Intelligent routing of special service calls

• US 5,787,160 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Torres, Cristobal A., Chaney, Christine S., Taylor, Frances D. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/660,735
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220, 379/221, 379/113, 379/207, 379/219, 379/229, 379/230, 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/242, 379/243, 379/265, 379/309, 379/201, 379/133, 379/134, 379/279
• US Class Current: 379/112.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13056 Routines, finite state machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

The termination availability database (TADB) of the instant invention performs routing decisions in response to call requests received from data access points (DAPs). The TADB takes each of the requests, which relate to a special service call of a subscriber, and determines the particular termination of the subscriber to which the call is to be routed. To perform its determination of where to route the calls, the TADB takes into consideration data collected from the network and the availability of the different terminations of the subscriber. In addition, allocation algorithms are used.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network having originating and terminating switches for network routing of special service calls, a system for routing the special service calls among a plurality of terminations, comprising:

traffic data collect means for collecting data indicative of traffic through said network from said switches;

analysis means for receiving said traffic data from said traffic data collect means, said analysis means further receiving from subscribers of special service calls routing plans for routing calls to said terminations, each of said routing plans comprising at least one trigger point; and

control means interconnected to receive at least one of said routing plans from said analysis means for a special service call number of a subscriber,

wherein, in response to each incoming call directed to said special service call number, said control means being responsive to at least one trigger point in said one routing plan to select an algorithm to determine the most appropriate termination from among said plurality of terminations to route said each incoming call.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

at least one memory means for storing at least one algorithm for routing calls to respective ones of said terminations identified by said subscriber in said routing plan, said routing plan including the respective percentages of calls to be routed to said respective terminations assigned by said subscriber in said routing plan; and

processor means for utilizing said one algorithm to route calls directed to said special service call number to respective ones of said terminations in accordance to said routing plan.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said control means further comprises:

data base means for maintaining at least one list of numbers corresponding to respective ones of said terminations identified in said routing plan; and

at least one counter for keeping track of the allocation of calls made to said special service call number and for correlating respective locations on said list with respective percentages assigned in said routing plan to corresponding ones of said terminations to identify the termination to which said each call for said special service call number is to be routed as the most available termination for said each call.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said analysis means further obtains from said traffic data collect means information relating to the availability of said terminations and provides the termination availability information to said control means for updating the availability of said terminations.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a backup control means on standby to said control means so that said backup control means takes over if said control means fails.

6. A system of balancing traffic of special service calls among a plurality of automatic call distributors (ACDs), said ACDs being connected to receive said special service calls via a telecommunications network having switches for network routing of calls, comprising:

traffic data collect means for collecting data indicative of traffic through said network from said switches;

analysis means for receiving said traffic data, said analysis means further receiving from each subscriber of special service calls at least one routing plan for a subscribed special service call number in which said each subscriber identifies the ACDs and the respective percentages of calls made to said subscribed special service call number which are to be routed to each of said ACDs, said at least one routing plan comprising at least one trigger point; and

control means interconnected to receive said at least one routing plan from said analysis means and responsive to at least one trigger point in said at least one routing plan to select an algorithm to determine the most appropriate ACD from among said ACDs to route each incoming call of said special service call number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said control means comprises:

at least one memory means for storing at least one algorithm for routing calls to respective ones of said ACDs identified by said subscriber in said routing plan; and

processor means for utilizing said one algorithm to route calls of said special service call number to respective ones of said ACDs in accordance to said routing plan.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said control means comprises;

data base means for maintaining at least one list of numbers corresponding to respective ones of said ACDs identified in said routing plan; and

at least one counter for keeping track of the allocation of calls made to said special service call number and for correlating respective locations on said at least one list with respective percentages assigned in said routing plan to corresponding ones of said ACDs to identify the ACD to which each call directed to said special service call number is to be routed as the most available ACD for said each call.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said analysis means further obtains from said traffic data information relating to the availability of said ACDs and provides the termination availability information to said control means for updating the availability of said ACDs.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a backup control means on standby to said control means so that said backup control means takes over if said control means fails.

11. In a telecommunications network having switches for network routing of special service calls, a method of routing the special service calls among a plurality of terminations, comprising the steps of:

collecting data indicative of traffic through said network from said switches;

analyzing the collected traffic data and special service call routing plans from subscribers for routing calls to said terminations, each of said routing plans comprising at least one trigger point; and

routing calls for a special service call number of a subscriber based on a routing plan of said subscriber by locating in response to at least one trigger point in said routing plan an algorithm to determine the most appropriate termination from among said terminations to route each incoming call of said special service call number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said routing step further comprises the steps of:

storing in at least one memory means at least one algorithm for routing calls to respective ones of said terminations identified by said subscriber in said routing plan, said routing plan including the respective percentages of calls to be routed to said respective terminations assigned by said subscriber in said routing plan; and

utilizing said at least one algorithm to route calls of said special service call number to respective ones of said terminations in accordance to said routing plan.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said routing step further comprises the steps of:

maintaining in a data base means at least one list of numbers corresponding to respective ones of said terminations identified in said routing plan;

keeping track of the allocation of calls made to said special service call in at least one counter; and

correlating respective locations on said at least one list with respective percentages assigned in said routing plan to corresponding ones of said terminations to identify the termination to which said each call for said special service call number is to be routed as the most appropriate termination for said each call.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said collecting step further comprises the step of:

retrieving information from the collected traffic data relating to the availability of termination; and

wherein said analyzing step further comprises the step of;

updating the availability of said terminations by utilizing said traffic data information relating to the availability of said terminations.

15. A method of balancing traffic of special service calls among a plurality of automatic call distributors (ACDs), said ACDs being connected to receive said special service calls via a telecommunications network having switches for network routing of calls, comprising the steps of:

collecting data indicative of traffic through said network from said switches;

analyzing the collected traffic data;

receiving from each subscriber of special service calls at least one routing plan for a subscribed special service call number in which said subscriber identifies the ACDs and the respective percentages of calls made to said subscribed special service call number which are to be routed to each of said ACDs, said at least one routing plan comprising at least one trigger point; and

routing calls based on said routing plan by locating in response to at least one trigger point in said routing plan an algorithm to determine the most appropriate ACD from among said ACDs to route each incoming call of said subscribed special service call number.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said routing step further comprises the steps of:

storing in at least one memory means at least one algorithm for routing calls to respective ones of said ACDs identified by said subscriber in said routing plan; and

utilizing said one algorithm to route calls of said subscribed special service call number to respective ones of said ACDs in accordance to said routing plan.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said routing step further comprises the steps of;

maintaining in a data base means at least one list of numbers corresponding to respective ones of said ACDs identified in said routing plan;

keeping track of the allocation of calls made to said subscribed special service call in at least one counter; and

correlating respective locations on said at least one list with respective percentages assigned in said routing plan to corresponding ones of said ACDs to identify the ACD to which said each call for said subscribed special service call number is to be routed as the most available ACD for said each call.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said analyzing step further comprises the step of:

analyzing from said traffic data information relating to the availability of said ACDs;

the method further comprising the step of;

updating the availability of said ACDs using the ACD availability information.