CTI integration of telephonic calls moved between switches of an automatic call distributor

• US 6,233,333 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Inc. (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dezonmo, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUSICK, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US09/096,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111-115, 379/219-221, 379/265-266, 379/309, 379/242-243
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• 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 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13344 Overflow
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor. The call record is of a type having been previously stored under a call identifier of the source automatic call distributor in a memory of the host computer serving both the source automatic call distributor and destination automatic call distributor in an area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor. The method includes the step of storing a call action provided message in a call overflow table of the host computer including the call identifier of the telephone call and an identifier of the source automatic call distributor. The method further includes the step of transferring an overflow request to the destination automatic call distributor including the call identifier and searching the overflow table using the call identifier transferred to the destination automatic call distributor to locate the identifier of the source automatic call distributor. Finally, the method includes the step of locating the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor, the call record having been previously stored under a call identifier of the source automatic call distributor in a memory of a host computer serving both the source automatic call distributor and destination automatic call distributor in an area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:

storing a call action provided message in a call table of the host computer including the call identifier of the telephone call and an identifier of the source automatic call distributor;

transferring a move request from the source automatic call distributor to the destination automatic call distributor including the call identifier;

searching the call table using the call identifier transferred to the destination automatic call distributor to locate the identifier of the source automatic call distributor; and

locating the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor.

2. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor as in claim 1 wherein the step of transferring the move request further comprises moving the call from the source automatic call distributor to the destination call distributor through a public switched telephone network.

3. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 2 wherein the step of moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises transferring a call transfer request from the source automatic call distributor to the public switched telephone network.

4. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 3 wherein the step of moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises transferring a user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network.

5. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 4 wherein the step of transferring the user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network further comprises including a call identifier assigned by the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

6. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 5 wherein the step of transferring the user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network further comprises including an identifier of the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

7. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 3 wherein the step of moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises transferring a call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through an interconnect between the source and destination automatic call distributor.

8. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 7 wherein the step of transferring the call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through the interconnect further comprises including a call identifier assigned by the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

9. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 8 wherein the step of transferring the call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through the interconnect further comprises including an identifier of the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

10. The method of identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 1 wherein the step of locating the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor further comprises searching the area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor for the call record stored under the call identifier.

11. Apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor, the call record having been previously stored under a call identifier of the source automatic call distributor in a memory of a host computer serving both the source automatic call distributor and destination automatic call distributor in an area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:

means for storing a call action provided message in a call table of the host computer including the call identifier of the telephone call and an identifier of the source automatic call distributor;

means for transferring a move request from the source automatic call distributor to the destination automatic call distributor including the call identifier;

means for searching the call table using the call identifier transferred to the destination automatic call distributor to locate the identifier of the source automatic call distributor; and

means for locating the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor.

12. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor as in claim 11 wherein the means for transferring the move request further comprises means for moving the call from the source automatic call distributor to the destination call distributor through a public switched telephone network.

13. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 12 wherein the means for moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises means for transferring a call transfer request from the source automatic call distributor to the public switched telephone network.

14. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 13 wherein the means for moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises means for transferring a user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network.

15. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 14 wherein the means for transferring the user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network further comprises means for including a call identifier assigned by the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

16. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 15 wherein the means for transferring the user to user message to the destination automatic call distributor through the public switched telephone network further comprises means for including an identifier of the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

17. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 13 wherein the means for moving the call through the public switched telephone network further comprises means for transferring a call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through an interconnect between the source and destination automatic call distributor.

18. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 17 wherein the means for transferring the call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through the interconnect further comprises means for including a call identifier assigned by the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

19. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 18 wherein the means for transferring the call move message to the destination automatic call distributor through the interconnect further comprises means for including an identifier of the source automatic call distributor in the user to user message.

20. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 11 wherein the means for locating the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor further comprises means for searching the area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor for the call record stored under the call identifier.

21. Apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor, the call record having been previously stored under a call identifier of the source automatic call distributor in a memory of a host computer serving both the source automatic call distributor and destination automatic call distributor in an area of the memory reserved for the source automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:

a call action processor which stores a call action provided message in a call table of the host computer including the call identifier of the telephone call and an identifier of the source automatic call distributor;

a communication processor which transfers a move request from the source automatic call distributor to the destination automatic call distributor including the call identifier;

a search processor which searchs the call table using the call identifier transferred to the destination automatic call distributor to locate the identifier of the source automatic call distributor; and

call record processor which locates the call record using the call identifier and located identifier of the source automatic call distributor.

22. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved from a source automatic call distributor to a destination automatic call distributor as in claim 21 wherein the communication processor which transfers the move request further comprises a control interface with a public switched telephone network which moves the call from the source automatic call distributor to the destination call distributor through the public switched telephone network.

23. The apparatus for identifying a call record of a telephone call to be moved as in claim 22 wherein the control interface further comprises an ISDN interface.