Position load distribution and management system for key telephone systems

• US 4,408,100 A
• Filed: 03/02/1981
• Issued: 10/04/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Data Plus Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Data Plus Incorporated
• Inventors: Novakowski, Robert, Pritz, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US06/239,347
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 179/99 R, 179/6.17, 179/18 B, 179/18 BD, 179/27 D, 179/27 FH, 179/27 CA, 179/175.2 C, 179/27 DA, 179/27 DB, 179/27 FF
• US Class Current: 379/88.27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A position load distribution (PLD) and management system for use with an existing key telephone system (KTS) wherein the KTS typically has a plurality of incoming lines and a plurality of agent-serviced positions. The PLD directs an incoming call to an available position which has been idle the longest since its last on-line condition by directing that position to answer the call. The PLD system of this invention can be fitted to an existing KTS without modifying the KTS equipment except for substitution of special line cards for the KTS line cards. If an agent does not answer the incoming call in a predetermined time or all agent positions are busy, the system will automatically answer the call, provide a pre-recorded message and place the call on "hold" until an agent'"'"'s position becomes available. When an agent'"'"'s position becomes available the PLD system will direct that position to answer the call.

All activity such as the number of calls answered, calls originated, calls abandoned, calls transferred for each position and the system totals are made available via the console. Also the number of times all incoming lines were busy and the number of calls being held because all positions were busy are also available. This information, made available via the console, can be used to provide efficient management of both the equipment and personnel.

Claims

1. For use in combination with a key telephone system having a plurality of incoming telephone lines and a plurality of agent-serviced positions, an incoming call distribution and management system, comprising:

means in operative relationship with said telephone system for distributing incoming telephone calls among said agent positions to an available position having the longest idle time since its last on-line condition, by directing said available agent position to answer an incoming call; and

means in operative relationship with said distributing means and with said telephone system for automatically answering an incoming call if an agent position fails to answer said incoming call in a predetermined time or if all of said agent positions are busy.

2. A system as in claim 1 further including means in operative relationship with said telephone system and with said distributing means for controlling and testing the operative status of said agent positions.

3. A system as in claim 2 further including means in operative relationship with said telephone system and with said distributing means for collecting data about incoming telephone calls, agent position activity and system status.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein said data includes the number of calls answered, the number of calls originated, the number of incoming calls abandoned, the number of incoming calls transferred for each agent position due to non response, the number of times all incoming telephone lines were busy, the number of incoming calls answered automatically because all agent positions were busy, the number of incoming calls being held because all agent positions are busy, and the number of telephone lines in use.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said answering means further include means for providing a pre-recorded message to said incoming call.

6. A system as in claim 5 wherein said answering means further include means in operative relationship with said message providing means for placing said incoming call on "hold" after said pre-recorded message has been provided to said incoming call.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein said answering means further include means in operative relationship with said placing on "hold" means for directing said incoming call to the first available agent position.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said automatic answering means is set to automatically answering all incoming calls when no agent positions are in operation.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said answering means further include means for providing a second pre-recorded message to all of said incoming calls when no agent positions are in operation and then disconnecting all of said incoming calls after each of said incoming calls has received said second pre-recorded message.

10. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distributing means is set to distribute all incoming calls to one or more of said agent positions.

11. A system as in claim 10 wherein said answering means further include means for automatically answering said incoming calls if not answered in a predetermined time by said one or more agent positions.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein said answering means further include means for providing a pre-recorded message to said incoming calls when none of said agent positions are manned or available to accept incoming calls.

13. A system as in claim 12 wherein said answering means further include means in operative relationship with said message providing means for placing said incoming calls on "hold" after said second pre-recorded message has been provided to said incoming calls.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein said answering means further include means in operative relationship with said placing on "hold" means for directing said incoming calls to the first available of said one or more agent positions.

15. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distributing means include an electrical power supply and a system control module in operative relationship for receiving power from said power supply, said system control module comprising:

a microprocessor;

a system clock in electrical circuit relationship with said microprocessor;

an address buss in electrical circuit relationship with said microprocessor;

a data buss in electrical circuit relationship with said microprocessor;

an address decoder in electrical circuit relationship with said address buss;

an address buffer in electrical circuit relationship with said address buss;

serial data interfaces in electrical circuit relationship with said data and address busses;

a serial data clock in circuit relationship with said system clock and with said serial data interfaces;

baud rate switches in electrical circuit relationship with said serial data clock and with predetermined ones of said serial data interfaces; and

an interrupt timer in electrical circuit relationship with said microprocessor and with said serial data clock for enabling said microprocessor to make decisions based on elapsed real time.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein said system control module further includes:

a divider in electrical circuit relationship between said serial data clock and said interrupt timer;

a data buffer in electrical circuit relationship between said microprocessor and said data buss and having an input/output port; and

an automatic restart circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said input/output port and between said divider and said system clock.

17. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distributing means include an electrical power supply, a system control module in operative relationship for receiving power from said power supply, and a memory module in circuit relationship with said power supply and with said system control module, said memory module comprising:

a random access memory in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module for storage of real time information;

an optional memory-programmable read only memory in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module for selecting optional system configurations and parameters; and

a main program memory-electrically programmable read only memory in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module for storage of a main computer program which directs said distribution and management system to perform its functions.

18. A system as in claim 3 wherein said distributing means include an electrical power supply, a system control module in operative relationship for receiving power from said power supply, a memory module in circuit relationship with said power supply and with said system control module, and an input/output module in circuit relationship with said answering means, said input/output module, comprising:

an address decoder in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module for allowing data to be read from or data to be entered into said input/output module when addressed by said system control module;

an addressable latch in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and with said address decoder;

a multiplexer in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and with said address decoder;

an "in" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and between said address decoder and said multiplexer; and

an "out" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and between said address decoder and said addressable latch.

19. A system as in claim 18 wherein said distributing means includes line cards, said automatic answering means includes a pre-recorded announcer containing a pre-recorded message and wherein said input/output module further includes:

a connector in electrical circuit relationship with said announcer;

an audio amplifier in electrical circuit relationship with said connector and with said line cards for amplifying the audio from said announcer;

an audio transformer in electrical circuit relationship with said audio amplifier and said line cards; and

a signal detector in electrical circuit relationship between said audio amplifier and said multiplexer for detecting idle periods from the audio output of said announcer.

20. A system as in claim 1 wherein said distributing means include an electrical power supply, a system control module in operative relationship for receiving power from said power supply, a memory module in circuit relationship with said power supply and with said system control module, a ring detect module in circuit relationship with said system control module and with said key telephone system, and line cards in circuit relationship with said ring detect module.

21. A system as in claim 20 wherein said ring detect module comprises:

isolator circuits in electrical circuit relationship with said line cards;

a multiplexer having a plurality of electrical input leads, each said lead in electrical circuit relationship with a separate one of said isolator circuits;

said multiplexer having additional input leads in circuit relationship with said system control module and an output lead in circuit relationship with said system control module for presenting the ring status of each of said incoming telephone lines to said system control module;

a latch in electrical circuit relationship with said multiplexer and with said system control module; and

a switch in electrical circuit relationship between said latch and said key telephone system for activating an audible or visual indication of an incoming call with said key telephone system.

22. A system as in claim 20 further including an off-hook detect/ring module in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and with said key telephone system, said off-hook detect/ring module, comprising:

an address decoder in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module;

a position select switch in circuit relationship with said address decoder;

an addressable latch in electrical circuit relationship with said position select switch and with said system control module;

a ring switch in electrical circuit relationship with said latch and said key telephone system for enabling activation of an audible or visual indication at one of said agent positions;

a test switch in electrical circuit relationship with said latch;

a multiplexer in electrical circuit relationship with said test switch and with said system control module;

isolator circuits in electrical circuit relationship with said key telephone system agent positions for reflecting the off hook status of said agent positions;

an "in" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module, said position select switch and with said multiplexer; and

an "out" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module, said position select switch and with said latch.

