Communications system using a central controller to control at least one network and agent system
First Claim
1. A communications system, and comprising, at least one network for connecting a call to at least one agent system, said agent system including a plurality of workgroups, and being controlled by control signals supplied to said agent system, and a primary central controller for generating control signals for being supplied to said network and said agent system to control said network and said agent system so as to optimally route said call to a workgroup of said agent system, said central controller being adapted to generate said control signals for controlling said network and said agent system based upon status messages received from said agent system, requested service data from said network, and optimization parameters stored within said central controller.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system and method for automatically making telephone routing decisions with "global authority" based upon information gathered in real time from the entire communications system and global optimization criteria. The present invention permits unified central control and management for the entire system.
392 Citations
72 Claims
- 1. A communications system, and comprising, at least one network for connecting a call to at least one agent system, said agent system including a plurality of workgroups, and being controlled by control signals supplied to said agent system, and a primary central controller for generating control signals for being supplied to said network and said agent system to control said network and said agent system so as to optimally route said call to a workgroup of said agent system, said central controller being adapted to generate said control signals for controlling said network and said agent system based upon status messages received from said agent system, requested service data from said network, and optimization parameters stored within said central controller.
-
41. A communications system, and comprising:
-
a. a plurality of public networks for connecting a plurality of calls to a plurality of respective agent systems in response to control signals supplied to said public networks, each of said agent systems including a plurality of workgroups; b. at least two central controllers for generating control signals for being supplied to said public networks and said agent systems to control said public networks and said agent systems so as to optimally route said calls through said networks and said agent systems to certain of said workgroups, said central controllers being adapted to generate said control signals based upon status messages received from said agent systems, requested service data from said networks, and optimization parameters stored within said central controllers, said central controllers including a primary central controller and a redundant central controller, said redundant central controller being for controlling said system in event of failure of said primary central controller, said central controllers being geographically separated from each other; c. synchronizer means for virtually synchronizing respective internal states of said central controllers; d. interfacing means for interfacing said central controllers to said public networks whereby to permit supply of control signals to each of said public networks; and e. means for interfacing said central controllers to said plurality of agent systems. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
47. A communications system, and comprising:
-
a. a public network for connecting a plurality of calls to a plurality of agent systems based upon control signals supplied to said public network, said agent systems being controlled by control signals supplied to said agent systems; b. a primary central controller for controlling said communications system during normal operation thereof, said controller having means for receiving status messages from said agent systems and requested service data from said network, said controller also having means for generating and supplying said control signals to said network and said agent systems whereby to control said public network and said agent systems so as to optimally route said calls through said public networks to said agent systems; and c. a redundant controller for controlling said communications system in event of failure of said primary controller, said redundant controller including means for permitting shifting of control functions from said primary controller to said redundant controller upon said failure of said primary controller.
-
-
48. A method for optimally routing a call through a communications system having at least one public network for connecting said call to a workgroup of an agent system based upon control signals supplied to said public network and said agent system, said workgroup being one of a plurality of workgroups, said method comprising the steps of:
-
a. transmitting requested service data from said network to a central controller; b. transmitting status messages from said agent system to said controller; c. generating in said controller control signal for controlling said network and said agent system in response to said requested service data, said status messages and a set of optimization parameters stored within said controller; and d. supplying said control signals from said controller to said network and said agent system whereby to control said network and said agent system so as to optimally route said call through said network to said workgroup. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
- 61. A communications system, and comprising, at least one network for connecting a call to at least one caller service, a primary central controller for generating control signals for supply to said network and said at least one caller service to control said network and said at least one caller service so as to optimally route said call to said at least one caller service, said central controller being adapted to generate said control signals for controlling said network and said at least one caller service based upon status messages received from said at least one caller service, requested service data from said network, and optimization parameters stored within said central controller.
-
67. A method for controlling a communications system including at least one network for connecting a call to an interactive voice response system (IVR), a primary central controller for generating control signals for supply to said network and said IVR to control said network and said IVR so as to optimally route said call to said IVR, said central controller being adapted to generate said control signals for controlling said network and said at least one caller service based upon status messages received from said IVR, requested service data from said network, and optimization parameters stored within said central controller, said method comprising the steps of:
-
a. transmitting to said network control signals generated in said central controller for causing said network to interconnect said call and said IVR; and b. transmitting to said IVR control signals generated in said central controller for causing said IVR to record data from said call for facilitating a transaction with an individual making said call. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
-
Specification