Patent ID: 8194647

Claim:
A distributed dispatch control system configured to use a packet network in providing audio and signaling connectivity to a plurality of audio devices, the system comprising: a plurality of distributed call management modules, each distributed call management module being adapted to serve an audio device of the plurality of audio devices and each distributed call management module having a respective group address for said audio device, each distributed call management module being at least partially implemented by hardware; each distributed call management module configured to convert audio and signaling from the served audio device into packets for distribution through the packet network using the respective group address for receipt by any distributed call management modules monitoring the group address; and each distributed call management module configured to: receive packets addressed to the at least one selected group address and convert such packets to audio and signaling for distribution to the audio device, wherein each distributed call management module is configured to perform arbitration functions for the audio device that the distributed call management module is serving by: receiving one or more acceptances of a received call from one or more audio devices of the plurality of audio devices, at least one of the one or more audio devices comprising operator workstations; selecting at least one of the operator workstations to handle the call; and granting access to transmit audio data received from the served audio device to the selected operator workstation.