Calling party number selection for outbound telephone calls to mitigate robocalling processing impacts

• US 10,205,699 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2018
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Koster, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N.
• Application Number:
  US16/164,467
• Time in Patent Office: 117 Days
• Field of Search: 37921001, 37926501, 37926502, 37926503, 37926504, 37926505, 37926506, 37926507, 37926508, 37926509, 3792651, 37926511, 37926512, 37926513, 37926514, 37926601, 37926602, 37926603, 37926604, 37926605, 37926606, 37926607, 37926608, 37926609, 3792661
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A contact center maintains a pool of calling party telephone numbers (“CPTN”) that can be selected for call origination. A new CPTN can be selected based on various criteria in order to avoid, or respond to, a determination that the current CPTN is “tagged” as being a robocall. The triggering of a new CPTN can be initiated based on various factors, including a number of calls made, a time period, a change in call outcomes, direct input, or by querying a database maintaining status information. Upon triggering the selection of a new number, the old calling party number may be placed in a “dead” pool if tagged, or placed in an “aging” pool for where it is not used for a given time. Once aged, the number is placed in an “available for use” pool. Thus, impacts of service provider robocall processing can be mitigated.

Claims

1. A system for selecting calling party telephone numbers for outgoing calls, the system comprising:

a memory storing;

a calling list comprising a plurality of call records;

a pool comprising a plurality of calling party telephone numbers; and

at least one computer processor in a dialer configured to;

retrieve a first called party telephone number in a first call record in the calling list for a first outgoing call;

originate the first outgoing call directed to the first called party telephone number using a first calling party telephone number from the pool to indicate a first caller-ID for the first outgoing call;

retrieve a call outcome metric comprising call outcome information of prior calls originated using the first calling party number;

determine the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level;

in response to determining the call outcome metric exceeds the threshold level, associate a robocall tag with the first calling party number in the memory reflecting the first calling party number is unavailable for use in originating calls;

select a second calling party telephone number from the pool after determining the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level;

retrieve a second call record comprising a second called party number from the calling list for a second outgoing call; and

originate the second outgoing call based using the second calling party telephone number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

determine the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level;

in response to determining the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level, select a third call record comprising a third called party number from the calling list for a third outgoing call; and

originate the third outgoing call based using the second calling party telephone number.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold comprises a counter measuring prior calls encountering a busy condition and the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

increment the counter in response to the first call reaching the busy condition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold reflects an answer rate for prior call originations, and wherein the call outcome metric exceeding the threshold level reflects the answer rate dropping below the threshold level.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

modify the call outcome metric in response to a call outcome of the first outgoing call.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

reset the call outcome metric after selecting the second calling party telephone number from the pool.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

modify the robocall tag after a defined time period to reflect the first calling party number is available for use.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

set the robocall tag to one of at least two values comprising a first value and a second value, wherein the first value indicates the first calling party number is available for use for call originations and the second value indicates the number is unavailable for use for call originations.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein associating the robocall tag with the first calling party number in the memory causes the first calling party number available for usage in call originations.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

retrieve a first called party telephone number in a first call record from a plurality of calling records in a calling list for a first outgoing call;

originate the first outgoing call directed to the first called party telephone number using a first calling party telephone number from a pool comprising a plurality of calling party telephone numbers to indicate a first caller-ID for the first outgoing call;

retrieve a call outcome metric comprising call outcome information of prior calls originated using the first calling party number;

determine the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level;

in response to determining the call outcome metric exceeds the threshold level, associate a robocall tag with the first calling party number in a memory reflecting the first calling party number is unavailable for use in originating calls;

select a second calling party telephone number from the pool after determining the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level;

retrieve a second call record comprising a second called party number from the calling list for a second outgoing call; and

originate the second outgoing call based using the second calling party telephone number.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

determine the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level;

in response to determining the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level, select a third call record comprising a third called party number from the calling list for a third outgoing call; and

originate the third outgoing call based using the second calling party telephone number.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the threshold comprises a counter measuring prior calls encountering a busy condition and further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

increment the counter in response to the first call reaching the busy condition.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the threshold reflects an answer rate for prior call originations, and wherein the call outcome metric exceeding the threshold level reflects the answer rate dropping below the threshold level.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

modify the call outcome metric in response to a call outcome of the first outgoing call.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

reset the call outcome metric after selecting the second calling party telephone number from the pool.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

modify the robocall tag in memory after a defined time period to reflect the first calling party number is available for use.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computer processors to:

set the robocall tag to one of at least two values comprising a first value and a second value, wherein the first value indicates the first calling party number number is available for use for call originations and the second value indicates the number is unavailable for use for call originations.

18. A method for selecting calling party telephone numbers for outgoing calls, comprising:

retrieving by a computer processor a first called party telephone number in a first call record from a plurality of calling records in a calling list for a first outgoing call;

originating the first outgoing call by a dialer directed to the first called party telephone number using a first calling party telephone number from a pool comprising a plurality of calling party telephone numbers to indicate a first caller-ID for the first outgoing call;

retrieving a call outcome metric stored in a memory in the dialer, the call outcome metric indicating call outcome information of prior calls originated using the first calling party number;

determining the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level by the computer processor;

in response to determining the call outcome metric exceeds the threshold level, associate a robocall tag with the first calling party number in the memory by the computer processor reflecting the first calling party number is unavailable for use in originating calls;

selecting a second calling party telephone number from the pool by the computer processor after determining the call outcome metric exceeds a threshold level;

retrieving a second call record by the computer processor comprising a second called party number from the calling list for a second outgoing call; and

originating the second outgoing call by the dialer based using the second calling party telephone number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dialer originates VoIP calls to a service provider.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level;

in response to determining the call outcome metric does not exceed the threshold level, selecting a third call record comprising a third called party number from the calling list for a third outgoing call; and

originating the third outgoing call based using the second calling party telephone number.