Method and apparatus for load-balancing of call processing between multiple call-destination sites and routing of calls by way of call-destination site control

• US 6,373,937 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• 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: Yegoshin, Leonid A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/660,533
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/209, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/214, 379/219, 379/220, 379/265, 379/266, 379/269, 379/309, 379/201.01, 379/209.01, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/214.01, 379/220.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 379/900
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A telephone switching and routing system has a first switching apparatus for receiving incoming calls, a first processor connected to the first switching apparatus, and a plurality of destination sites each connected to the first switching apparatus by a telephony trunk, each destination site including a destination processor coupled to the first processor by a communication link separate from the telephony trunk. The first processor connected to the first switching apparatus maintains a list of incoming calls received at the first switching apparatus as a virtual queue, wherein individual ones of the destination processors at the destination sites monitor local agent status and skill sets, and request switching of calls from the published lists as agents become available to handle new calls, and the first processor in response to requests from the destination processors controls the first switching apparatus to switch calls to the requesting destination sites. In some systems there are intermediate processors dedicated to maintaining all or portions of the virtual queue, and calls received at plural switches may be replicated in such virtual queues maintained at one or plural sites. The intermediate processors negotiate with destination processors which request (pull) calls from the queue, and the queue is maintained according to new calls received at any switch and calls switched on at any switch.

Claims

1. An Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call routing system, comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) gateway for receiving incoming IP calls;

a first processor connected to the (IP) gateway; and

a plurality of destination sites each having an IP network connection to the IP gateway, each destination site including a destination processor having an Internet connection to the first processor;

wherein the first processor connected to the IP gateway maintains a list of incoming IPNT calls received at the IP gateway as a virtual queue and publishes the list to the destination processors, individual ones of the destination processors at the destination sites monitor local agent status and skill sets, and request routing of IPNT calls from the published lists as agents become available to handle new calls, and the first processor in response to requests from the destination processors controls the IP gateway to route IPNT calls to the requesting destination sites.

2. The IPNT call routing system of claim 1 further comprising one or more intermediate processors connected to the first IP processor and one or more of the destination processors, the intermediate processor or processors maintaining copies of the virtual queue and interacting with destination processors to route calls held at the IP gateway.

3. The IPNT call routing system of claim 2 wherein individual ones of the destination sites include a destination IP switching apparatus monitored and controlled by the destination processor, the destination IP switching apparatus for receiving calls from the IP gateway and switching the IPNT calls to connected agents under control of the destination processor.

4. The IPNT call routing system of claim 2 further comprising plural IP gateways connected to plural first processors, the plural first processors interconnected to plural intermediate processors interconnected to destination processors at plural destination sites, wherein one or more virtual queues are formed and maintained on individual ones of the first and intermediate processors from calls received at individual ones of the plural IP gateways and wherein the destination processors may negotiate with any one of the first or intermediate processors for IPNT call routing, and the virtual queues are maintained according to IPNT calls received and IPNT calls switched at all of the IP gateways.

5. A method for routing Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) calls, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving calls at an Internet Protocol (IP) gateway;

(b) transferring data about the received calls to a first processor connected to the IP gateway;

(c) forming a virtual queue of received calls from the data from the IP gateway;

(d) negotiating, by the first processor, with destination processors at candidate destination sites, the candidate destination sites requesting IPNT calls from the virtual queue;

(e) commanding the IP gateway by the first processor to switch calls to the destination sites according to the negotiations; and

(f) updating the virtual queue as new IPNT calls are received and received IPNT calls are routed.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein individual ones of the destination sites include a destination IP switching apparatus monitored and controlled by the destination processor, including a step for receiving calls from the IP gateway and routing the calls to connected agents under control of the destination processor.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising a step for establishing all or a portion the virtual queue at intermediate processors connected to the first processor, wherein the intermediate processors may also interact with destination processors for IPNT call routing decisions.