System and method for automated telephone message routing using an altered ANI

• US 6,661,882 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wood, John, Heier, Craig, Van Oort, Curtis A., Ambrose, Mark P., Wooters, David L., Muir, Jimmie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/558,174
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method of transferring a call signal including call-related data received from a communications system between a host and at least one remote agent terminal connected through a network, where the host can access at least one application database for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle, and each agent terminal can access the at least one application database computer system for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle, the method comprising the steps of: (a) at the host (i) transferring initial information contained in an ANI field associated with the call signal into the at least one application database, (ii) associating that initial information contained in the ANI field with other information regarding the source of the call signal, and (iii) replacing the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal with subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing an agent terminal to a portion of the at least one application database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal; (b) transferring the call and the subsequent information contained in the ANI field from the host to the at least one agent terminal by transferring the voice portion of the call to a voice communication device of the at least one agent terminal, and transmitting the subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal; (c) at the agent terminal, (1) receiving the call signal and information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a call signal including call-related data received from a communications system between a host and at least one remote agent terminal connected through a network, where the host can access at least one application database for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle, and each agent terminal can access the at least one application database computer system for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) at the host (i) transferring initial information contained in an ANI field associated with the call signal into the at least one application database, (ii) associating that initial information contained in the ANI field with other information regarding the source of the call signal, and (iii) replacing the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal with subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing an agent terminal to a portion of the at least one application database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal;

(b) transferring the call and the subsequent information contained in the ANI field from the host to the at least one agent terminal by transferring the voice portion of the call to a voice communication device of the at least one agent terminal, and transmitting the subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal;

(c) at the agent terminal, (1) receiving the call signal and information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal, wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.

2. A system for transferring a call signal including call-related data received from a communications system between a host and at least one remote agent terminal connected through a network, where the host can access at least one application database for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle, and each agent terminal can access the at least one application database computer system for storing and retrieving information associated with each service that each agent terminal is to handle comprising:

(a) a host;

(b) at least one remote agent terminal;

(c) a network;

(d) at least one application database;

wherein the host transfers initial information contained in an ANI field associated with the call signal into the at least one application database, (ii) associating that initial information contained in the ANI field with other information regarding the source of the call signal, and (iii) replacing the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal with subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing an agent terminal to a portion of the at least one application database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal;

wherein the call and the subsequent information contained in the ANI field is transferred from the host to the at least one agent terminal by transferring the voice portion of the call to a voice communication device of the at least one agent terminal, and transmitting the subsequent information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal;

wherein the agent terminal receives the call signal and information contained in the ANI field directing the at least one agent terminal to the portion of the database that contains the initial information contained in the ANI field associated with the call signal and the other information regarding the source of the call signal, wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.

3. A method of processing a call, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with said call;

receiving said information including dialed number, and the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing the ANI of said call;

substituting a new caller identification in the ANI field; and

handling the call based on the new caller identification and dialed number,

wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said information is network data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said information is resource data.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

prompting said caller for additional information;

processing said additional caller information; and

handling said call in a particular way based on said processing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said caller information is touch tone information wherein a short touch tone represents a data entry and a long tone represents a command.

8. A telephone call processing method, comprising:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with a call;

receiving said information including the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing said information to determine the source type of said call;

prompting caller of said call via an automatic voice response unit for a new caller identification different from said received calling number (ANI), said new caller identification representing data about the actual caller; and

storing said new caller identification,

wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.

9. A telephone call processing method, comprising:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with a call;

receiving said information including the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing said information to determine the source type of said call;

prompting caller of said call via an automatic voice response unit for a new caller identification, said new caller identification representing data about the actual caller different from said received calling number (ANI);

storing said new caller identification; and

replacing said received calling number (ANI) with said new caller identification by storing said new caller identification in said data field used by said received calling number (ANI),

wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.

10. A telephone call processing method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transferring said call to another location with said information associated with said call, said information including said new caller identification.

11. A telephone call processing method according to claim 10, wherein said new caller identification is the actual phone number of the caller.

12. A telephone call processing method, comprising the steps of:

providing a call processor which receives information associated with a call;

receiving said information including the calling number (ANI) associated with said call;

analyzing the NPA-NXX of said calling number (ANI) to determine the source of said call; and

modifying the call path of an automatic voice response script based on the determination of said source of said call,

wherein a product code and sale score are a component of the subsequent information contained in the ANI field, which product code and sale measure product profitability and probability of offer acceptance for the caller.