Call processing system with call screening

• US 5,867,562 A
• Filed: 04/17/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Convergys Customer Management Delaware LLC (Concentrix CVG Customer Management Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Customer Management Group Incorporated (Convergys Corporation)
• Inventors: Scherer, Gordon F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/633,507
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/220, 379/221, 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/127, 379/133, 379/142, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/265 , 379/266, 379/230, 379/309, 379/245, 379/246, 379/249, 379/258, 379/243
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system is described in which call processing considers unique information about the call to better serve the caller and/or to enable the called party to more efficiently handle the call. In one embodiment, the unique information considered by the call processor is information indicator digits, which may indicate to the called party whether to accept the call before the voice portion of the call is initiated.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with said call;

receiving said information including info-indicator (II) digits, dialed number, and the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing the ANI of said call based on the info-indicator (II) digits of said call;

providing a new caller identification which includes the ANI as defined by II digits; and

handling the call based on the new caller identification and dialed number as defined by the info-indicator (II) digits of said call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is network data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is resource data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

prompting said caller for additional information;

processing said additional caller information; and

handling said call in a particular way based on said processing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said caller information is touch tone information wherein a short touch tone represents a data entry and a long tone represents a command.

6. A telephone call processing method, comprising:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with said call;

receiving said information including info-indicator (II) digits and the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing said info-indicator (II) digits to determine the source type of said call;

prompting said caller via an automatic voice response unit for a new caller identification different from said received calling number (ANI), said new caller identification representing data about the actual caller; and

storing said new caller identification.

7. A telephone call processing method, comprising:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with said call;

receiving said information including info-indicator (II) digits and the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing said info-indicator (II) digits to determine the source type of said call;

prompting said caller via an automatic voice response unit for a new caller identification, said new caller identification representing data about the actual caller different from said received calling number (ANI);

storing said new caller identification; and

replacing said received calling number (ANI) with said new caller identification by storing said new caller identification in said data field used by said received calling number (ANI).

8. A telephone call processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

transferring said call to another location with said information associated with said call, said information including said new caller identification.

9. A telephone call processing method according to claim 8 wherein said new caller identification is the actual phone number of the caller.

10. A telephone call processing method, comprising the steps of:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with said call;

receiving said information including the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing the NPA-NXX of said calling number (ANI) to determine the source of said call; and

modifying the call path of an automatic voice response script based on the determination of said source of said call.