Personal desktop router

Abstract

A client-server telephone call router system as part of a customer premises system has a client-server router adapted to execute on a telephony switch, such as a public branch exchange (PBX) or other telephony switch, or on a processor connected by CTI link to a telephony switch. The telephony switch or processor executing the router is connected to a local area network (LAN) that also interconnects computer workstations proximate to telephones connected to the telephony switch. Client user interface applications run on the computer workstations, allowing clients to edit routing rules for the router, which has a list of routing rules keyed to users and workstations of the customer premises system. The editing rules are kept by the router in portions dedicated to individual users. With this system a user can edit at a workstation on the LAN his\her own routing rules, and transmit the edits to the client-server router where the rules will be followed to route calls for that user and protocol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for routing telephone calls at customer premises having a telephony switch, individual telephones connected to the telephony switch, and computer workstations including video display units (VDUs) connected on a local area network (LAN) also coupled to the telephony switch, wherein individual ones of the computer workstations are located proximate individual ones of the telephones, the method comprising steps of:
 (a) receiving a telephone call at a telephony switch connected to telephones at individual telephones at the customer premises;   (b) providing identifying data for the telephone call to a client-server router;   (c) determining a routing for the call at one of the computer workstations by use of a client interface, and transmitting the routing determination to the client-server router via the LAN connection ; and   (d) routing the telephone call by the client-server router according to the determination transmitted to the client-server router via the LAN connection from the client interface application.