Telephone relay system

• US 5,926,527 A
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schulz, David Eugene, Jenkins, Ronald Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Stella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US08/696,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 379/52, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.14, 379/93.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.18, 379/93.26, 379/93.27, 379/100.12, 379/265
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

The invention provides a telephone relay system for responding to instructions from a first party, or caller. The telephone relay system includes a back-end processor. The back-end processor includes a customer care agent interface, a first party interface, and a controller. The back-end processor allows a customer care agent to go on-hook with respect to the first party and to transfer the call to a controller that sends messages and receives instructions from the first party.

Claims

1. A telephone relay system that includes a first party connected to a second party in a call through a customer care agent, the telephone relay system comprising:

a back-end processor, wherein after receiving a control signal from the customer care agent after the call is terminated, the back-end processor responds to an instruction received from the first party, by performing an instructed action.

2. The telephone relay system of claim 1, wherein the back-end processor comprises:

a customer care agent interface;

a first party interface; and

a controller coupled to the customer care agent interface and the first party interface, wherein when the controller receives the control signal from the customer care agent through the customer care agent interface, the controller disconnects the customer care agent from the first party.

3. The telephone relay system of claim 1, wherein the back-end processor sends a message to the first party after receiving the control signal from the customer care agent, the first party responding to the message by sending the instruction to the back-end processor.

4. The telephone relay system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory connected to the controller for storing pre-recorded messages, wherein the controller outputs one of the pre-recorded messages to the first party after receiving the control signal to prompt the first party for the instruction.

5. The telephone relay system of claim 1, wherein the controller analyzes the instruction received from the first party, and if the controller fails to understand the instruction, then the controller connects the first party to a customer care agent.

6. The telephone relay system of claim 1, wherein the instructed action comprises one of going on-hook with respect to the first party, transferring the first party to a front-end device for calling another second party, and transferring the first party to the customer care agent.

7. A method for operating a telephone relay system that includes a first party connected to a second party in a call through a customer care agent, the method comprising:

receiving a control signal from the customer care agent after the call is terminated with a back-end processor;

then

responding to an instruction received from the first party; and

performing an instructed action in response to the instruction from the first party.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending a message to the first party from the back-end processor after receiving a control signal from the customer care agent.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the instructed action comprises going on hook with respect to the first party, connecting the first party to a front-end processor, and connecting the first party to the customer care agent.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising disconnecting the customer care agent from the first party with a controller when the controller receives the control signal from the customer care agent.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing a plurality of pre-recorded messages in a memory connected to the controller; and

the controller outputting one of the pre-recorded messages to the first party after receiving the control signal from the customer care agent.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

analyzing the instructions received by the controller from the first party, wherein if the controller fails to understand the instructions, then the controller connects the first party to a customer care agent.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending one of a plurality of messages to the first party from the back-end processor after receiving the control signal from the customer care agent.