PROTOCOL BUILDER FOR A CALL HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20070201664A1
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Inventors: Salafia, Christopher, Salafia, Philip, Turk, Jermey
• Granted Patent: US 7,646,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.10
• 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 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for handling calls. In one embodiment of the invention, a call handling system is configured for handling a variety of emergency and/or non emergency related calls. The call handling system may enable recognition of and response to received call information. The call handling system comprises a call interface configured for receiving the call information. A processor is communicatively coupled to the call interface and configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol. This protocol may, as it progresses, be used to generate data for use in a CAD system. The CAD system may subsequently dispatch responders based on the generated data. The call handling system includes an advisory component that recommends a type of dispatch and a risk assessment. The call handling system also includes a build component that allows for the generation of protocols.

Claims

1. A call handling system, including:

a call handler interface for receiving information from a caller; and

a build component that enables modular configuration of rules relating to handling of received calls to generate one or more protocols, wherein the one or more protocols direct a call handler to respond to a caller, wherein the rules include information for generating one or more protocol modules for each of the one or more protocols, and wherein each protocol module is configured for a situation pertaining to a caller.

2. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein each protocol module includes one or more script elements relevant to the caller situation, wherein a script element includes a statement, a question, or a procedure.

3. The call handling system of claim 1, further includes a rules processing engine that processes the rules to generate the one or more protocols.

4. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the rules processing engine includes a bridge component that initiates a first of the one or more protocols based on a response to an initiated protocol.

5. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the build component is further configured for generating one or more activity triggers within the one or more protocols, wherein the one or more activity triggers include links to other protocols based on responses from a caller.

6. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the build component is further configured for generating one or more activity triggers within the one or more protocols, wherein the one or more activity triggers initiate an advisory component of the call handling system based on responses from a caller.

7. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the build component includes a test element configured for testing the generated one or more script modules.

8. The call handling system of claim 7, wherein the test element tests the generated one or more script modules by deploying a script module for operation within the call handling system while decoupling the call handling system from external computer aided dispatch systems.

9. The call handling system of claim 8, wherein the build component includes a publication component that provides accessibility to a generated script module by the call handling system.

10. The call handling system of claim 9, wherein the publication component provides version control of a generated script module.

11. The call handling system of claim 10, wherein the build component is configured for migrating the version control of a generated script module to at least one other script module.

12. The call handling system of claim 10, wherein the version control of the generated script module prevents inadvertent access to a previous version of a generated script module.

13. A call handling system, including:

a call handler interface component for receiving call information, wherein the call handling interface component includes

a storage unit configured for storing one or more protocols used in directing a call handler to respond to a caller and

a processor for processing the call information and populating a database with one or more terms based on the call information, wherein the one or more terms are cross referenced to the stored protocols to initiate at least one of the stored protocols; and

a build component that configures rules that are input via the call handler interface to generate the one or more protocols, wherein the rules include advisory information and a relative importance of a protocol module and wherein a generated protocol has one or more modules configured from the rules.

14. The call handling system of claim 13, wherein the call handling interface component further includes a bridge element for initiating a second of the stored protocols.

15. The call handling system of claim 14, wherein the bridge element operably merges at least two of the stored protocols to generate a merged protocol.

16. The call handling system of claim 14, wherein the bridge element includes a detector that detects an event based on processed call information to initiate the second of the stored protocols.

17. A method of generating a protocol module for use in a call handling system, including:

providing a protocol framework;

receiving first information relevant to a first portion of a call handling system scenario;

processing the first information to generate a first protocol module; and

formatting the first protocol module within the protocol framework.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein processing the first information includes:

generating an activity trigger for initiating an advisory component upon initiation of the first protocol module; and

formatting the activity trigger within the first protocol module.

19. The method of claim 17, further including:

receiving second information relevant to a second portion of the call handling system scenario;

processing the second information to generate a second protocol module; and

formatting the second protocol module within the protocol framework.

20. The method of claim 19, further including compiling the first protocol module and the second protocol module within the protocol framework to generate a first protocol.

21. The method of claim 20, further including testing the first protocol to determine operability of the first protocol, wherein testing the first protocol includes providing the call handling system with test data relevant to the call handling system scenario and decoupling external systems in communication with the call handling system.

22. The method of claim 21, further including publishing the first protocol to one or more call handling systems.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein publishing includes generating a version control indicator for the first protocol and updating one or more preconfigured protocols with links to the first protocol based on the version control indicator.

24. The method of claim 23, further including amending the first protocol and updating the version control indicator based on the amendment to the first protocol.

25. The method of claim 24, further including retaining an original copy of the first protocol in a database and preventing access to the original copy of the first protocol during an actual call handling system scenario.

26. The method of claim 17, further including compiling the first protocol module within the protocol framework to generate a first protocol.

27. The method of claim 26, further including testing the first protocol to determine operability of the first protocol, wherein testing the first protocol includes providing the call handling system with test data relevant to the call handling system scenario and decoupling external systems in communication with the call handling system.

28. The method of claim 27, further including publishing the first protocol to one or more call handling systems.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein publishing includes generating a version control indicator for the first protocol and updating one or more preconfigured protocols with links to the first protocol based on the version control indicator.

30. The method of claim 29, further including amending the first protocol and updating the version control indicator based on the amendment to the first protocol.

31. The method of claim 30, further including retaining an original copy of the first protocol in a database and preventing access to the original copy of the first protocol during an actual call handling system scenario.

32. The method of claim 17, further including generating an indicator reception within the first protocol module for initiating a preconfigured protocol.