23. A system as in claim 20 further including an off-hook detect/ring module in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and with said key telephone system;

line card interface modules in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module; and

each of said line card interface modules in circuit with a predetermined number of said line cards.

24. A system as in claim 23 wherein said line card interface module, comprises:

an address decoder in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module;

a position select switch in electrical circuit relationship with said address decoder.

an addressable latch in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and with said position select switch;

a buffer in electrical circuit relationship with said addressable latch;

connectors in electrical circuit relationship with said buffer and with said line cards;

a test switch in electrical circuit relationship with said address decoder and said buffer;

a multiplexer in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module and said test switch;

a tri-state buffer in electrical circuit relationship with said connectors and with said test switch;

an "in" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module, said position select switch and with said multiplexer; and

an "out" gate in electrical circuit relationship with said system control module, said position select switch and with said addressable latch.

25. A system as in claim 23 wherein each of said line cards comprises:

first and second electrical conductors in circuit relationship with said key telephone system;

a ring detection circuit connected in electrical circuit relationship with said first and second conductors;

a ring time out circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said ring detection circuit;

a first relay circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said ring time out circuit and with said ring detect module;

a second relay circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said ring time out circuit and with said key telephone system;

a lamp control circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said ring time out circuit and with said key telephone system;

an inverter circuit connected in electrical circuit relationship with said key telephone system, said lamp control circuit, and with said first relay circuit;

an off-hook detector circuit in electrical circuit relationship with first electrical conductor;

a hold time out circuit connected in electrical circuit relationship with said off-hook detector circuit; and

a hold circuit in electrical circuit relationship with said hold time out circuit, said ring time out circuit, said inverter circuit, and with said lamp control circuit.

26. A system as in claim 25 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

an analog switch in electrical circuit relationship with said key telephone system, said first and second conductors, and with one of said line card interface modules, whereby an incoming telephone call is connected to a delay answer message or music when the incoming call is placed on "hold".

27. A system as in claim 26 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

a first interface circuit in electrical circuit relationship with one of said line card interface modules, said hold circuit, said lamp control circuit, and with said inverter for causing lamp indications at said agent positions to be flashing on and off when so directed by said system control module.

28. A system as in claim 27 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

a second interface circuit in electrical circuit relationship with one of said line card interface modules, and with said analog switch for connecting an incoming call to a delayed answer message or music on hold when so directed by said system control module.

29. A system as in claim 28 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

a third interface circuit in electrical circuit relationship with one of said line card interface modules and with said lamp control circuit for causing lamp indications at said agent positions to be on continuously when so directed by said system control module.

30. A system as in claim 29 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

a fourth interface circuit in electrical circuit relationship with one of said line card interface modules, said hold circuit, said first relay circuit, said lamp control circuit, and with said inverter for causing an incoming call to be automatically answered and placed on hold when so directed by said system control module and for monitoring the status of said inverter.

31. A system as in claim 30 wherein each of said line cards further includes:

a fifth interface circuit in electrical circuit relationship with one of said line card interface modules, and with said hold circuit for monitoring the status of said hold circuit.

32. A system as in claim 23 wherein said electrical power supply, comprises:

a power line filter in electrical circuit relationship with a source of AC power;

a transformer in electrical circuit relationship with said power line filter;

a bridge rectifier connected in electrical circuit relationship with a secondary winding of said transformer; and

a capacitor filter circuit connected in electrical circuit relationship with said rectifier.

33. A system as in claim 32 further including a test lamp in circuit with said capacitor filter, and test points in circuit with said lamp and with said capacitor filter for enabling observation of the condition of said power supply.