Methods for implementing automated dispatch system

• US 5,682,421 A
• Filed: 12/15/1995
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MWA Intelligence Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADS Communications, Inc. (Electronics For Imaging Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Daniel J., Ames, Christopher W., Glovitz, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/573,510
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90, 379/93, 379/96-98, 379/100, 379/110, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 358/400, 358/305, 335/203-209, 335/308
• US Class Current: 379/100.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

An automated dispatch system permits field technicians to interface with a central computer via conventional telephone systems that utilize DTMF protocols. The dispatch system cooperates with a remote data entry unit including a DTMF telephone keypad and an alphanumeric keyboard, and a host computer selectively communicates with the data entry unit and with the dispatch system. The dispatch system implements a voice response unit for storing voice messages and transmitting voice messages to and from field technicians supported by the dispatch system. In connection with service calls, field technicians input service data into the host computer via the data entry unit. The dispatch system is configured such that digit pairs entered from the telephone keypad correspond to letters in the alphabet and various symbols. In this manner, the field technicians can indicate part numbers or other data containing non-numeric information.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating a request by a first customer for field service repair of a first photocopy machine, the opening of a service request record at a central service facility, the dispatch of a field technician to the customer site, and the reporting of the completion of the service call by the field technician, comprising the steps of:

calling, by a first customer in possession of said first photocopy machine in need of repair, to a switchboard at said central repair facility;

routing said first customer call to a human dispatcher;

eliciting, by said dispatcher, information from said first customer pertaining to said first photocopy machine, including the nature of the machine malfunction;

establishing, by said dispatcher, electronic communication between a first telephone used by said dispatcher, said first telephone having a DTMF keypad associated therewith, and an automated dispatch system (ADS) computer;

entering, by said dispatcher, via said DTMF keypad associated with said first telephone, indicia of said information solicited by said dispatcher from said first customer into said ADS computer to thereby create a first electronic service call record relating to said first customer and to said first machine;

appending to said first service call record in said ADS computer, by said dispatcher, a voice mail message associated with said first machine using said first telephone;

establishing electronic communication between said ADS computer and a host computer maintained at said central service facility, said host computer comprising a first database including information pertaining to a plurality of machines, including said first machine;

updating said first service call record in said ADS computer by said host computer using information contained in said first database;

assigning, by said dispatcher, a priority level to said first service call record;

assigning, by said dispatcher, the service call associated with said first service call record to a first technician by appending indicia of said first technician to said first service call record in said ADS computer;

dialing, by said first technician, a pre-determined telephone number using a second, conventional telephone having a DTMF keypad, to thereby establish a first communication link between said second telephone and said ADS computer;

retrieving, from a second database associated with said ADS computer, said dispatcher voice mail message, and playing said dispatcher voice mail message by said ADS computer such that it is audible to said technician when using said second telephone;

retrieving, from said second database, a prior history voice mail message associated with said first machine, and playing said prior history voice mail message such that it is audible by said technician when using said second telephone;

entering, by said technician, pre-determined command signals onto said DTMF keypad associated with said second telephone to thereby confirm to said ADS computer that said technician has i) received the service call request associated with said first service call record and ii) undertaken the service call;

servicing said first machine at said first customer'"'"'s premises by said first technician;

dialing said pre-determined telephone number from a third conventional telephone having a DTMF keypad associated therewith, by said first technician, to thereby establish electronic communication between said third telephone and said ADS computer;

prompting said first technician, by said ADS computer, to enter information pertaining to said service call onto said keypad associated with said third telephone in accordance with the following relationships;

each numeric and each alpha character entered onto said third telephone keypad by said first technician corresponds to a two-digit combination of the numbers 0-9; and

digit pairs corresponding to non-numeric characters are preceded by at least one of the "*" and "#" keys to indicate to said ADS computer the transmission of a digit pair corresponding to a non-numeric character;

entering into said third telephone keypad for transmission to said ADS computer, by said first technician, a service call completion voice mail message relating to said service call;

storing, in said ADS computer and indexed by indicia of said first machine, said service call completion voice mail message;

establishing electronic communication between said ADS computer and said host computer and thereafter updating said first service call record in said host computer in accordance with the information previously entered by said first technician onto said keypad associated with said third telephone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said second telephone and said third telephone comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning a plurality of service call requests to a plurality of technicians.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of accessing said ADS computer, by said dispatcher, to reassign the priorities of said plurality of service call requests for at least one of said plurality of technicians.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of entering information onto said DTMF keypad associated with said third telephone comprises the step of entering information corresponding to indicia of a first part installed in said first machine by said first technician in conjunction with said service call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of updating said first service call record in said ADS computer by said host computer comprises the step of updating a first field in said first service call record in said ADS computer with indicia of a serial number associated with said first machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing communication between said second telephone and said ADS computer comprises establishing a facsimile transmission link.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of connecting a facsimile machine by said first technician to the telephone extension associated with said second telephone and transmitting via facsimile transmission, from said ADS computer to said facsimile machine, information pertaining to said first service call record.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the said step of entering information onto said keypad associated with said third telephone by said technician comprises the step of entering digit pairs in accordance with the following relationship:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Alpha Digit Alpha Digit Alpha Character Code Character Code Character Offset ______________________________________ A 01 ! 29 { 57 B 02 30 | 58 C 03 a 31 } 59 D 04 b 32 ˜

60 E 05 c 33 | 61 F 06 d 34 " 62 G 07 e 35 # 63 H 08 f 36 $ 64 I 09 g 37 % 65 J 10 h 38 &

66 K 11 i 39 ` 67 L 12 j 40 ( 68 M 13 k 41 ) 69 N 14 l 42 * 70 O 15 m 43 + 71 P 16 n 44 , 72 Q 17 o 45 - 73 R 18 p 46 . 74 S 19 q 47 / 75 T 20 r 48 ;

76 U 21 s 49 ;

77 V 22 t 50 <

78 W 23 u 51 = 79 X 24 v 52 >

80 Y 25 w 53 ? 81 Z 26 x 54 @ 82 27 y 55 83 \ 28 z 56 ` 84 ______________________________________

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first telephone and said second telephone are the same telephone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first telephone and said third telephone are the same telephone.