Call queuing utilization reporting

• US 7,020,253 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Verbil, John M., Pflum, Robert Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/802,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 379/110.01, 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/112.07, 379/112.08, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/266.03, 379/266.04, 379/266.06, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.08, 379/221.11, 379/265.03, 379/265.11
• US Class Current: 379/112.01
• 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: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0464 Primary rate access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13205 Primary rate access, PRI
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0037 involving call modelling techniques, e.g. modifications to the basic call state model [BCSM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 : Distributing or queueing

Abstract

Call queuing is implemented in a telecommunications advanced intelligent network. After a call to a busy subscriber line is queued, information about the queued call is collected. Utilization statistics based on the collected queue utilization information are then generated and made available to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of reporting utilization of call queues, each call placed from a caller to a subscriber line, the call processed by an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) having at least one central office switch and a service control point (SCP) in electrical communication with a plurality of subscriber switches via a signaling network, the method comprising:

providing an intelligent peripheral in electrical communication with the at least one central office switch and the SCP, the intelligent peripheral equipped with call queuing functionality;

receiving each of a plurality of calls to access the subscriber line;

monitoring call signaling to detect a termination attempt trigger;

launching a query at the SCP for receipt by the intelligent peripheral requesting the queue status of the subscriber line in response to the detected termination attempt trigger;

forwarding the call to the intelligent peripheral to be added to the queue in response to a determination that the queue is active;

delivering the call to the subscriber and setting a next event list trigger to determine the status of a subscriber line in response to a determination that the queue is empty;

connecting the call to the subscriber line in response to a determination that the line is idle;

forwarding the call to the intelligent peripheral to be placed in queue in response to a determination that the subscriber line is busy;

collecting queue utilization information about each queued call in the service control point; and

generating queue utilization statistics based on the collected queue utilization information.

2. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 1, the method further comprising:

monitoring the subscriber line to notify the SCP when the line is idle;

placing a call from the intelligent peripheral to the subscriber in response to a determination that the subscriber line is idle;

forwarding answer supervision to the intelligent peripheral in response to the call from the intelligent peripheral being answered by the subscriber; and

transferring and connecting the subscriber and the caller at the central office switch.

3. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 1 wherein generating queue utilization statistics is performed by a data server in communication with the service control point.

4. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 3 wherein the data server aggregates information for each of a plurality of subscribers.

5. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 1, the method further comprising formatting the queue utilization statistics for access by a subscriber over the Internet.

6. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 1, the method further comprising sending queue utilization statistics to the subscriber.

7. A method of reporting utilization of call queues in claim 1, the method further comprising:

aggregating subscriber data across a plurality of report periods; and

calculating utilization information based on the aggregated data.

8. For use in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) equipped with termination attempt trigger (TAT) capability, the AIN having at least one central office switch and a service control point (SCP) in electrical communication with a plurality of subscriber switches via a signaling network, a method of reporting utilization of queuing of a plurality of telephone calls from a caller to a subscriber telephone line comprising:

providing an intelligent peripheral in electrical communication with the central office switch and the SCP, the intelligent peripheral equipped with queuing functionality for each of the subscribers;

monitoring signaling to detect a TAT;

generating a first electrical signal for receipt by the SCP in response to the detected TAT;

generating a second electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the intelligent peripheral requesting status of a queue associated with the subscriber line;

generating a third electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the subscriber switch instructing the subscriber switch to forward the call to the intelligent peripheral to be added to the queue in response to a determination that the queue is active;

determining queue utilization information at the SCP about each queued call; and

generating queue utilization statistics based on the queue utilization information

generating a fourth electrical signal at the subscriber switch for receipt by the SCP in response to a determination that the subscriber line is busy;

generating a fifth electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the subscriber switch instructing the subscriber switch to forward the call to the intelligent peripheral to be placed in the queue;

generating a sixth electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the subscriber switch instructing the subscriber switch to set a monitor on the subscriber line and to notify the SCP when the line is idle;

generating a seventh electrical signal at the subscriber switch for receipt by the SCP in response to a determination that the subscriber line is idle;

generating an eighth electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the intelligent peripheral instructing the intelligent peripheral to call the subscriber via the central office switch;

generating a ninth electrical signal at the central office switch, for receipt by the intelligent peripheral to forward answer supervision to the intelligent peripheral in response to the call being answered by the subscriber; and

generating a tenth electrical signal at the intelligent peripheral for receipt by the central office switch to transfer and connect the subscriber and the caller at the central office switch.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the AIN is further equipped with Next Event List (NEL) functionality, the method further comprising:

generating an eleventh electrical signal at the SCP for receipt by the subscriber switch instructing the subscriber switch to deliver the call to the subscriber and to set a NEL to determine the status of the subscriber line in response to a determination that the queue is empty; and

connecting the call to the subscriber line in response to a determination that the subscriber line is idle.