Intelligent area code update system and method

• US 6,330,327 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Davox Corporation (Aspect Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Subramanian, Srikanth, Lee, Gene W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/342,782
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265-1-2, 379/266-1-2, 379/201-1-2, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/142-1-1, 379/121-1-1, 379/122, 379/127-1-1
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• 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 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A system and method of retrieving customer records regardless of area code change affecting customer telephone numbers stored in customer records is provided. The method begins by providing an area code changes user interface on a system user display, which is configured to accept area code changes input by the system. Area code changes, which include actual area codes and old area codes are input using the interface. Next, each input area code change is stored in an area code changes memory. An ANI string corresponding to an incoming telephone call is then received and at least one customer record database is searched to identify any call records that include a telephone number corresponding to the ANI string. If no customer records are identified, then the area code changes memory is searched to identify if the ANI string includes an area code corresponding to an actual area code stored in the area code changes memory. If an actual area code match is found, then the ANI string is modified by replacing the area code included in the ANI string with the old area code corresponding to the actual area code stored in the area code changes memory. The customer record database search is then repeated until there are no more actual area codes stored in the area code changes memory that correspond to the area code included in the ANI string.

Claims

1. An automated area code update system interfacing a computer telephony integration (CTI) system, said CTI system interfacing at least one customer record database and being operated by a system user having a system user terminal including a system user display and a system user input device, said automated area code update system comprising:

an area code changes user interface displayed on said system user display, said area code changes user interface configured to accept and display area code changes input by said system user using said system user input device;

an area code changes memory, for storing said input area code changes; and

a lookup processor, responsive to an ANI string received from said CTI system that does not correspond to at least one customer record stored in said at least one customer record database, for searching said area code changes memory for an entry corresponding to at least an area code received as a portion of said ANI string, for identifying at least one area code change stored in said area code changes memory corresponding to said at least an area code received as a portion of said ANI string that did not result in a customer record match, and for modifying said ANI string received by substituting said area code received in said ANI string with a changed area code identified as a result of searching said area code changes memory.

2. The automated area code update system of claim 1, wherein said CTI system further includes a dialed number identification (DNI) system providing a DNI output, and wherein said lookup processor is configured to search at least one selected customer record database in response to said DNI system output received from said CTI system.

3. The automated area code update system of claim 1, wherein said system user comprises a system supervisor and said system user terminal comprises a system supervisor terminal including a system supervisor display.

4. The automated area code update system of claim 1, wherein said automated area code update system is adapted to allow said customer record to be modified with said changed area code identified as a result of searching said area code changes memory.

5. In a computer telephony integration (CTI) system having an automatic number identification (ANI) system, said CTI system interfacing at least one customer record database and at least one system user having a system user terminal including a system user display and at least one system user input device, a method of retrieving a customer record from said customer record database regardless of an area code change affecting a customer telephone number stored in said customer record, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an area code changes user interface on said system user display, said area code changes interface configured to accept and display area code changes input by said system user using said system user input device;

b) inputting at least one area code change using said area code changes user interface;

c) storing each input area code change in an area code changes memory, each said area code change including a new area code and an old area code;

d) receiving an ANI string from said CTI system, said ANI string corresponding to an incoming telephone call received by said CTI system and including at least an actual area code from which said telephone call is originating;

e) searching said at least one customer record database to identify and retrieve at least one customer record including a stored telephone number corresponding to said ANI string;

if no customer record including a stored telephone number corresponding to said ANI string is identified, performing the steps of;

f) searching said are e code changes memory to identify if said ANI string includes an actual area code corresponding to at least one new area code stored in said area code changes memory;

g) modifying said ANI string by replacing said actual area code included in said ANI string with said old area code corresponding to said new area code identified in said area code changes memory; and

h) repeating steps e through g until a matching customer record is found or until each old area code corresponding to said new area code identified in said area code changes memory has been searched in said customer record database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving a DNI string from said CTI system; and

restricting said customer record database search to search at least one selected customer record database corresponding to said received DNI string.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

routing said retrieved customer record corresponding to said incoming call and said incoming call to a call center agent for handling said incoming call.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

modifying at least one customer record by replacing said old area code stored in said customer record with said new area code identified is said area code changes memory and storing said modified customer record in said at least one customer record database.