System and method for providing call statistics in real time

• US 5,864,616 A
• Filed: 06/28/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hartmeier, Martina K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATAR, AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US08/670,834
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/100.13, 379/201, 379/112, 379/113
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

A display tool and a call distribution system that provides queue and agent statistics, resulting from telecommunications events (i.e., service calls), for viewing on a monitor of a computer. A first server receives information associated with the telecommunications events, including queue and agent statistics, and places the information in a predetermined record format. The information is forwarded to a second server interconnected in a network. A module executed on a specific end node (e.g., computer) enables communications between the second server and the computer. This module is configured to control the computer to retrieve the information and create a display window to display contents of the information on the monitor in real-time.

Claims

1. A call distribution system comprising:

a first automatic call reporting system located at a first site;

a first server coupled to the first automatic call reporting system, the first server being capable of (i) receiving data including queue and agent statistics from the first automatic call reporting system and (ii) placing the data in a table format, the queue and agent statistics including a vector directory number providing information about a nature of a call; and

at least one computer coupled to the first server, the at least one computer retrieving the data in the table format from the first server, and creating a display window to display, in real-time, a portion of the data on a monitor of the at least one computer.

2. The call distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the automatic call reporting system is coupled to a publicly accessible communication medium, the publicly accessible communication medium includes one of a plurality of telephone lines and a predefined frequency range.

3. The call distributed system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a communication link coupled to the first server;

a second server coupled to the communication link; and

a second automatic call reporting system coupled to the second server and placed at a second site remotely located from the first site, wherein the communication link, the second server and the second automatic call reporting system would enable an agent located at the first site to monitor a queue normally supported by the second automatic call reporting system remotely located from the first site.

4. The call distributed system according to claim 3, wherein the communication link includes a wide area network.

5. The call distributed system according to claim 4, wherein the first server is a computer operative under a network communication protocol including a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP").

6. The call distributed system according to claim 3, wherein each of said first and second automatic call reporting systems includes

a private branch exchange (PBX) device capable of receiving a plurality of calls directed to the first site, and containing the plurality of calls in at least one predetermined queue;

and

a call management service (CMS) server capable of monitoring the at least one predetermined queue to obtain the queue and agent statistics associated with the plurality of calls.

7. The call distributed system according to claim 6, wherein the queue and agent statistics obtained by the CMS server are placed in a record format including

a first field including the vector directory number being a telecommunications switch extension number providing information about the nature of one of the plurality of telephone calls;

a second field including a number of outstanding calls associated with the telecommunications switch extension number that are awaiting service; and

a third field including a time value of a longest duration that one of the number of outstanding calls has been awaiting service.

8. The call distributed system according to claim 7, wherein the record format further includes a fourth field including information identifying which of said first and second sites the one of the plurality of calls is directed.

9. A call distribution system comprising:

first call reporting means for receiving a plurality of calls through a publicly accessible communication medium, temporarily storing the plurality of calls in a pre-assigned queue, obtaining a first set of call statistics pertaining to the plurality of calls and routing the plurality of calls to a computing means, the first call reporting means being located at a first site;

first server means for receiving the first set of call statistics, including queue and agent statistics including a vector directory number providing information about each of the plurality of calls, and for placing the first set of call statistics in a table format, the first server means being coupled to the first call reporting means; and

computing means for retrieving the first set of call statistics in the table format, and for creating a display window to display, in real-time, a portion of the first set of call statistics on a monitor of the computing means.

10. The call distribution system according to claim 9, wherein the publicly accessible communication medium is one of a plurality of telephone lines and a predefined frequency range.

11. The call distributed system according to claim 9 further comprising:

bus means for transferring the first set of call statistics obtained by the first call reporting means, and a second set of call statistics obtained by a second call reporting means;

second server means for receiving the first and second sets of call statistics, the second server means being coupled to the bus means; and

the second call reporting means, configured to operate in combination with the second server means and the bus means, for enabling an agent located at the first site to monitor a queue normally supported by the second call reporting means remotely located from the first site.

12. The call distributed system according to claim 11, wherein the bus means includes a wide area network.

13. The call distributed system according to claim 9, wherein the first call reporting means includes

a private branch exchange (PBX) device capable of receiving a plurality of calls directed to the first site, and storing the plurality of calls in at least one predetermined queue;

and

a call management service (CMS) server capable of monitoring the at least one predetermined queue to obtain queue and agent statistics associated with the plurality of calls.

14. The call distributed system according to claim 13, wherein the queue and agent statistics obtained by the call management service server are placed in a record format including

a first field including the vector directory number providing information about the nature of one of the plurality of telephone calls;

a second field including a number of outstanding calls associated with the telecommunications switch extension number that are awaiting service; and

a third field including a time value of a longest duration that one of the number of outstanding calls has been awaiting service.

15. The call distributed system according to claim 14, wherein the record format further includes a fourth field including information identifying one of a plurality of sites, including said first site, the one of the plurality of calls is directed.

16. A method for providing a queue and agent statistics associated with a plurality of telecommunications events for viewing on a monitor of a computer interconnected to a network, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with each of the plurality of telecommunications events, the data including a vector directory number providing information about each of the plurality of calls;

placing the data in a first format;

receiving the data in the first format; and

placing the data in a second format accessible by the computer so that the computer creates a display window to display, in real-time and in graphical and textual representations, a portion of the data on the monitor of the computer.