, in each case, set up for each first subscriber line C 1 T 1  and C 2 T 1 . In the example under consideration, an executive-secretary allocation is set up for the executive workstation C 1  and the secretary workstations S 1  and S 2  and also for the executive workstation C 2  and the secretary workstations S 1  and S 2 . The first subscriber line C 1 T 1  and the second subscriber lines S 1 T 2  and S 2 T 2  are therefore allocated to a call acceptance group AUN 1  and the first subscriber line C 2 T 1  and the second subscriber lines S 1 T 3  and S 2 T 3  are allocated to the call acceptance group AUN 2 .  
         [0013]    If, for example, a call diversion is set up in a first operating mode from the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  to the second subscriber line S 1 T 2 , a call made to the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  is switched within the call acceptance group AUN 1  to the selected second subscriber line S 1 T 2  and is signaled in parallel on the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  and on the further second subscriber line S 2 T 2  for call answering. In a second operating mode, no call diversion takes place from the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  to the second subscriber line S 1 T 2 , but rather a call made to the subscriber line C 1 T 1  is switched directly to this subscriber line and is signaled in parallel within the call acceptance group AUN 1  on the second subscriber lines S 1 T 2  and S 2 T 2  for call answering. In a corresponding manner, the call acceptance group AUN 2  can be set up for a call diversion from the first subscriber line C 2 T 1  to one of the two second subscriber lines S 1 T 3  or S 2 T 3 . Within the call acceptance group AUN 2 , calls can be diverted or signaled in parallel in an analogous manner. The advantage of the described set-up of answering groups is that no subscriber on a further first subscriber line is disturbed by a call made to a first subscriber line.  
         [0014]    A call made to the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  or C 2 T 1  is transferred in the first operating mode, following input of user information, to a second subscriber line S 1 T 2 , S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 2  or S 2 T 3 , on which the call made to the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  or C 2 T 1  was signaled. A call diverted to the second subscriber line S 1 T 2 , S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 2  or S 2 T 3  is transferred in the second operating mode, following input of user information, to the associated first subscriber line C 2 T 1  or C 2 T 1 . A call made to the first subscriber line C 1 T 1  or C 2 T 1  is advantageously diverted to the second subscriber line S 1 T 2 , S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 2  or S 2 T 3  on which corresponding user information was first entered.  
         [0015]    The relevant operating mode is also advantageously signaled on the first subscriber lines C 1 T 1 , C 2 T 1  and the second subscriber lines S 1 T 2 , S 1 T 3 , S 2 T 2 , S 2 T 3 .  
         [0016]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereafter appended claims.