Softphone Key System Module for Shared Line Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hosted voice solutions lack a key system interface, which is essential for multiple users to access and manage shared lines effectively, as they do not provide a user interface to present or act on line statuses like traditional key systems.
Innovation Solution
A key system module is implemented for softphone and embedded voice applications, enabling a presentable and actionable key system by establishing non-shared line associations, capturing SIP signal messages, and generating a user interface to display key line statuses, allowing multiple users to see and act on key lines across devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hosted voice solutions use softphone applications without key system integration, then device portability and accessibility are improved, but the ability to present and act on key line statuses is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a software-based key system module that replicates the functionality of traditional physical key systems within the softphone application. The module generates visual representations of key lines and their statuses on the device display, copying the essential information presentation capabilities of hardware key systems into the software environment, thereby maintaining status visibility while enabling device portability
2Device complexity
If hosted voice solutions omit key system module integration, then system complexity is reduced, but multi-user access to shared lines cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the key system functionality into a separate, modular software component that can be independently integrated into the softphone application. This modular key system module handles specific key line management tasks while leaving the rest of the softphone system unchanged, thereby adding multi-user access capability without significantly increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The key system module is designed to work within the existing softphone infrastructure, utilizing the same communication protocols and device resources. This multi-functional approach allows the module to provide key system capabilities while sharing the underlying platform with the softphone application, avoiding the need for a completely separate complex system
3Device complexity
If traditional key systems are replaced by hosted voice solutions, then hardware requirements are reduced, but the actionable interface for key lines is eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical button-based interface of traditional key systems with a software-based graphical user interface. The key system module creates virtual buttons and visual indicators on the device display that respond to user touches, substituting mechanical interactions with electronic ones while maintaining the same functional capabilities of line selection and status indication
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for a key system module which enables a presentable key system on devices provisioned with softphone and embedded voice applications. A method includes provisioning a key system module for operation with the softphone to enable the key system, establishing, by the softphone application using a service provider Internet Protocol (IP) telephony server, a non-shared line association with the key system, establishing, by the softphone application using the service provider IP telephony server, associations with key lines in the key system, receiving, from the service provider IP telephony server, key line statuses, generating, by the key system module, a key line user interface based on at least the statuses of the key lines, and presenting, by the softphone application and the key system module on a device associated with the softphone client, the key line user interface with the key lines in the key system.