Call-center call routing

• US 6,614,902 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rizzetto, Daniele
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, KAREN L
• Application Number:
  US09/434,914
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/365, 370/389, 370/265, 370/224, 434/118, 379/221, 379/220, 379/112, 379/265.11, 379/230, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A call center has a number of workgroups each with a routing controller for determining the most suitable destination within the workgroup for receiving a call. This determination is done on the basis of a routing table periodically generated for the workgroup by the routing controller. The workgroups exchange their routing tables. The routing controller of every workgroup thus has sufficient information to globally determine the most suitable workgroup to handle an incoming call. This redundancy avoids the need to provide a fault tolerant central controller.

Claims

1. A call center system with multiple workgroups, each workgroup having a routing controller comprising:

routing-data generating means operative to derive workgroup routing data indicative of the suitability of destinations within the workgroup for receiving calls;

transfer means for passing the workgroup routing data directly or indirectly to the routing controllers of the other workgroups and for receiving from each such routing controller the workgroup routing data generated by the routing-data generating means of that controller;

storage means for storing both the workgroup routing data generated by the routing-data generating means of the same controller, and the workgroup routing data received by the transfer means from the routing controllers of all other operative workgroups, and

global routing means comprising;

receiving means for receiving a routing request in respect of a call incoming to the call center before the call is routed to a workgroup,

selection means for determining from the stored routing data for all operative workgroups, including the workgroup with which the routing controller is associated, which workgroup is most suited to handle the call, and

response means for responding to the routing request according to the determination made by the selection means,

the selection means of all routing controllers making their determinations on the same basis such that the workgroup selected as most suited to handle a call is the same regardless of which routing controller receives the routing request.

2. A call center system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the workgroups is adapted to receive voice calls from the public telephone network and at least one of the workgroups is adapted to receive voice calls from a data network.

3. A call center system according to claim 1, wherein at least one workgroup is adapted to receive voice calls both from a telephone network, and from a data network.

4. A call center system according to claim 2, wherein said voice calls received from the data network are Voice over IP calls.

5. A call center according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the workgroups is adapted to receive calls in the form of text-based messages.

6. A call center according to claim 1, wherein the workgroup further comprises:

a LAN to which said routing controller is connected,

a first interface for interfacing with a data network for receiving VoIP calls,

a second interface for interfacing with a telephone network and for converting calls received therefrom into VoIP calls, and

agent workstations for handling calls,

said routing request being received through said first interface.

8. A call center system according to claim 3, wherein said voice calls received from the data network are Voice over IP calls.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein all the routing controllers determine the most suitable workgroup on the same basis such that the workgroup selected as most suited to handle a call is the same regardless of which routing controller is passed the routing request.

7. A method of controlling the routing of calls to a call center system with multiple workgroups, the method involving carrying out the following operations separately for each workgroup:

generating, for the workgroup concerned, workgroup routing data indicative of the suitability of destinations within the workgroup for receiving calls;

exporting the workgroup routing data for the workgroup concerned; and

receiving workgroup routing data exported in respect of the other workgroups and storing the workgroup routing data of all operative workgroups;

the method further involving passing to any one of the routing controllers a routing request in respect of a call intended for the call center before the call is passed to a workgroup, the routing controller determining from the stored routing data for all operative workgroups which workgroup is most suited to handle the call, and responding to the routing request accordingly.

10. An arrangement for routing calls to a call center system with multiple workgroups, the arrangement comprising a respective routing controller for each workgroup and call-routing apparatus, separate from the routing controllers, for routing a call intended for the call center to a said workgroup;

each routing controller comprising;

a routing-data generating device operative to derive workgroup routing data indicative of the suitability of destinations within the workgroup for receiving calls;

a transfer device for exchanging workgroup routing data with the routing controllers of all the other workgroups;

a storage device for storing the workgroup routing data of all operative workgroups, and

a global routing device for receiving a routing request in respect of a call yet to be routed to a workgroup, determining from the stored routing data for all operative workgroups which workgroup is most suited to handle a call, and responding to the routing request accordingly.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein all routing controllers are arranged to determine the most suitable workgroup on the same basis such that the workgroup selected as most suited to handle a call is the same regardless of which routing controller handles the routing request.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the call-routing apparatus is so arranged that upon receiving a call intended for the call center system, it causes said routing request to be generated and sent to one said routing controller, the call-routing apparatus being further arranged such that, upon receipt of a response from the global routing device of the controller, it routes the call to the workgroup most suited to handle the call.

13. An arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising a control entity for generating said routing request, the control entity being arranged to send the routing request to one said routing controller, and being further arranged in default of receiving a response from said one routing controller, to re-send said routing request to another of said routing controllers.

14. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the routing controllers are so arranged that when a routing controller handling a routing request determines that the most suitable workgroup is the one with which it is associated, it causes a final destination address to be returned in response to the routing request, the call-routing apparatus being operative to use this address to effect call routing.