Personal desktop router

• US 6,185,291 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• 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): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US08/797,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17, 379/201, 379/207, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/242, 379/115, 379/127, 379/196, 379/266, 379/267, 379/309, 395/611
• US Class Current: 379/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

A personal telephone all router adapted to execute on a personal computer (PC) connected to a local area network (LAN) wherein the LAN is also connected to a computerized telephony switching system has a user interface allowing an individual user to customize routing rules for incoming calls. The interface in a preferred embodiment is a window displayable on a computer screen of the PC, allowing the user to review and edit personal routing rules in a high-level language. Data, such as caller ID and the like, associated with incoming calls received at the computerized telephony switching system is broadcast on the LAN prior to routing the incoming calls, and the broadcast data is utilized by individual editions of the personal telephone call router to prepare and send routing instructions on the LAN to the computerized switching system to route the incoming calls.

Claims

1. A method for routing telephone calls to a plurality of individual agent workstations at a customer premises, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving a call at a telephony switch coupled to a customer local area network (LAN);

(b) broadcasting identifying data associated with the call on the LAN;

(c) intercepting the broadcast data at a personal router application having a separated set of specified editable personal routing rules and executing on a computer at one of the plurality of individual agent workstations, the routing application determining routing rules specifically for that workstation connected to the LAN;

(d) editing the routing rules with an user interface;

(e) determining routing for the instant call in the personal router application; and

(f) sending personal routing instructions to the telephony switch as a result of the personal routing determined in step (e).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer executing the personal router application in step (d) is a personal computer (PC) connected to the LAN.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises an-on screen window providing editable script in a high-level language.

4. In a customer premises telephone call-routing system, a method for individual customization of routing rules for an incoming telephone call, comprising steps of:

(a) calling a user interface on a computer at an individual agent workstation connected to a customer LAN, the LAN also coupled to a computerized telephony switch system receiving the incoming telephone call, wherein the telephony switch system is adapted to broadcast data associated with incoming call on the LAN prior to routing the incoming call;

(b) editing routing rules at the user interface specifically for said individual agent workstation;

(c) associating the edited routing rules with the broadcast data; and

(d) instructing the computerized telephony switch system to route the incoming call according a specific routing determined by the edited routing rules.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the computerized telephony switch system comprises a telephony switch connected to a telephony server in turn connected to the LAN.

6. A personal telephone call router for determining routing of incoming telephone calls to individual agent workstations in a customer premises telephone call switching system, comprising:

a user interface displayable on a display screen of a computer at one of the individual agent workstations displaying the editable personal routing rules specifically stored for that particular workstation and enabling an agent to edit the personal routing rules specifically stored for the particular workstation for that workstation with one or more input devices of the computer;

an interceptor intercepting telephone call data broadcast on a LAN to which the computer is connected; and

an instruction transmitter transmitting routing instructions based on the edited routing rules on the LAN to which the computer is connected, the routing instructions determined by interaction of the broadcast telephone call data with the instant edited routing rules at the computer.

7. The personal telephone call router of claim 6 wherein the computer is a personal computer (PC) having a LAN interface.

8. The personal telephone call router of claim 6 wherein the user interface is adapted to operate with a high-level programming language.

9. A customer premises telephone call routing system for routing calls to telephones at individual agent workstations comprising:

a computerized telephony switch system having one or more incoming telephone lines;

a customer local area network (LAN) coupled to the computerized telephony switch system;

a computer at an individual agent workstation including a display connected to the LAN;

and a personal telephone call router having a set of editable personal routing rules specifically stored for that particular individual agent workstation executable on the computer at the individual agent workstation to allow an individual agent to edit the routing rules for that particular workstation;

wherein the personal telephone call router is adapted to receive telephone call data broadcast on the LAN associated with a selected telephone call, and to return routing instructions for that specific individual agent workstation current in the personal telephone call router to the LAN for the selected telephone call.

10. The customer premises telephone call routing system of claim 9 wherein the personal telephone call router comprises a user interface displayable on the display and adapted to display personal routing rules and provide editing functions for a user to edit the personal routing rules with one or more input devices of the computer workstation.

11. The customer premises telephone call routing system of claim 10 wherein the user interface is adapted to operate with a high-level programming language.

12. The customer premises telephone call routing system of claim 9 wherein the computer is a personal computer (PC) having a LAN interface.

13. The customer premises telephone call routing system of claim 9 wherein the computerized telephony switch system comprises a telephony switch connected to a telephony server in turn connected to the LAN.