Call completion circuit and method

• US 4,451,705 A
• Filed: 05/28/1982
• Issued: 05/29/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Original Assignee: Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Burke, Edmund T., Smith, Nicholas K., Henderson, James A. Jr., Gorman, Patrick H. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/383,315
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18 B, 179/18 D, 179/18 FH, 179/27 CA, 179/27 D, 179/27 FB, 179/27 FH, 179/84 C, 179/99 R, 179/99 M, 179/99 P, 179/27 DB
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/546 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

There is disclosed a combined business communication system and an ACD system where each station in the system is available to handle, on a per call basis, either ACD or regular incoming calls. The system is arranged to accept from any user at any station an ID uniquely associated with that user. The ID in turn then controls the ACD system to direct calls to the user in accordance with the ID information without regard to the station location of that user. Calls between system users are completed either in accordance with station identification numbers or in accordance with the ID number of the desired user.

Claims

1. An automatic call distribution system wherein calls incoming to the system are completed to an agent in accordance with a call completion algorithm which identifies an agent from a pool of such agents, said system comprising

a plurality of terminals to which calls incoming to the system can be completed,

means for receiving dialing signals from said terminals, some of said dialing signals including a special identifying signal,

means for accepting from said terminals unique sets of signals for identifying the current presence of particular agents thereat,

means for establishing from said unique signals a list of agents corresponding to terminals from which said unique signals are received,

means for completing a connection to an identified agent located at a particular terminal in accordance with said list,

means for completing a connection from a calling terminal to a called terminal in accordance with received dialing signals identifying said called terminal, and

means for completing a connection from a calling terminal to a called terminal in accordance with said established list when said dialing signals include said special identifying signal.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said accepting means includes means for verifying the accuracy of said identifying signals.

3. The method of operating a communication system having a plurality of terminals, each terminal having an identity used by said system for the completion of communication connections thereto, said method including the steps of

accepting from a user at any terminal a unique identification number assigned to that user,

temporarily associating said unique user identification number from a particular terminal with said particular terminal, and

completing calls from a calling user to said particular terminal alternatively in accordance with the receipt of signals representative of said terminal identity or in accordance with the receipt of said unique user identification number currently associated with said particular terminal,

said completing step being operative in response to a special signal received from said calling user in conjunction with said unique user identification number for distinguishing between calls which are to be completed in accordance with said terminal identity and calls which are to be completed in accordance with said unique user identification number.

4. The method of operating a communication system having a plurality of terminals, each terminal having an identity used by said system for the completion of communication connections thereto, said method including the steps of

accepting from a user at any terminal a unique identification number assigned to that user,

temporarily associating said unique user identification number from a particular terminal with said particular terminal, and

completing calls from a calling user to said particular terminal alternatively in accordance with the receipt of signals representative of said terminal identity or in accordance with the receipt of said unique user identification number currently associated with said particular terminal,

said system being arranged to complete calls to selected users in accordance with a call completion algorithm, and said completing step including the step of directing calls to an individual user selected by said algorithm to the particular terminal currently associated with said individual user.

5. An automatic call distribution method wherein incoming calls are completed to terminals attended by agents with a call completion algorithm which identifies an agent from a pool of such agents, said method comprising the steps of

receiving dialing signals from said terminals, some of said dialing signals including a special identifying signal,

accepting from said terminals unique sets of signals for identifying the current presence of particular agents thereat,

establishing from said unique signals a list of agents corresponding to terminals from which said unique signals are received,

completing a connection to an identified agent located at a particular terminal in accordance with said established list, and

completing a connection from a calling terminal to a called terminal alternatively in accordance with received dialing signals identifying said called terminal or in accordance with said established list when said dialing signals include said special identifying signal.

6. An automatic call distributing system having a plurality of terminals, each terminal having an identity used by said system for the completion of communication connections thereto, said system comprising

means for accepting from an attendant at any terminal a unique identification code assigned to that attendant,

means for temporarily associating an accepted attendant identification code from a particular terminal with said particular terminal,

means including said temporarily associated attendant identification code for assigning said terminals to splits, and

means for completing calls to a particular terminal in accordance with the availability of said terminal to answer said calls.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said calls completing means includes means for completing calls to an attendant in accordance with the receipt of said accepted attendant identification code.

8. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said calls completing means includes means for placing calls in queues associated with each said split and for completing calls to any available terminal assigned to said split, and

means for completing calls having associated therewith an attendant identification code only to the terminal currently associated with said attendant identification code.