Key telephone apparatus with [;automatic]; call distribution function

• US 6,175,617 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hara, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/325,372
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/265, 379/266, 379/156, 379/157, 379/161, 379/164, 379/165, 379/166, 379/258, 379/268, 379/269, 379/308, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/165
• 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 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/005 with subscriber controlled access to an exchange line

Abstract

This invention relates to a key telephone apparatus which includes a key telephone main unit which accommodates a plurality of extension terminals each having a display via extensions and is connected to a network via an office line, and has an ACD function of forming a group of the plurality of extension terminals, and selectively distributing an incoming call received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to the group to receive the incoming call. The key telephone main unit includes a processing condition management unit for monitoring the processing condition of the incoming call by the automatic call distribution function, and storing data indicating the processing condition, and a display control unit for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from one of the plurality of extension terminals, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the processing condition stored in the processing condition management unit, and supplying the display data to the extension terminal as the display request source to be displayed on the display of the extension terminal.

Claims

1. A call distribution system which comprises, a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for monitoring a processing condition of the incoming calls, and storing data indicating the processing condition of the incoming call; and

display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data which is requested with the processing condition display request and thus retrieved from the data indicating the processing condition and stored in said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing condition management means further comprises a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said display control means is switched to sequentially display office line numbers and queue times thereof in the order of longer call termination queue times measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein when the stored contents of said processing condition management means are updated during a display operation, said display control means generates display data on the basis of the updated new stored contents.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processing condition management means includes a function of totalizing processing counts of incoming calls by said call distribution function in units of processing contents and storing the total data, and a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function, and

said display control means is alternately switched between a mode for displaying the total data totalized by said processing condition management means and a mode for displaying the call termination queue time measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one extension terminal further comprises:

first key input means for setting said at least one extension terminal in a password input state;

second key input means for inputting a password when said at least one extension terminal is set in a password input state by the first key input means; and

comparing means for comparing the password input by the second key input means with a preset password, and said at least one extension terminal allows said processing condition display request when said comparing means determines that the password matches with the preset password.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the display of said at least one extension terminal switches between a first display mode indicating that said at least one extension terminal is set in the password input state and a second display mode indicating that a result of comparison is being provided by said comparing means.

26. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one extension terminal includes:

key input means for inputting a password; and

comparing means for comparing the password input by the key input means with a preset password, and said at least one extension terminal allows said processing condition display request when said comparing means determines that the password matches with the preset password.

9. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connected to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating the number of incoming call; and

display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the number of incoming calls which is stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said processing condition management means includes a function of totalizing processing counts of incoming calls by said call distribution function in units of processing contents and storing the total data, and a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function, and

said display control means is alternately switched between a mode for displaying the total data totalized by said processing condition management means and a mode for displaying the call termination queue time measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

12. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and selectively distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating the number of answers to the incoming calls; and

display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the number of answers which is stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processing condition management means includes a function of totalizing processing counts of incoming calls in units of processing contents and storing the total data, and a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function, and

said display control means is alternately switched between a mode for displaying the total data totalized by said processing condition management means and a mode for displaying the call termination queue time measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

15. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating the number of times of processing incoming calls other than the incoming calls distributed by said call distribution function;

display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the number of the times of processing which is stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said processing condition management means includes a function of totalizing processing counts of incoming calls in units of processing contents and storing the total data, and a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function, and

said display control means is alternately switched between a mode for displaying the total data totalized by said processing condition management means and a mode for displaying the call termination queue time measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

18. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating the number of office lines set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function; and

display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the number of office lines which is stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said processing condition management means includes a function of totalizing processing counts of incoming calls by said call distribution function in units of processing contents and storing the total data, and a function of measuring a call termination queue time of an incoming call when the incoming call is set in a call termination queue state by said call distribution function, and

said display control means is alternately switched between a mode for displaying the total data totalized by said processing condition management means and a mode for displaying the call termination queue time measured by said processing condition management means every time a display changing operation is performed for the extension terminal as the display request source.

21. A call distribution system apparatus which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connected to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating an office line number of an incoming call which is set in an agent call termination queue state by said call distribution function and data indicating a call termination queue time of the incoming call;

first display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the office line number and the data indicating the call termination queue time which are stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal; and

second display control means for switching the display data to data which indicates a call termination being made and a total call termination queue time of the incoming call when said office line is changed into an agent call termination state while the first display control means is displaying the office line number of the office line set in the call termination queue state and the call termination queue time on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

23. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for storing data indicating an office line number of an incoming call which is set in an agent call termination queue state by said call distribution function and a call termination queue time of the incoming call;

first display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data indicating the office line number and the data indicating the call termination queue time which are stored by said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal; and

second display control means for switching the display data to data which indicates a call termination being canceled and a total call termination queue time of the incoming call when said office line is changed into a call stop state while the first display control means is displaying the office line number of the office line set in the call termination queue state and the call termination queue time on the display of said at least one extension terminal.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein every time processing for a new incoming call is performed by said call distribution function, said processing condition management means updates the stored data indicating the processing condition in correspondence with the processing contents.

25. A call distribution system which comprises a plurality of extension terminals, at least one of which has a display, and a main unit connectable to the plurality of extension terminals via extensions and connectable to a network via an office line, and which has a call distribution function of grouping the plurality of extension terminals and distributing incoming calls received from the network to the plurality of extension terminals belonging to groups to receive the incoming calls, said main unit comprising:

processing condition management means for monitoring a processing condition of the incoming calls, and storing data indicating the processing condition of the incoming call; and

first display control means for receiving a predetermined processing condition display request output from said at least one extension terminal included in the plurality of extension terminals constituting a group, generating display data for displaying the data which is requested with the processing condition display request and thus retrieved from the data indicating the processing condition and stored in said processing condition management means, and supplying the display data to said at least one extension terminal so that the display data is displayed on the display of said at least one extension terminal; and

second display control means for generating display data on the basis of the data indicating new processing condition, and supply the updated display data to said at least one terminal at a predetermined time interval.