System and method for operating a plurality of call centers

• US 6,229,888 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1997
• 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): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/337,955
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/220, 379/221, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/201, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system and method for routing telephone calls from a network-level routing station to individual ones of a plurality of call centers having computer telephony integration (CTI) servers at each call center for monitoring and controlling telephony switches at the call centers and at the network level. A separate data network interconnects the network-level CTI server and the call-center-level CTI servers. The system also includes a stat-server at the network level for storing status information related to all of the telephony switches, and a router at the network level. Routing of incoming calls at the network to the connected call centers is successfully accomplished wherein each of the CTI servers report status of call traffic at the connected telephony switches to the network level stat-server, and the network-level router routes calls to the call centers based on the information in the network-level stat-server.

The present invention provides a needed capability in the art for larger companies requiring several call centers to have uniform control of the routing of calls from the network, to, and between, the call centers. It is desirable that information and resources of all these call centers be shared, not only for accurate routing, but also, the calls received in one call center can be handled by agents in another call center. Thus, the potential of these call centers can be fully utilized.

Claims

1. A system for routing telephone calls from a network-level routing station to individual ones of a plurality of call centers, said system comprising:

a call-center-level computer telephony integration (CTI) server in each call center monitoring and controlling a telephony switching apparatus;

a network-level routing station including a network level stat-server at the network station, the stat-server storing status information related to all of the telephony switches;

a data network separate from telephony trunks between the call centers and the network-level routing station, the separate data network interconnecting the network-level routing station and the call-center-level CTI servers; and

a network level router using the stored status information in the stat-server for routing incoming calls to individual ones of the telephony switches;

wherein each of the CTI servers report status of call traffic at the connected telephony switches to the network level stat-server, and the network-level routing station routes calls to the call centers based on the information in the network-level stat-server.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing station routes telephone calls received by a first call center to a second call center.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein individual ones of the telephony switches are made by different manufacturers, and wherein each CTI server is adapted to communicate with the connected telephony switch and with the network level routing station.

4. A method for managing call routing from a network-level routing station to a plurality of call centers, comprising steps of:

(a) monitoring call traffic and status at individual call switching apparatus at call-centers by call-center-level computer telephony integration (CTI) servers;

(b) reporting the call traffic and status information to a network-level routing station connected to the call-center-level CTI servers by a data network separate from telephony trunks interconnecting the network-level station and the call centers;

(c) storing the call status and traffic information at a network-level stat-server within the network-level routing station; and

(d) routing calls to the call centers based on the call traffic and status information stored in the stat-server at the network-level routing station.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein agent skills are stored in the stat-server and used in routing decisions.