Method and apparatus for load-balancing of call processing between multiple call-destination sites and routing of calls by way of call-destination site control
First Claim
1. A call switching and routing system, comprising:
- a first switching apparatus for receiving incoming calls;
a first processor connected to the first switching apparatus; and
a plurality of destination sites each connected to the first switching apparatus by a telephony trunk, each destination site including a destination processor coupled to the first processor by a communication link separate from the telephony trunk;
wherein the first processor connected to the first switching apparatus maintains a list of incoming calls received at the first switching apparatus as a virtual queue and publishes the list to the destination processors, wherein individual ones of the destination processors at the destination sites monitor local agent status and skill sets, and request switching of calls from the published lists as agents become available to handle new calls, and the first processor in response to requests from the destination processors controls the first switching apparatus to switch calls to the requesting destination sites.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone switching and routing system has a first switching apparatus for receiving incoming calls, a first processor connected to the first switching apparatus, and a plurality of destination sites each connected to the first switching apparatus by a telephony trunk, each destination site including a destination processor coupled to the first processor by a communication link separate from the telephony trunk. The first processor connected to the first switching apparatus maintains a list of incoming calls received at the first switching apparatus as a virtual queue, wherein individual ones of the destination processors at the destination sites monitor local agent status and skill sets, and request switching of calls from the published lists as agents become available to handle new calls, and the first processor in response to requests from the destination processors controls the first switching apparatus to switch calls to the requesting destination sites. In some systems there are intermediate processors dedicated to maintaining all or portions of the virtual queue, and calls received at plural switches may be replicated in such virtual queues maintained at one or plural sites. The intermediate processors negotiate with destination processors which request (pull) calls from the queue, and the queue is maintained according to new calls received at any switch and calls switched on at any switch.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A call switching and routing system, comprising:
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a first switching apparatus for receiving incoming calls; a first processor connected to the first switching apparatus; and a plurality of destination sites each connected to the first switching apparatus by a telephony trunk, each destination site including a destination processor coupled to the first processor by a communication link separate from the telephony trunk; wherein the first processor connected to the first switching apparatus maintains a list of incoming calls received at the first switching apparatus as a virtual queue and publishes the list to the destination processors, wherein individual ones of the destination processors at the destination sites monitor local agent status and skill sets, and request switching of calls from the published lists as agents become available to handle new calls, and the first processor in response to requests from the destination processors controls the first switching apparatus to switch calls to the requesting destination sites. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A telephony processor for a telephone switching and routing system, comprising:
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a computer-telephony-integration (CTI) link for connection to a switching apparatus; a digital communication link separate from the CTI link for communication with remote digital processors; and a CTI application for establishing a virtual queue from data received from a telephony switching apparatus over the CTI link; wherein the CTI application forms a queue list representing calls received at a switching apparatus connected to the CTI link, negotiates with the remote processors over the separate digital link for assignment of queued calls, and forms and transmits commands on the CTI link to the connected switching apparatus to switch calls to destinations according to the negotiations with the remote digital processors. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for switching and routing telephone calls, comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving calls at a first switching apparatus; (b) transferring data about the received calls to a first processor connected to the switching apparatus; (c) forming a virtual queue of received calls from the data from the first switching apparatus; (d) negotiating, by the first processor, with destination processors at candidate destination sites, the candidate destination sites requesting calls from the virtual queue; (e) commanding the first switching apparatus by the first processor to switch calls to the destination sites according to the negotiations; and (f) updating the virtual queue as new calls are received and received calls are switched. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification