Telecommunications system including live operators

• US 7,106,743 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alorica Business Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Kavulak, Paul Harold, Brown, Mike Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): FERRIS, DERRICK W
• Application Number:
  US09/692,575
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/354, 370/356, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/401, 379/258, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.11
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for effecting telephonic communication. In one aspect of the invention, a telecommunications system includes a hub location including a call center front end, one or more remote locations each including a call center back end, and a connectivity member for connecting the hub location to the one or more remote locations. In the preferred embodiment, the one or more remote locations are preferably geographically separate from the hub location, such as in different parts of the country, or in different countries, and the connectivity member preferably includes an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) based transport network.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system adapted to perform as a geographically-distributed call receiving center for an inbound telemarketing campaign while minimizing capital expenditures associated with constructing the telecommunications system, enhancing utilization levels of the call receiving center, the telecommunications system comprising at least the following:

a single, centralized hub having at least one voice response unit (VRU) for initially receiving and processing incoming telephone calls, a server coupled to the VRU unit, a programmable switch, and at least a first Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch adapted to transfer ones of said calls for routing to a remote location corresponding to the number dialed for said calls, wherein the programmable switch is coupled to the VRU and to the first ATM switch;

a plurality of remote sites distributed to respective locations that are geographically remote from the hub, each site having a respective second ATM switch adapted to receive ones of the calls as transferred from the first ATM switch, at least one telephone receiver to enable live operators at the sites to receive the transferred calls from the second ATM switch, and at least one server coupled at least to the second ATM switch, wherein a respective parameter representing a peak hours of operation is associated with each one of the remote sites, wherein the respective parameters associated with corresponding ones of the remote sites are staggered relative to one another, wherein all of said calls are received by the hub and routed to given ones of the remote sites based on the parameter, thereby utilizing the hub more efficiently over time, and wherein capital assets located at the respective sites are minimized in favor of maximizing the capital assets located at the hub;

a first connectivity member coupled to provide voice communications between the hub and the sites so that the hub has a one-to-many relationship with the sites;

a second connectivity member coupled to provide data communications between the hub and the sites, the server at the hub coupled to communicate with each of the servers at the sites via the second connectivity member; and

at least a third connectivity member coupled to provide a redundant voice communications link between the hub and the sites in the event that the first connectivity member fails;

wherein the incoming telephone calls received and processed at the VRU are each assigned an internal Dialed Number Information Service (DNIS) that associates each of the calls with their proper remote sites;

wherein the first ATM switch uses the internal DNIS associated with each of the calls to route the calls to their proper remote sites; and

wherein the programmable switch is programmed to route each of the calls to their proper remote sites in an event of a system failure, based upon the internal DNIS associated with each of the calls.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity member comprises a telecommunications network.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein the telecommunications network supports asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communication.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a plurality of ATM transmission lines and ATM switches.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the hub is a call center front end having voice response functionality.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 5, wherein the call center front end includes at least one voice response unit (VRU).

7. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the first switch supports asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the first switch supports frame relay switching.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the remote sites are provided in a plurality of respective physical locations, at least some of the physical locations being different from that of the hub.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 9, wherein the hub and at least one of the remote sites are separated by a distance of ten feet or more.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 9, wherein the hub and at least one of the remote sites are separated by a distance of one mile or more.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 9, wherein the hub and remote sites are both located in the United States, and wherein the hub is located in a different state of the United States than that of at least one of the remote sites.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the remote sites are implemented as call center back ends, with each remote site having at least one live operator.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the call center back ends further comprise an automatic call distributor (ACD).

15. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second switches supports asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second switches supports frame relay switching.

17. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the hub includes a first server having computer telephone integration (CTI) capability.

18. The telecommunications system of claim 17, wherein the remote site includes a second server in communicative contact with the first server.

19. The telecommunications system of claim 18, wherein the first server and second server are connected by a telecommunications network.

20. The telecommunications system of claim 19, wherein the telecommunications network is the connectivity member.

21. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising a backup network providing telecommunications connectivity between the hub and at least one of the remote sites.

22. The telecommunications system of claim 21, wherein the backup network is a software defined network (SDN) provided by a telephone services carrier.