Telephone Exchange Routing Using Schedule-Based Terminal Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing telephone exchange systems require users to manually register terminal or call routing rules, which is time-consuming, and struggle to connect calls when the called party is away from their terminal, leading to inefficient network traffic and resource consumption.

Innovation Solution

A user-centric telephone exchange apparatus that uses an acquisition unit to identify a user's location and usage history to prioritize ringing on the most likely terminal for response, eliminating the need for manual registration and optimizing network traffic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual registration of terminal or call routing rules is implemented, then call routing can be controlled, but user time and effort are increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall routing controlVSAvoiduser registration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically analyzes communication logs and user behavior patterns to generate call routing rules without requiring manual user input. The telephone exchange apparatus itself performs the work of learning and rule creation, making the system self-configuring based on observed usage patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of communication logs and user behavior in advance to pre-establish call routing rules before they are needed. This allows the system to have routing rules ready beforehand based on predicted user needs, eliminating the need for last-minute manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If call routing is based on predetermined rules, then routing control is achieved, but adaptability to user location and behavior changes is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting rule stabilityVSAvoidresponse to user location changes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The call routing rules are made dynamic by continuously analyzing updated communication logs and user behavior patterns. The system automatically adjusts routing decisions based on real-time changes in user location, device usage patterns, and communication preferences, transforming static rules into adaptive, living policies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where communication logs and user responses to calls are continuously monitored and fed back into the rule generation process. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from actual user behavior and refine routing rules accordingly, ensuring adaptability to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If multiple terminals are monitored for call routing, then user availability is improved, but network traffic and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser availability detectionVSAvoidnetwork traffic consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential and most relevant features from communication logs that indicate user availability and preference, rather than processing all available data. By selectively extracting key behavioral patterns and location information, the system reduces network traffic and processing resources while maintaining accurate user availability detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors multiple terminals but applies intelligent filtering to focus only on the most probable active terminals based on recent usage patterns. Instead of exhaustively checking all possible terminals, the system performs partial monitoring on high-probability targets, reducing overall network traffic while maintaining effective user availability detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4297388B1Telephone exchange device, telephone system, telephone exchange method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 NEC PLATFROMS LTD
  • EP4297388B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4297388B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4297388B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A telephone exchange apparatus (10) includes an acquisition unit (11), an extraction unit (12), a specification unit (13), and a call control unit (14). In a case where an incoming call including a user ID is detected, the acquisition unit (11) acquires event information of a user having the user ID, the event information indicating a schedule event. The extraction unit (12) extracts location information of the user from the event information. The specification unit (13) specifies a telephone terminal to which the user is most likely to respond among telephone terminals on a basis of the location information, the telephone terminals having been used by the user in a past. The call control unit (14) causes the specified telephone terminal to ring.