Incoming call routing system with integrated wireless communication system

• US 6,603,847 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Griffith, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL-Aubaidi, Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US09/248,965
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/88.18, 379/214.01, 379/201.02
• US Class Current: 379/211.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/408 Customer-specific call routing plans
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

The incoming call routing system for a communication system that serves a facility, and which functions to automatically direct the incoming call to the specific service provider who is presently assigned to provide services for an identified resident of the facility. This is accomplished by providing an incoming call routing system, and optionally an integrated wireless communication system, to automatically effect the desired communication connections. The present description uses the hospital communication system as a well known example of such a communication environment in which the present system incoming call routing system is operational. The incoming call routing system of the hospital communication system functions to identify the hospital patient about whom the calling party is requesting information. The calling party is provided with a voice prompt based menu to enable the calling party to select the one particular class of care giver that can provide the calling party with the desired information. The incoming call routing system uses the patient identity data and the calling party'"'"'s responses to the menu to identify the particular care giver who is presently assigned the responsible to provide specific information about this patient. The identity of this care giver is then translated into the telephone number of the wireless communication device or wired telephone used by this identified care giver. An incoming communication connection is then established from the calling party through the wireless communication system to the identified care giver'"'"'s wireless communication device.

Claims

1. An incoming call routing system operable with a private branch exchange switching system for establishing communication connections from a calling party to a selected one of service personnel who are assigned to serve a subscriber who is assigned a particular telephone station served by said private branch exchange switching system and having a unique telephone number, wherein the purpose of said incoming call is not to communicate with said subscriber, comprising:

means, responsive to an incoming communication connection directed to said unique telephone number, for presenting a calling party on said incoming communication connection with a menu indicative of a plurality of call routing choices;

means, responsive to said unique telephone number and said calling party transmitting data on said incoming communication connection indicative of a selection from said menu, for determining an identity of a one of service personnel assigned to serve a subscriber associated with said unique telephone number, comprising;

means, operable to the exclusion of said subscriber, for storing data indicative of said unique telephone number and a set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number,

means for associating each of said menu choices with a corresponding one of said set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number; and

means for routing said incoming communication connection to a communication device assigned to said identified one of said service personnel to enable said one of said service personnel to provide information to said calling party, which information relates to the subscriber and is desired by the calling party.

2. The incoming call routing system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining further comprises:

means for storing data indicative of a telephone number of a one of said communication devices assigned to said identified one of service personnel.

3. The incoming call routing system of claim 2 wherein said means for determining further comprises:

means for storing subscriber specific data; and

means for transmitting said subscriber specific data to said identified one of service personnel via said incoming communication connection.

4. The incoming call routing system of claim 1 wherein said means for routing comprises:

wireless communication system means, connected to said private branch exchange switching system, for establishing a wireless communication connection from said private branch exchange switching system to a wireless communication device assigned to said identified one of service personnel.

5. The incoming call routing system of claim 1 further comprising:

means, responsive to establishment of said incoming communication connection, for providing data to said identified one of service personnel that identifies said subscriber.

6. A method of operating an incoming call routing system operable with a private branch exchange switching system for establishing communication connections from a calling party to a selected one of service personnel who are assigned to serve a subscriber who is assigned a particular telephone station, wherein the purpose of said incoming call is not to communicate with said subscriber, comprising the steps of:

presenting, in response to an incoming communication connection directed to said unique telephone number, a calling party on said incoming communication connection with a menu indicative of a plurality of call routing choices;

determining, in response to said unique telephone number and said calling party transmitting data on said incoming communication connection indicative of a selection from said menu, an identity of a one of service personnel assigned to serve a subscriber associated with said unique telephone number, comprising;

storing, exclusive of any actions of said subscriber, data indicative of said unique telephone number and a set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number,

associating each of said menu choices with a corresponding one of said set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number; and

routing said incoming communication connection to a communication device assigned to said identified one of said service personnel to enable said one of said service personnel to provide information to said calling party, which information relates to the subscriber and is desired by the calling party.

7. The method of operating an incoming call routing system of claim 6 wherein said step of determining further comprises:

storing in a memory data indicative of a telephone number of a one of said communication devices assigned to said identified one of service personnel.

8. The method of operating an incoming call routing system of claim 7 wherein said step of determining further comprises:

storing in a memory subscriber specific data; and

transmitting said subscriber specific data to said identified one of service personnel via said incoming communication connection.

9. The method of operating an incoming call routing system of claim 6 wherein said step of routing comprises:

operating a wireless communication system, connected to said private branch exchange switching system, to establish a wireless communication connection from said private branch exchange switching system to a wireless communication device assigned to said identified one of service personnel.

10. The method of operating an incoming call routing system of claim 6 further comprising:

providing, in response to establishment of said incoming communication connection, data to said identified one of service personnel that identifies said subscriber.