Automated call routing system

• US 6,560,329 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Teloquent Communications Corporation (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Vicars, Peter N., Fried, Jeffrey A., Draginich, Lawrence J., Plummer, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmed F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US09/303,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 379/210.01, 379/142.01, 379/219, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

An automatic call distribution system routes calls from a communications network that provides call arrival data and a controllable routing capability. The system includes several agent stations, a call server, and a routing controller. Each agent station has a processor and a communication element to receive calls routed thereto. The call server uses telephony lines to receive the call arrival data and to direct the routing capability of the network. The call server has a caller prompting unit to request and receive information from a caller. The call server generates call information from the information from the caller and/or the call arrival data. The routing controller receives agent status data from the agent stations and the call information and selects an agent station from the call information and the agent status data. The routing controller causes the call server to direct the network to route the call to the selected agent station.

Claims

1. An automated call distribution system for calls over a communications network including a PSTN having a Centrex having a specific telephony protocol providing both call arrival data and a controllable routing capability, comprising:

a plurality of agent stations, each station having a processor and a communication element connected to receive calls routed thereto via said Centrex,

a call server that is connected to said Centrex via an interface card for said specific telephony protocol and to use telephony lines to receive the call arrival data from said Centrex and to direct the routing capability of said Centrex, said call server being adapted to receive one of a plurality of different interface cards, each card being configured to handle a respective type of Centrex, the call server having a caller prompting unit to request and receive information from a caller, the call server to generate call information in response to the information from the caller and/or the call arrival data, said call information being independent of said specific telephony protocol; and

a routing controller to receive data for agent status from the agent stations, to receive the call information from the call server, to select an agent station based upon the call information and the data for agent status, and to cause the call server to direct the routing capability to route the call to the selected agent station, said routing controller being independent of said specific telephony protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the routing controller is configured to route both incoming and outgoing calls with respect to the automated call distribution system.

3. The automatic call distribution system of claim 1, wherein the communication element includes a telephone.

4. The automatic call distribution system of claim 1, further comprising:

first and second data links connecting the routing controller to the call server and the agent stations, respectively, the second data links adapted to transmit data for agent status to the routing controller.

5. The automatic call distribution system of claim 1, wherein each agent station connects to the network with one of an ISDN interface, an internet interface, a wireless interface, a POTS interface, and a digital PBX interface.

6. The automatic call distribution system of claim 1, wherein the agent stations are configured to receive calls selected from the group consisting of telephone calls, electronic mail, data collaboration sessions, audio-video calls, and facsimiles.

7. The automatic call distribution system of claim 1, wherein at least one on the agent stations is a fully automated machine capable of providing an interactive session with a caller.

8. The automated call distribution system of claim 1, wherein the call server and routing controller are configured to route incoming calls from the network.

9. The automatic call distribution system of claim 8, wherein the call arrival data comprises one or more of ANI, CLID, DNI, DNIS, and II.

10. An automatic call distribution system for calls over a telephone network providing call arrival data, comprising:

a PBX connected to the network to receive calls and call arrival data, said PBX having a first specific telephony protocol;

a plurality of agent stations, each station having a processor and a communication element connected to receive calls routed thereto by the PBX;

a call server that is adapted to use telephony lines to receive the call arrival data from and to control call routing by the PBX via an interface card for said first specific telephony protocol, said call server being adapted to receive one of a plurality of different interface cards, each card being configured to handle a respective type of PBX, the call server having a caller prompting unit to request and receive information from a caller, the call server to generate call information in response to the information from the caller and/or the call arrival data, said call information being independent of said first specific telephony protocol; and

a routing controller connected to the agent stations to receive agent status data and connected to the call server to receive the call information, the controller to select an agent based upon the call information and the agent status data, and to cause the call server to control the PBX to route the call to the selected agent station, said routing controller being independent of said first specific telephony protocol.

11. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, wherein the PBX is configured to connect to a network selected from the group consisting of a PSTN, a wireless network, an internet network, and a POTS.

12. The automatic call distribution system of claim 11, further comprising:

a data network, the routing controller to receive agent status data from the agent stations via the data network.

13. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second PBX connected to receive a second call and associated second call arrival data from the network, said second PBX having a second specific protocol that is different than said first specific telephony protocol;

a plurality of second agent stations, each second station having a processor and a communication element connected to receive second calls routed thereto by the second PBX; and

a second call server connected to the second PBX via one or more telephony lines to receive the call arrival data from and control call routing by the second PBX via an interface card for said second specific telephony protocol, the second call server having a voice response unit to request and receive information from an associated second caller, the second call server to generate second call information in response to the information from the second caller and/or the second call arrival data, said call information being independent of said second specific telephony protocol; and

wherein the routing controller is connected to receive second agent status data and the second call information and is adapted to select one of the second agents based upon the second call information and second agent status data, and to cause the second call server to control the second PBX to route the second call to the selected second agent station, said routing controller being independent of said second specific telephony protocol.

14. The automatic call distribution system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second routing controller connected to receive the agent status data and call arrival data from the agent stations and the call server, respectively, and to operationally replace the first routing controller in response to a failure in the first routing controller.

15. The automatic call distribution system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the call servers includes a program storage device encoding an executable program to perform one of voice recognition and transmitting facsimiles.

16. The automatic call distribution system of claim 13, wherein one of the call servers includes a program storage device encoding an executable program for handling different callers differently, slave components of the program being loadable on-the-fly.

17. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, wherein the network includes a PSTN having a Centrex having a second specific protocol that is different than said first specific telephony protocol, and further comprising:

a plurality of second agent stations with processors and communication elements connected to receive second calls routed by the Centrex; and

a second call server to receive the second call arrival data from and control second call routing by the Centrex via one or more telephony lines via an interface card for said second specific telephony protocol, the second call server having a caller prompting unit to request and receive information from an associated second caller, the second call server to generate second call information in response to the information from the second caller and/or the second call arrival data, said call information being independent of said second specific telephony protocol; and

wherein the routing controller is connected to receive second agent status data from the second agent stations and to receive the second call information, the controller to select one of the second agent stations from the second call information and second agent status data and to cause the second call server to operate the Centrex to route the second call to the selected second agent station, said routing controller being independent of said second specific telephony protocol.

18. The automated call distribution system of claim 10, wherein the routing controller is configured to cause the call server to place a portion of the calls to customer devices connected to the network.

19. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, wherein a portion of the communication elements include a telephone.

20. The automatic call distribution system of claim 13, further comprising:

first and second data links connecting the routing controller to the call server and the agent stations, respectively, the second data links adapted to transmit agent status data to the routing controller.

21. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, wherein each agent station connects to the network with one of an ISDN interface, an internet interface, and a wireless interface.

22. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, wherein at least one on the agent stations is a fully automated machine capable of interacting with a caller.

23. The automated call distribution system of claim 10, wherein the call server and routing controller are configured to route incoming calls from the network.

24. The automatic call distribution system of claim 23, wherein the call arrival data comprises one of ANI, CLID, DNI, and DNIS.

25. The automatic call distribution system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second PBX connected to receive second calls and associated second call arrival data from the network;

a plurality of second agent stations, each second station having a processor and a communication element connected to receive second calls routed thereto by the second PBX; and

wherein the call server is adapted to control the second PBX via one or more telephony lines that receive the second call arrival data from and control second call routing by the second PBX.