Method and apparatus for delivering calls and caller identification information to multi-line users
First Claim
1. A method of delivering a telephone call from a caller and delivering corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals using a common voice-data communications line having a voice channel and a data channel and at least one voice communications line, said method comprising:
- a) determining upon receipt of the telephone call whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said plurality of agent terminals of said multi-line user facility over the common voice-data communications line;
b) establishing a communications link over the common voice-data communications line between the present caller and an agent terminal of the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such line in step a);
c) routing the caller identification information of the present caller for the telephone call to the multi-line user facility over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line;
d) routing the telephone call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over the voice channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such channel in step a); and
e) establishing a communications link over said voice communications line and routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over said voice communications line if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the common voice-data communications line in step a) while still routing the caller identification information for the telephone call to the multi-line user facility over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Telephone calls and corresponding caller identification information are delivered to a multi-line user having a plurality of agent terminals by a plurality of communications lines with one of the communications lines being a common voice-data communications line. All telephone calls and corresponding caller identification information are routed over respective voice and data channels in the common voice-data communications line, if such line is not busy with a previous caller to the multi-line user. If such line is busy, then the caller identification information is routed over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line while the call is routed over one of the other communications lines.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of delivering a telephone call from a caller and delivering corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals using a common voice-data communications line having a voice channel and a data channel and at least one voice communications line, said method comprising:
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a) determining upon receipt of the telephone call whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said plurality of agent terminals of said multi-line user facility over the common voice-data communications line; b) establishing a communications link over the common voice-data communications line between the present caller and an agent terminal of the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such line in step a); c) routing the caller identification information of the present caller for the telephone call to the multi-line user facility over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line; d) routing the telephone call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over the voice channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such channel in step a); and e) establishing a communications link over said voice communications line and routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over said voice communications line if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the common voice-data communications line in step a) while still routing the caller identification information for the telephone call to the multi-line user facility over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of delivering a telephone call from a present caller and corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals, said method comprising:
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a) determining upon receipt of the telephone call whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said plurality of agent terminals over a first POTS line in a telephone network, wherein the communications link includes first and second channels created by a SVD modem over the first POTS line; b) establishing a communications link over the first POTS line between the present caller and the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such line in step a); c) routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-line user facility over the second channel within the first POTS line; d) routing the call to one of the plurality of agent terminals in the multi-line user facility over the first channel of the first POTS line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such channel in step a); and e) routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over a second POTS line if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the first POTS line in step a) while still routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-user facility over the second channel within the first POTS line. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for delivering a telephone call from a caller terminal and corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said agent terminals of said multi-line user facility over a common voice-data communications line; means for establishing a communications link over the common voice-data communications line between the present caller and an agent terminal of the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; means for routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-line user facility over a data channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; means for routing the call to one of the agent terminals of the multi-line user facility over a voice channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; and means for routing the call to one of the agent terminals of the multi-line user facility over a voice communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means while still routing the caller identification information for the present caller to the multi-line facility over the data channel of the common voice-data communications line. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for delivering a telephone call from a caller terminal and corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals, said apparatus comprising:
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a telephone network switch connected to the multi-line user facility by at least one voice communications line; a processor connected to the switch; and a high capacity node connected to the switch and the processor, the high capacity node being further connected to the multi-line user facility by a common voice-data communications line, wherein the common voice-data line carries voice communications and data, and wherein the processor controls the switch and high capacity node to deliver the telephone call and its caller identification information to the multi-line user facility via the common voice-data communications line if not busy with communications between a previous caller and a multi-line user agent terminal, and to deliver the telephone call by the voice communication line between the switch and the multi-line user facility, and the corresponding caller identification information by the high capacity node and common voice-data communications line if the common voice-data communications line is busy. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of delivering a telephone call from a caller and delivering corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals using a common voice-data communications line and at least one voice communications line, said method comprising:
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a) determining whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said plurality of agent terminals of said multi-line user facility over the common voice-data communications line; b) establishing a communications link over the common voice-data communications line between the present caller and an agent terminal of the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such line in step a); c) routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-line user facility over a data channel on the common voice-data communications line; d) routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over a voice channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such channel in step a); e) routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over said voice communications line if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the common voice-data communications line in step a); and f) delaying any termination of the communications link on the common voice-data communications line corresponding to a previous caller and a multiple user agent terminal until completion of the transmission of the caller identification information of the present caller if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the line in step a). - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of delivering a telephone call from a present caller and corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals, said method comprising:
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a) determining whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said plurality of agent terminals over a first POTS line in a telephone network, wherein the communications link includes first and second channels created by a SVD modem over the first POTS line; b) establishing a communications link over the first POTS line between the present caller and the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such line in step a); c) routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-line user facility over the second channel within the first POTS line; d) routing the call to one of the plurality of agent terminals in the multi-line user facility over the first channel of the first POTS line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress on such channel in step a); e) routing the call to one of the plurality of terminals in the multi-line user facility over a second POTS line if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the first POTS line in step a); and f) delaying any termination of the communications link on the first POTS line for a previous caller and a multi-line user agent terminal until completion of the transmission of the caller identification information of the present caller if a communications link is determined to be in progress on the line in step a). - View Dependent Claims (31)
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29. An apparatus for delivering a telephone call from a caller terminal and corresponding caller identification information to a multi-line user facility including a plurality of agent terminals, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining whether a communications link is in progress between a previous caller and one of said agent terminals of said multi-line user facility over a common voice-data communications line; means for establishing a communications link over the common voice-data communications line between the present caller and an agent terminal of the multi-line user facility if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; means for routing the caller identification information of the present caller to the multi-line user facility over a data channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; means for routing the call to one of the agent terminals of the multi-line user facility over a voice channel of the common voice-data communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; means for routing the call to one of the agent terminals of the multi-line user facility over a voice communications line if a communications link is determined not to be in progress with a previous caller by the determining means; and means for delaying any disconnect of the communications link on the connom voice-data line corresponding to a previous caller and a multi-line user agent terminal until completion of the transmission of the caller identification information of the present caller over the data channel if the determining means determines that a communications link is in progress over the common voice-data communications line. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification