Escalatory reactive call routing

• US 6,104,801 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• 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): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/947,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/242, 379/272, 379/273, 379/220, 379/221, 370/352, 370/353, 370/400
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• 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 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5236 Sequential or circular distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• 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
• 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 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 : Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 : CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13145 : Rerouting upon failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13164 : Traffic (registration, measurement,...)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13174 : Data transmission, file transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 : Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1336 : Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 : involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 : Distributing or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

A telephony system having a router for telephony calls has a plurality of selectable routing protocols and a system monitoring facility adapted for periodically determining the condition and performance of the system. Routing protocols are selected according to one or both of system condition and performance. In a system subject to degradation of performance under certain conditions, routing protocols may be selected that are relatively immune to causes of degradation in performance. As performance degrades, escalatory selection of more simple routing protocols may be provided.

Claims

1. In a telephony system incorporating intelligent call routing and having a plurality of routing algorithms with different algorithms associated with different levels of system performance, a method for selecting a routing algorithm, comprising steps of:

(a) while executing a first routing algorithm, monitoring one or both of system condition and performance including system degradation and cause of degradation; and

(b) selecting a second routing algorithm based on detection in step (a) of a change in system condition or performance to a new level, according to the appropriate algorithms associated with the new level of system condition of performance, and on a basis of relative insusceptibility to the causes of system degradation.

2. A telephony call center comprising:

a computer-enhanced telephony switch having a trunk line for accepting incoming calls;

agent stations each having a telephone connected to a station-side ports of the telephony switch;

a router coupled to the telephony switch and having alternative selectable routing algorithms with different algorithms associated with different levels of system condition or performance; and

a system monitor determining one or more of system condition and performance, including system degradation and causes of degradation;

wherein the router selects a routing algorithm based on detection of a change in system condition or performance to a new level by the system monitor, according to the appropriate algorithms associated with the new level of system condition or performance, and on a basis of relative insusceptibility to the causes of system degradation.

3. The call center of claim 2 further comprising computer stations each having a video display unit (PC/VDU) at individual ones of the agent stations, and a local area network (LAN) connecting individual PC/VDUs at agent stations and the computer-enhanced telephony switch.

4. The call center of claim 3 wherein the computer enhanced telephony switch comprises a computer-telephony integration (CTI) processor, the processor connected to the telephony switch by a CTI link and also connected to the LAN.

5. The call center of claim 4 wherein the trunk line connects the telephony switch to a telephony network and the CTI processor has a data link to a second processor in the network.

6. A call-routing system comprising:

a routing processor receiving and forwarding calls;

a router associated with the routing processor having different selectable routing algorithms associated with different levels of system condition or performance; and

a system monitor periodically determining system condition and performance, including system degradation and cause of degradation;

wherein a routing algorithm is selected by the router based on a change on one or both of system condition and performance to a new level, according to the appropriate algorithms associated with the new level of system condition or performance, and on a basis of relative insusceptibility to the causes of system degradation.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the router is a network router.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the router is a call-center router.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the router is associated with a network service control point (SCP).

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the router is associated with a customer premises call center.