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Method and apparatus for customer account servicing

DC
  • US 4,894,857 A
  • Filed: 12/20/1988
  • Issued: 01/16/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. For use with a customer account servicing system having a host, said host containing a plurality of customer account records and having an applications program which uses a predetermined instruction set and a predetermined data format, an apparatus for upgrading said customer account servicing system to provide for automatic call placement and handling while still using said applications program, said predetermined instruction set, and said predetermined data format, comprising:

  • a plurality of operator terminals, each operator terminal of said plurality of operator terminals comprising a data terminal and an associated audio communications means, each said data terminal communicating with said host using said predetermined instruction set and said predetermined data format;

    trunk switching means responsive to switching control signals for connecting selected trunks of a plurality of telephone trunks to selected ones of a plurality of said audio communications means;

    trunk interface means responsive to interface control signals for performing selected functions on said telephone trunks and providing a status for said telephone trunks; and

    control means having at least one terminal interface port for communicating with a plurality of said data terminal, having a host interface port for communicating with said host using said predetermined instruction set and said predetermined data format, having a switching control port for providing said switching control signals to said trunk switching means, having a trunk interface control port for providing said interface control signals to said trunk interface means and receiving said status for said telephone trunks from said trunk interface means, said control means obtaining a predetermined number of said customer account records from said host using said predetermined instruction set and said predetermined data format and, for at least one record, extracting a customer telephone number, causing said trunk interface means to place an outgoing call by dialing said customer telephone number on a selected trunk of said telephone trunks, responding to said trunk interface means providing an indication that said outgoing call has been answered by causing said trunk switching means to connect said selected trunk for said outgoing call which has been answered to a said audio communications means of an available operator, and causing said host to send at least a portion of said record to said data terminal of said available operator.

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