[Asterisk-Users] Line Buttons (Key system behavior)

[David Gomillion]

Since this issue has raised its ugly head again, and I still don't know a
very good solution, I wanted to bounce a few ideas off the gurus on this
list.

Scenario: You have an administrative assistant who need to be able to take
calls for a PHB

Desired Behavior: Assistant has a line button that shows status of the
boss's phone.  Pressing the button, no matter the state of the call, allows
the phone to join the conversation.  Or maybe it only allows joining if the
boss isn't on the line.  I've seen it both ways.

Solutions:

1. Program the SUBSCRIBE-NOTIFY model alluded to in the Polycom manual.
Pro: probably the right way to do this.  Con: hasn't been done up until now,
so it probably isn't at the top of any of the programmers' list.

I wanted to throw out another possible solution for comments:

2. Set up a macro for extensions.  What it does is this:
   - Set 'hint' to get the lights on
   - place call in a private MeetMe conference room
	- if there's a call in the conference room already, then the line is
'busy'
   - put a call file in the spool so that the intended callee is invited to
the conference
   - if the callee doesn't join the conference within a set timeout, pull
the caller out and send him on his way (i.e. voicemail, etc)

The next part is where it starts getting a little fuzzy.  

For someone else to be able to join in, the line button must actually have
an automatic off-hook extension.  It would do one of 2 things:
IF:
  the conference room is not empty, we should join that conference
  the conference room is empty, go to a meta-space, where we can dial an
outgoing phone call.

This would completely break the default behavior of most SIP phones.
On-hook dialing couldn't happen, nor could Dial soft-buttons.  But I don't
know how else to get the assistant on the call by simply pressing the button
next to the flashing light...

The more I think about this, the more I think the complexity in the dialplan
is not worth it; however, it's preventing a few installations here, and I'm
sure there are others around that this is a deal-breaker on.  I'm a
programmer by training, but I've been so busy with IT garbage that I don't
think I'll have the time to learn the SIP channel well enough to implement
#1.  But I'd be willing to put a bounty on it, if others want the feature
too.

Thought?