Voice and data transfer from outbound dialing to inbound ACD queue

• US 6,480,601 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Concerto Software Incorporated (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/438,445
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.11, 379/265.13, 379/266.01, 379/266.07, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A system and method for transferring voice and data from an outbound call platform to an inbound call platform. The outbound and inbound call platforms are separate hardware platforms connected to a controlling device using computer telephone integration (CTI) links and connected together using one or more communication paths, such as trunks or T1 lines. If an outbound agent connected to the outbound call platform determines that an outbound call should be handled by an inbound agent connected to the inbound call platform, the outbound agent can request a transfer of that outbound telephone call. The outbound dialer then transfers the voice portion of the outbound telephone call to a predetermined extension on the inbound platform, and the inbound platform assigns a call ID to the transferred outbound call. The transferred outbound call is assigned to the appropriate ACD queue until an inbound agent is available to handle the call. When the voice portion of the call arrives at the headset of the available inbound agent, the call ID is used to correlate the data portion pertaining to the called party with the voice portion, thereby eliminating the need for the inbound agent to request data and manually enter data pertaining to the outbound telephone call.

Claims

1. A method of transferring voice and data from an outbound call platform to an inbound call platform, said outbound call platform including a dialer and a plurality of outbound agent workstations, and said inbound call platform including an inbound call distributor and a plurality of inbound agent workstations coupled to said inbound call distributor, said method comprising:

placing at least one outbound telephone call to a called party using said dialer in said outbound call platform;

connecting said outbound telephone call to an available outbound agent at one of said outbound agent workstations;

determining, by said available outbound agent, that said called party needs to be connected to an inbound agent coupled to said inbound call platform;

transferring said outbound telephone call to a predetermined extension on said inbound call platform;

assigning a call identifier to said outbound telephone call when said outbound telephone call arrives at said predetermined extension on said inbound call platform;

connecting said outbound telephone call to an available inbound agent at one of said inbound agent workstations coupled to said inbound call platform;

correlating called party data to said outbound telephone call using said call identifier; and

transferring said called party data to said one of said inbound agent workstations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said inbound call platform and said outbound call platform are connected using at least one communication path, and wherein the step of transferring said outbound telephone call to a predetermined extension on said inbound call platform comprises:

initiating a call on said at least one communication path to said predetermined extension on said inbound call platform; and

connecting said outbound telephone call to said at least one communication path.

3. The method of claim 1 further including transferring said outbound telephone call to a call handling queue before connecting said outbound telephone call to said available inbound agent.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transferring said outbound telephone call to said predetermined extension on said inbound call platform is initiated by a controlling device connected to said inbound call platform and said outbound call platform by way of computer telephony integration (CTI) links.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of correlating called party data is performed by a controlling device connected to said inbound call platform and said outbound call platform by way of computer telephony integration (CTI) links.

6. A system for transferring voice and data from an outbound call platform to an inbound call platform, said outbound call platform including a plurality of outbound agent workstations, said inbound call platform including a plurality of inbound agent workstations, and wherein said outbound call platform and said inbound call platform are connected by way of at least one communication path, said system comprising:

means for placing at least one outbound telephone call to a called party from said outbound call platform;

means for connecting said outbound telephone call to an available outbound agent at one of said outbound agent workstations, wherein said available outbound agent determines that said called party needs to be handled by an inbound agent in said inbound call platform;

means for transferring said outbound telephone call to a reserved extension on said inbound call platform over said at least one communication path;

means for assigning a call identifier to said outbound telephone call when said outbound telephone call arrives at said inbound call platform;

means for connecting said outbound telephone call to an available inbound agent at one of said inbound agent workstations in said inbound call platform;

means for correlating called party data to said outbound telephone call using said call identifier; and

means for transferring said called party data to said one of said inbound agent workstations.

7. The system of claim 6 further including means for transferring said outbound telephone call to an inbound queue.

8. The system of claim 6 further including a controlling device connected to said inbound call platform and to said outbound call platform by way of computer telephony integration (CTI) links, wherein said controlling device instructs said outbound call platform to transfer said outbound telephone call to said reserved extension on said inbound call platform.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said controlling device correlates said called party data to said outbound telephone call using said call identifier.

10. An call center comprising:

an outbound call platform including;

a dialer for placing outbound telephone calls to called parties; and

a plurality of outbound agent workstations, coupled to said dialer, for use by a plurality of outbound agents, wherein said outbound call platform connects said outbound telephone calls to available outbound agents at said plurality of outbound agent workstations;

an inbound call platform including;

an automatic call distributor (ACD) handling inbound telephone calls; and

a plurality of inbound agent workstations, coupled to said ACD, for use by a plurality of inbound agents, wherein said inbound telephone calls are connected to available inbound agents at said inbound agent workstations;

at least one communication path connecting said outbound call platform and said inbound call platform; and

a controlling device coupled to said outbound call platform and to said inbound call platform device by way of computer telephony integration (CTI) links, wherein said controlling device instructs said outbound call platform to initiate a call on said at least one communication path to a reserved extension on said inbound call platform and instructs said outbound call platform to connect one of said outbound telephone calls to said at least one communication path such that a called party on said one of said outbound telephone calls is transferred to one of said inbound agents, and wherein said controlling device correlates called party data pertaining to said called party with said one of said outbound telephone calls transferred to said one of said inbound agents.

11. The call center of claim 10 wherein said inbound call platform assigns a call identifier to said one of said outbound telephone calls when said outbound telephone call arrives at said reserved extension on said inbound call platform, and wherein said inbound call platform passes said call identifier to said controlling device for use in correlating said called party data.

12. The call center of claim 10 wherein said inbound call platform includes an ACD queue, and wherein said one of said outbound telephone calls connected to said inbound call platform is transferred to said ACD queue prior to being connected to said one of said inbound agents.