PSTN three-party conference call via AA (without using SIP)

[yhfung]

Hi Member of OBiTalk,

What is PSTN three-party conference call?

For an ordinary fixed line (PSTN), there is a service called three-way conference call. In most cases, Person A at home  uses Telephone A  to make a phone call to Telephone B of Person B first. Once Person B answers the call, Person A presses the "flash hook" on the telphone keypad or equivalent and Person A will hear the dialling tone again. Person A makes another call to Telephone C of Person C. When Person C answers the call, Person A press the "flash hook" again to tell telco that you want to have three-party conference. Therefore, Persons A, B, and C can chat with each other.


Can Person B talk to Person C using PSTN via the AA of OBi110 at User A's home?

It is supposed Telephone B number has been registered in OBi110 (User A) as Circle of Trust.

If Person B calls Telephone A and hear a ringing tone, then Person B hang up the call. The OBi110 at Person A's home will call Person B's telephone number. Person B answers the incoming call from Telephone A via the OBi110, Person B enters the AA mode of OBi110. Person B presses a suitable number (not yet implemented) for making PSTN three-party conference call, then AA tells Person B to press the third party's Telephone C of Person C. When Person C answers the call from Person's A's OBi110. OBi110 connects the lines of Persons B and C. Therfore they (Persons B and C) can chat with each other.

The whole process is with fixed line PSTN ONLY and NO SIP is involved.

My question is very simple, does OBi110 provide this function?

YH

[QBZappy]

RonR,

Do you think anything here (P121 of admin guide) will produce a hook flash (second dial tone) in the dial plan. Since the PSTN service itself provides the conference callng (2nd voice channel). Maybe having a number in the speed dial preconfigured. What do you think?

Invoke Second Dial Tone in Digit Map
You can tell OBi to start a tone after a certain pattern of digits have been dialed by specifying the element {t=<tone>} within a digit map, where <tone> is a 1 to 3-letter name of the tone to play. The tone will stop when the next digit is entered. For example:
(**1{t=di2}(Msp)|**8{t=od}(Mli))
which tells the device to play Second Dial Tone when **1 is dialed, or play Outside Dial Tone when **8 is dialed. Here is a full list of acceptable (case insensitive) values of <tone>:
bu = Busy Tone
cf = Call Forwarded Dial Tone
cm = Confirmation Tone
co = Conference Tone
cw1 – cw10 = Call Waiting Tone 1-10, respectively
di = Dial Tone
di2 = Second Dial Tone
fb = Fast Busy Tone
ho = Holding Tone
od = Outside Dial Tone
pr = Prompt Tone
rb = Ringback Tone
ro = Reorder Tone (same as fast busy)
si1 – si4 = SIT TONE 1 – 4, respectively
st = Stutter Tone
0 – 9, *, #, a – d = DTMF 0 – 9, *, #, A – D respectively

[RonR]

In order for the OBi to make use of a POTS line 3-Way Calling feature to effect a 'bridge' from an incoming call on the POTS line to an outgoing call on the POTS line, the following would have to occur:

1. An incoming call from the LINE Port (POTS line) is routed to the Auto Attendant.

2. The Auto Attendant hangs up and initiates a callback to the caller via the LINE Port (POTS line).

3. The caller attempts to make an outgoing call via the LINE Port (POTS line).

4. The Auto Attendant recognizes that both incoming calls and outgoing calls are using the LINE Port (POTS line).

5. The Auto Attendant issues a Hook Flash to the LINE Port (POTS line), resulting in a new dialtone.

6. The Auto Attendant dials the outgoing number.

7. The Auto Attendant waits for and recognizes when the called party has answered.

8. The Auto Attendant issues a Hook Flash to the LINE Port (POTS line), resulting in a 3-Way Call.

9. The Auto Attendant disconnects from the LINE Port (POTS line) and hopes the two called parties remain connected.

There's no indication the OBi currently possesses this capability.

[yhfung]

I believe the OBihai Tech Team can provide this feature, it could attract a lot of sales just based on it because it does not need the Internet!!!

YH