An audio bridge unit is provided for connecting a conventional analog page/party station in an analog page/party system to IP-based page/party stations that employ multicast Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to support page/party communications between analog page/party stations and the VoIP page/party stations. The audio bridge unit converts page and/or party audio line(s) to multicast channel(s). The audio bridge unit analog interfaces for its respective page and/or party lines, and each analog interface is assigned to an independent multicast channel on which it will transmit and receive full duplex audio between an analog page/party station and one or more IP-based page/party stations. The audio bridge unit provides the ability to configure the multicast group, port and Time to Live (TTL) setting for each of the analog channels associated with the page and/or party lines.

The present disclosure provides a communication system and method, among other things. As a non-limiting example, the method includes receiving a call from a caller, parking the call, and while the call is parked, determining a paging target for the call. The method may further include paging a first target area in an attempt to summon the paging target to retrieve the parked call. The method may further include paging a second target area in an attempt to summon the paging target to retrieve the parked call, receiving a response from the paging target, and based on the response received from the paging target, connecting the paging target with the caller.

An audio bridge unit is provided for connecting a conventional analog page/party station in an analog page/party system to IP-based page/party stations that employ multicast Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to support page/party communications between analog page/party stations and the VoIP page/party stations. The audio bridge unit converts page and/or party audio line(s) to multicast channel(s). The audio bridge unit analog interfaces for its respective page and/or party lines, and each analog interface is assigned to an independent multicast channel on which it will transmit and receive full duplex audio between an analog page/party station and one or more IP-based page/party stations. The audio bridge unit provides the ability to configure the multicast group, port and Time to Live (TTL) setting for each of the analog channels associated with the page and/or party lines.

Customer management for an establishment involves operating a server that hosts system software and interacts with various computing devices over internet and wireless network gateway connections. The server communicates with devices at the establishment and customer computing devices in real-time, providing system performance updates, text messaging communications to the customer regarding table availability and marketing information and synchronizing the information communicated within the system. A computer user interface at the establishment communicates with the server and allows an establishment host to capture and transmit customer information to the server and make of the server processing requests that can include sending text message alert notifications to a customer mobile device informing of an available table and providing marketing messages. A secondary device, operated by a waiter of the establishment, communicates with the computing devices of the system and can receive communications, such as customer attention requests, from the customer mobile device.

Methods performed by handsets such as cell phones of receiving a notification of a remotely stored message, the notification including message parameters related to the message, monitoring those parameters for a parameter selected via a user interface of the handset and requesting an action be performed on the message when the parameter matches the selected parameter, such as forwarding all messages of a given type to another destination.

An automated notification system for use in a facility, including a telephone system, a controller, a paging system, and a warning system. The warning system includes warning lights, warning speakers, and warning displays. The telephone system includes extension handsets, and the paging system includes paging speakers. The extension handsets, paging speakers, warning speakers, warning lights, and warning displays are distributed throughout the facility. An alert condition may be activated using one of the extension handsets or by an activation device within the facility. Upon detection of an alert condition, the controller actuates the warning system and uses the paging system to provide audible and visual warnings throughout the facility, and provides outgoing notification to emergency personnel through the telephone system. Remote units located in outlying areas around the facility are wirelessly signaled by the control unit to provide appropriate warnings in such locations.