Detecting Line Off-hook Status

[Guest daveminker]

I'm running VG on a server with two inbound lines running into a Dialogic board. There is no PBX involved in the equation. I'm trying to figure our if there's a way to determine the 'off-hook' status of one of those lines while running through a script so as to determine if a caller could be transferred to a particular line (extension) or not.

 

My particular situation is as follows:

 

Line 1 is used to handle inbound calls. The call is answered immediately with an 'auto attendant' type message. If the user presses "0" to get to an operator, I want to check to see if line 2 is in use. If not, then the call can be transferred to that line. If it is, however, I don't want to transfer the call - I simply want to put them right into voicemail.

 

Do I have access to the "line status" information from within a script??

 

Thanks -

 

~dave

[SupportTeam]

I assume that you are using a D41JCT or some other similar card which can connect two calls together on the card?

 

in v5.2.2 of VG (just released) there a Line_State COM function (it's undocumented but it will soon be added as an 'officially supported COM function').

 

example:

 

set vg = CreateObject("VoiceGuide.CommandLink")

sReturnValue = vg.Line_State(6)

set vg = Nothing

MsgBox sReturnValue

 

if sReturnValue is "IDLE" then this means the line is free.

 

As parameter the function takes the "LineID" value (the TAPI device ID).

 

To see what the LineIDs are just look in [TapiDeviceX] sections ov VG.INI file after you have ran the VG Configuration Wizard.

 

Another way to see what is the TAPI LineID value you can just look in VG trace log file saved in \log\ subdirectory. When VG starts you will see something like this in log file:

092317.53  0 Tapi device 8 is: Analog Line 4(dxxxB1C4)

092317.53  0 Tapi device 7 is: Analog Line 3(dxxxB1C3)

092317.53  0 Tapi device 6 is: Analog Line 2(dxxxB1C2)

092317.53  0 Tapi device 5 is: Analog Line 1(dxxxB1C1)

092317.55  0 Tapi device 4 is: H323 Line

092317.55  0 Tapi device 3 is: IPCONF LINE

092317.55  0 Tapi device 2 is: LPT1T

092317.55  0 Tapi device 1 is: WAN Miniport (L2TP)

092317.55  0 Tapi device 0 is: RAS VPN Line 0

You can see that Dialogic lines on this system have a TAPI ID from 5 to 8. You can find out TAPI ID of lines on your system in similar way.

 

You can also see what the LineIDs are by looking at the IDs displayed just after the timestamp in the Event Trace Log when events from particular line are reported.

[Guest daveminker]

Sounds like the Line_State COM function is precisely what I need.

 

The lines will be coming in from the CO with Centrex support, so I (assume I) can perform a Centrex transfer to the other 'extension' that will be connected to a phone line -- hence the reason I'm trying to figure out if that line is already off-hook. I don't want to transfer the user to a line that's in use.

 

I assume the Line_State variable will reflect the true state of the line even if VG isn't responsible for the line going off hook (e.g. user simply picks up the handset)??

 

Thanks -

 

~dave

[SupportTeam]

I assume the Line_State variable will reflect the true state of the line even if VG isn't responsible for the line going off hook (e.g. user simply picks up the handset)??

The Line_State function will return VoiceGuide's state.

 

It is not possible to tell if some other handset that is also attached to the line has been picked up. No Dialogic card or any other device out there can tell if some other handset attached to the same line has been picked up.

[Guest daveminker]

OK ... so if I can't tell if the 'destination extension' is off-hook as a result of a non-VG-initiated event, is there a way you recommend determining whether it's OK to perform a transfer to an extension?

 

What I'm trying to avoid is performing a Centrex transfer to a line that's already in use. I need to find a way to be sure the caller isn't transferred into a busy signal and then dropped. Even if there was a way to tell after the transfer sequence is started but before the caller is actually transferred, that'd be fine too...

 

~dave

[SupportTeam]

is there a way you recommend determining whether it's OK to perform a transfer to an extension?

You need to get a PBX with CTI integration to be able to tell that.

 

Just use Announced Transfer option. If call transfer is not accepted then send caller to voicemail...