The present invention provides a system and method for using a standard
private branch exchange (PBX), such as e.g., the Lucent Technologies, Inc.
DEFINITY.RTM. PBX, for interfacing with a wireless (e.g., cellular, etc.)
communication network and the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The system employs an adjunct controller and uses computer telephony
integration (CTI) associated with a standard PBX to communicate directly
with an audio switch and the PSTN. Through the use of CTI, the standard
PBX also provides feedback to the caller. For example, when an inbound
call arrives (i.e., from the PSTN to a radio transceiver), the adjunct
controller determines whether the wireless system has available resources
(i.e., an available link) to grant calls and instructs the PBX to provide
an audio connection between dynamically assigned wireless links (e.g., RF
channels). If no link is available, a busy signal is referred back to the
PSTN, and eventually back to the originating switch.
