Agent-predictive routing process in call-routing systems

• US 5,953,405 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miloslavsky, Alec
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US08/797,417
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220, 379/88.23, 379/309, 379/902, 379/265, 379/266, 379/67.1, 379/231, 379/233, 379/212, 379/901, 379/221, 379/225, 379/227, 379/308, 379/210, 379/113 , 379/133
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• 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 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors

Abstract

A telephone call-routing system comprises a routing intelligence adapted to receive real-time activity reports on busy status of remote telephone stations, and to route incoming calls based on the busy status. In a preferred embodiment the routing intelligence sets a busy semaphore for each station to which a call is routed at the time the call is routed, before a real-time signal is returned that the station is in fact busy. The semaphore is initially set to busy for a first period of time substantially equal to the known latency for returning the real-time busy signal. After the first period of time, and with return of a real-time busy signal, the semaphore is reset to busy for a second period of time substantially equal to the historical average elapsed time for calls in the call-routing system, after which the semaphore is released. After the first period of time, and in the absence of the real-time busy signal, the semaphore is immediately released so further calls may be routed to the station.

Claims

1. A telephone call-routing system adapted for routing incoming calls to individual ones of remote telephone stations, comprising:

a first telephone line adapted for receiving incoming calls; and

a processor system coupled to the first telephone line and to the remote telephone stations, the processor system adapted to receive and use information about availability of the remote telephone stations in routing incoming calls;

wherein the processor system upon routing a selected call to a selected one of the remote telephone stations, sets a semaphore that the selected telephone station is busy, preventing further calls being routed to that telephone station until the semaphore is released, and wherein, after a known latency time for return of an agent busy signal after the selected call is routed to the selected remote telephone station, and after a signal is received that the call was answered, the semaphore is reset to continue for an average time for calls based on call history, after which the semaphore is released, allowing further calls to be routed to the selected remote telephone station.

2. The telephone call-routing system of claim 1 wherein, after a known latency time for return of an agent busy signal after the selected call is routed to the selected remote telephone station, in the absence of the busy signal, the semaphore is immediately released, allowing further calls to be routed to the selected remote telephone station.

3. The telephone call-routing system of claim 1 wherein the remote telephone stations are part of a call-in center comprising a computerized telephony switch connected to a plurality of telephones at operator workstations, adapted to route calls to individual ones of the telephones, the telephony switch connected by a telephony line to the processing system, and a telephony server connected to the telephony switch by a first high-speed data link and having a digital network communication link to the processor system, the telephony server adapted to monitor activity of the telephony switch and to report status of the activities to the processor system over the digital network communication link.

4. In a call-routing system having a routing processor storing information about the status of remote telephone stations, a method for routing calls to individual ones of the remote telephone stations, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving an incoming call;

(b) routing the incoming call to a selected one of the remote telephone stations, based on stored information that the selected remote telephone station is available and not busy;

(c) setting a semaphore in the routing processor that the remote station is busy at the time the incoming call is routed, for a first pre-programmed period of time determined to be the known latency time for real-time return of a signal that the selected remote telephone station is busy, thereby preventing further calls being routed to the selected one of the remote telephone stations while the semaphore is set; and

(d) resetting the semaphore to busy for a second pre-programmed period of time after the first pre-programmed period of time, and with the return of a real-time signal that the selected remote telephone station is busy, wherein the second pre-programmed period of time is determined to be an average historical time for call duration at remote telephone stations.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, after the first pre-programmed period of time, and in the absence of the return of a real-time signal that the selected remote telephone station is busy, the semaphore is immediately released, allowing further calls to be routed to the selected remote telephone station.