Automatic call distributor with agent controlled call connection

• US 5,970,135 A
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Lenihan, John P., Sumner, Roger A., Baker, Daniel F., Holtaway, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/688,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/214, 379/112, 379/113, 379/121, 379/122, 379/133, 379/134, 379/139, 379/375, 379/252, 379/373, 379/142 , 379/130, 379/131, 379/132, 379/135, 379/136
• US Class Current: 379/266.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

An automatic call distributor (12) having a device (10) for routing application telephone calls to any agent (20), a device (10) for routing an exterior position call directly to a particular agent (20), a device (10) for routing an interior position call directly to the particular agent (20), a device (10) for indicating the type of call being received among the application, external position, and internal position calls to the particular agent (20), and a device (10) for connecting the desired indicated call to the particular agent (20).

Claims

1. An agent controlled automatic call distributor, comprising:

means for placing application telephone calls on a waiting line associated with a particular agent;

means for placing exterior position telephone calls on a waiting line associated with the particular agent;

means for placing interior position telephone calls on a waiting line associated with the particular agent;

means for visually displaying to the particular agent each type of call and the number of calls of each type waiting to be served by the particular agent; and

means for enabling the particular agent to select one of the calls to be connected to the particular agent.

2. The distributor of claim 1, wherein the application telephone calls are assigned a priority dependent upon the time of arrival of the application telephone calls.

3. The distributor of claim 2, further including means for transferring an application telephone call from one agent to another in response to the application telephone call being unanswered for a predetermined period of time.

4. The distributor of claim 1, wherein the application telephone calls are distributed among a plurality of agents.

5. The distributor of claim 1, further including means for determining the availability of the particular agent.

6. The distributor of claim 1, further including means for supplying an audio signal responsive to a call.

7. The distributor of claim 1, further including means for forwarding the exterior position and interior position calls from the particular agent to another agent.