Multi-line telephone control system

• US 4,599,493 A
• Filed: 08/28/1984
• Issued: 07/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Concerto Software Incorporated (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TBS International Incorporated (TBS Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cave, Ellis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US06/644,971
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18 B, 179/18 FH, 179/6.02, 179/6.17, 179/18 BA, 179/90 BD, 179/90 B, 179/2 DP
• US Class Current: 379/247
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/60 Semi-automatic systems, i.e. in which the numerical selection of the outgoing line is under the control of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/904 Auto-calling

Abstract

An automated telephone calling system receives a group of telephone numbers from a host computer. For each telephone number there is a corresponding record of unique information. The host computer is connected to drive a plurality of operator display terminals. Each number is automatically called and equipment provides detection of rings, busy signals, recordings and voice answers. When a party answers a call, the called line is connected to a non-busy one of a group of operations. At the same time a report is sent from a central controller to the host computer reporting which number has been successfully called and which operator has been selected for the audio connection. The host computer then calls up the record for the called number and transmits at least a portion of the record to the display for the selected operator. The operator is thus provided with an audio connection to the called party as well as a screen display of relevant information for that party. When all the operators are busy the called parties are placed on hold until an operator is free. The operators are thus provided with a continuous sequence of answered calls for optimum utilization of the operators'"'"' s time.

Claims

1. A method for providing a continuous sequence of telephone calls to a plurality of operators each having a display terminal and a bidirectional audio communications device wherein a plurality of records are stored in a host computer which drives the display terminals, each of the records including a telephone number and other information, comprising the steps of:

(a) transferring a plurality of stored telephone numbers from said host computer to a controller,

(b) placing each of a plurality of calls by dialing one of said numbers on an available one of a plurality of telephone lines in response to said controller,

(c) after the dialing of said one number, detecting a line condition other than busy or ring to indicate an answer to the call,

(d) for each call answer, connecting the answered one of the telephone lines to the audio communications device for a non-busy one of said operators,

(e) for each call answer, transferring an identification of the number at which the call was answered and the one operator having the connected line to said host computer,

(f) in response to said transferred identification of said number at which the call was answered and said one operator, said host computer transmits at least a part of the stored record corresponding to the telephone number for the answered call to the display device for said one operator whereby information from said record is displayed to said one operator concurrent with said one operator having audio communication through said answered line, said one operator thereby being designated as busy until completion of the telephone call on the answered line, and

(g) repeating steps (b) through (f) attempting to keep all of said operators busy.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further including the step of placing said answered telephone lines on hold when there are no non-busy operators available to be connected to an answered telephone line.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the number of said telephone lines is selected to be greater than the number of said operators.

4. A method for providing a continuous sequence of telephone calls to a plurality of operators each having a display terminal and a bidirectional audio communications device wherein a plurality of records are stored in a host computer which drives the display terminals, each of the records including a telephone number and other information, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a plurality of stored telephone numbers from said host computer by a controller, and placing said telephone numbers in a host queue,

(b) in response to said controller, dialing one number from said host queue of numbers on one of a plurality of telephone lines,

(c) after said dialing, detecting a line condition other than busy or ring to indicate an answer for the called number,

(d) for an answer for said called number, connecting the one line to the communications device for a non-busy one of said operators,

(e) following said answer, transferring by said controller an identification of said number at which the call was answered and of said one operator to said host computer,

(f) in response to said transferred identification, said host computer transferring at least a part of the record corresponding to the number at which the call was answered to the display terminal for the one operator whereby information from said record is displayed concurrently with said one operator having audio communications through said answered line,

(g) receiving at said controller an indication that said one operator has terminated a conversation through said answered line, and

(h) disconnecting said answered line upon receipt of said termination indication.

5. The method recited in claim 4 further including the step of placing said answered telephone lines on hold when there are no non-busy operators available to be connected to an answered telephone line.

6. The method recited in claim 4 further including the step of reporting to said host computer, together with the dialed telephone number, line conditions other than answer.