Operator position and method for remote-controlling a speech connection

• US 5,764,757 A
• Filed: 11/16/1995
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Christinger, Hansjorg
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/558,899
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 379/267, 379/212, 379/211, 379/210, 379/201, 379/265, 379/266, 379/218, 379/223, 379/260, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 379/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0428 Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13385 Off-net subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

Telephone calls passed from an operator service exchange (3) on to a local operator position (1) are received at the latter and information is issued to the caller. The principle components of the position (1) are (A) a connection (6) to the position desk controller (4) of the operator service exchange (3), (B) a speech connection from the position desk controller which terminates in a headset, and (C) a local personal computer (5) which, on the one hand, produces a display and controls the speech connection and, on the other hand, provides access to the required information. This position (1) is operated remotely, in that the local personal computer (5) is remote-controlled by a remote personal computer (8) through an ISDN telephone connection and in that, at the same time, the speech connection is extended from the position desk controller (4) through the local personal computer (5) and a telephone network to a remote operator position (2). In a preferred embodiment, the speech connection is passed through the ISDN telephone connection and also routed to the remote position (2) through the computer (8), so that the speech connection can be dealt with from the remote computer (8) alone.

Claims

1. Operator position (1), having a local personal computer (5) connected to a position desk controller (4) which is in turn connected to an operator service exchange (3), for controlling a speech connection between the operator service exchange (3) and a connection (6) provided for a headset for the position desk controller (4), wherein (A) the local personal computer (5) is connected to a telephone network through an ISDN connection, (B) an application program for enabling the local personal computer (5) to be remote-controlled is installed for execution in the local personal computer (5), (C) a line (15) for transmitting the speech connection in analog form is provided for linking the local personal computer (5) to the position desk controller (4), and (D) the local personal computer (5) is provided with a means for establishing and terminating a connection through the telephone network for connecting the speech connection thereto.

2. Operator position as claimed in claim 1 with the position desk controller (4) having a microphone input (61) and an earphone output (62) for the speech connection, characterized in that a section of the line (15) for analog speech connection and connected to the local personal computer comprises an a/b two-wire line (12) which is connected to the microphone input (61) and the earphone output (62) of the position desk controller (4) by a hybrid circuit (16).

3. Operator position as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the ISDN connection to the computer is implemented by a plug-in card (13) for the personal computer (5), which has both an S-bus connection and an a/b two-wire connection.

4. Operator position, comprising:

(A) a remote operator position (2) comprising a remote personal computer (8) for the remote-control of a local operator position (1), the local operator position (1) being connected to a position desk controller (4) which is in turn connected to an operator service exchange (3), the local operator position (1) having a local personal computer (5), and an ISDN connection to a telephone network which is connected by means of a line (15) for transmitting a speech connection in analog form to the position desk controller (4), for controlling a speech connection between the operator service exchange (3) and the connection provided for a headset for the position desk controller (4), and (B) an ISDN connection for connecting the remote personal computer (8) to a telephone network, and (C) an application program for enabling the local personal computer (5) to be remote-controlled is installed for running in the local personal computer (5) and (D) an application program for enabling the remote personal computer (8) to remote-control is installed in the remote personal computer (8).

5. Operator position as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ISDN connections for both the local and remote personal computers are implemented by plug-in cards (13) which each have both an S-bus connection and an a/b two-wire connection.

6. Operator position as claimed in claim 5, wherein the speech connection is connected to the telephone network through the a/b two-wire line connection on the plug-in card (13).

7. Operator position as claimed in claim 6, wherein a hybrid circuit is connected to each a/b two-wire line connection and the hybrid circuit has a microphone input and an earphone output to which a headset can be connected at the remote operator position.

8. Method for the operation of an operator position (1) connected to an operator position desk controller (4) connected in turn to an operator service exchange (3), the operator position (1) having a local personal computer (5) connected to the position desk controller (4) for controlling a speech connection between the operator service exchange (3) and the speech connection on the position desk controller (4) comprising the steps of (A) operating the operator position (1) with a remote operator position (2) by remotely controlling operation of the operator position (1) wherein the local personal computer (5) is remote-controlled by a remote personal computer (8) at the remote operator position through a telephone line (7), (B) duplicating a display on the local personal computer (5) on the remote personal computer (8) through the telephone line (7), (C) maintaining via the local personal computer (5) a speech connection with the remote operator position (2) through the telephone line (7) by putting the speech connection through to a line (15) which connects the local personal computer (5) to the position desk controller (4), and (D) switching the speech connection via the local personal computer (5) between the operator service exchange (3) and the remote operator position (2).

9. Method as claimed in claim 8 with the operator position (1) controlled remotely, wherein an ISDN connection to the local personal computer is implemented by a plug-in card (13) which has both an S-bus connection and an a/b two-wire connection and a remote operator position wherein an ISDN connection is similarly implemented by a plug-in card (13) for the remote personal computer (8) which has both an S-bus connection and an a/b two-wire connection, and wherein the speech connection and the telephone connection for the step of remotely-controlling operation of the operator position is established through the two channels of a single ISDN connection.