Dynamically adjustable call pacing system
First Claim
1. A dynamically adjustable call pacing system, for regulating the frequency at which idle telephone lines are coupled to a telephone call initiator of an automated telephone system, comprising:
- a telephone call initiator, to which is sequentially coupled idle telephone lines, for initiating a telephone call over each of said idle telephone lines, and for providing a plurality of connected calls requiring operator assistance, each of said connected calls including a corresponding connected call record;
telephone line gating means, responsive to a selectable frequency adjustment signal, for coupling idle telephone lines to said telephone call initiator at a selectably adjustable frequency;
a connected call hold queue, coupled to said telephone call initiator, for storing a plurality of connected call records, each of said connected call records including indicia identifying a corresponding connected call, and providing an indication of how long said connected call record has been stored in said hold queue; and
a call pacer, responsive to said connected call hold queue call record indication of how long each of said corresponding call records has been stored in said hold queue, to historical on hold time data, to excess on hold time data, and to at least one previous telephone line gating means selectable frequency adjustment, for determining a current Average Hold Time, and responsive to said current Average Hold Time and to a goal Average Hold Time, for providing an adjustment to the selectably adjustable frequency at which said idle telephone lines are coupled to said telephone call initiator by said telephone line gating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dynamically adjustable call pacing system computes the average time a call spends on hold. An Average Hold Time is computed and dynamically updated by monitoring the number of current calls on hold and the amount of time by which current calls on hold exceed the average time on hold. Before adjusting the line activation time which controls the frequency at which idle telephone lines are released to a call initiator, the call pacing system determines the sum of the adjustments which have been previously made to the line activation time, and uses this sum to minimize large fluctuations in Average Hold Times.
42 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A dynamically adjustable call pacing system, for regulating the frequency at which idle telephone lines are coupled to a telephone call initiator of an automated telephone system, comprising:
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a telephone call initiator, to which is sequentially coupled idle telephone lines, for initiating a telephone call over each of said idle telephone lines, and for providing a plurality of connected calls requiring operator assistance, each of said connected calls including a corresponding connected call record; telephone line gating means, responsive to a selectable frequency adjustment signal, for coupling idle telephone lines to said telephone call initiator at a selectably adjustable frequency; a connected call hold queue, coupled to said telephone call initiator, for storing a plurality of connected call records, each of said connected call records including indicia identifying a corresponding connected call, and providing an indication of how long said connected call record has been stored in said hold queue; and a call pacer, responsive to said connected call hold queue call record indication of how long each of said corresponding call records has been stored in said hold queue, to historical on hold time data, to excess on hold time data, and to at least one previous telephone line gating means selectable frequency adjustment, for determining a current Average Hold Time, and responsive to said current Average Hold Time and to a goal Average Hold Time, for providing an adjustment to the selectably adjustable frequency at which said idle telephone lines are coupled to said telephone call initiator by said telephone line gating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A dynamically adjustable call pacing system, for regulating the frequency at which idle telephone lines are coupled to a telephone call initiator of an automated telephone system, comprising:
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a telephone call initiator including call dialer means, to which is sequentially coupled idle telephone lines at a selectable frequency, and responsive to a source of selected telephone numbers, for selectively initiating a telephone call over said sequentially coupled idle telephone lines, and for providing a plurality of connected calls requiring operator assistance; means for detecting a connected call; means for determining the availability of an operator to answer a connected call; a connected call hold queue, for storing a plurality of connected call records, each of said connected call records including indicia identifying a corresponding connected call, and providing an indication of how long said connected call record has been stored in said hold queue; and a call pacer, for determining the Average Hold Time that a call record remains stored in said hold queue, and responsive to said Average Hold Time and to a goal Average Hold Time, for regulating the selectable frequency at which said idle telephone lines are coupled to said telephone call initiator, and wherein said call pacer determines said Average Hold Time according to the formula;
##EQU3## where AHT=Average Hold Time,Tot holds=The total number of connected calls in a number on hold register which were actually placed on hold, POH=the size of the number on hold register, Tot time=The total time during which all of the connected calls waited on hold as determined from a hold time register, Tot xcess=The total time over the Average hold Time, of all the currently connected calls which have been on hold longer than a previously computed Average Hold Time,, and Xcess size=The current number of connected calls which have been on hold longer than the previously computed Average Hold Time.
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16. A dynamically adjustable call pacing system, for regulating the frequency at which idle telephone lines are coupled to a telephone call initiator of an automated telephone system, comprising:
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a telephone call initiator, to which is sequentially coupled idle telephone lines, for initiating a telephone call over each of said idle telephone lines, and for providing a plurality of connected calls requiring operator assistance, each of said connected calls including a corresponding connected call record; telephone line gating means, responsive to a line activation time value, for coupling idle telephone lines to said telephone call initiator at a selectably adjustable frequency; a connected call hold queue, coupled to said telephone call initiator, for storing a plurality of connected call records, each of said connected call records including indicia identifying a corresponding connected call, and providing an indication of how long said connected call record has been stored in said hold queue; and a call pacer, responsive to said hold queue call record indication of how long each of said corresponding call records has been stored in said hold queue, to historical on hold time data, to excess on hold time data, and to at least one previous line activation time value (LAT) adjustment, for determining a current Average Hold Time, and responsive to said current Average Hold Time and to a goal Average Hold Time, for providing an adjustment to the line activation time value at the expiration of which said idle telephone lines are coupled to said telephone call initiator by said telephone line gating means, wherein said line activation time value adjustment is calculated according to the formula;
##EQU4## where DELTA LAT=the adjustment value to be added to the current line LAT value;AHT=the Average Hold Time of a connected call; GAHT=the automated telephone system goal Average Hold Time; NUMOPS=the number of operators currently servicing the automated telephone system; X=a scaling factor; and DELTA SUM=the total of N previously computed Delta LAT values.
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Specification