Call features for automatic call distribution system

• US 7,257,217 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/472,910
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/266.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

Call features for an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system implemented within a packet-based telephone environment are disclosed. Within a packet-based network, data messages are transferred between the ACD system and customer telephone stations while the customer waits for an attendant to become available. These data messages allow the customer to be informed of his/her current status within the priority order and further allows the customer to initiate a number of customer oriented operations. These operations include selecting music to listen to while waiting, requesting to be alerted when an attendant becomes available, and initiating a browser session for accessing data information. Overall, the status reports in combination with the initiating of one or more of the customer oriented operations can make the time spent waiting for an attendant a more productive and pleasant experience for the customer.

Claims

1. An Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) controller arranged to be coupled through at least one packet-based network to a plurality of remote telephone stations and one or more attendant telephone stations, the ACD controller comprising:

call reception logic that controls establishment of telephone sessions between the remote telephone stations and the one or more attendant telephone stations; and

wherein the call reception logic operates to;

receive call initiation signals from a particular one of the remote telephone, stations

send control signals to the particular remote telephone station indicating the ACD controller will control a user interface comprising a display screen within the particular remote telephone station,

monitor if an attendant availability parameter is met;

if the attendant availability parameter is not met, to send at least one data information message comprising a display screen message to the particular remote telephone station via the at least one packet-based network; and

, if the attendant availability parameter is met, to establish an audio channel between the particular remote telephone station and a particular one of the one or more attendant telephone stations, and

query capabilities of the particular remote telephone station prior to sending the data information message, a format for the data information message being determined based upon the capabilities of the particular remote telephone station.

2. An ACD controller according to claim 1, wherein the at least one packet-based network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network and the data information message is transmitted within an IP packet.

3. An ACD controller according to claim 1, wherein the call reception logic further operates to determine a waiting parameter to be presented to a user at the particular remote telephone station, the data information message comprising said waiting parameter.

4. An ACD controller according to claim 3, wherein the waiting parameter comprises a number corresponding to an order in which the call initiation signals were received from the particular remote telephone station with respect to other call initiation signals received from other ones of the remote telephone stations.

5. An ACD controller according to claim 3, wherein the waiting parameter comprises an estimate of a time before the attendant availability parameter will be met.

6. An ACD controller according to claim 3, wherein the call reception logic further operates to update the waiting parameter periodically until the attendant availability parameter is met and to send further data information messages comprising updated waiting parameters to the particular remote telephone station via the packet-based network until the attendant availability parameter is met.

7. An ACD controller according to claim 1, wherein the user interface of the particular remote station further comprises softkeys.

8. An ACD controller according to claim 7, wherein the capabilities queried comprise a size of a display screen and a configuration of softkeys.

9. An Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) center, comprising:

one or more attendant telephone stations; and

an ACD controller arranged to be coupled through at least one packet-based network to a plurality of remote telephone stations and the one or more attendant telephone stations, the ACD controller comprising call reception logic that controls establishment of telephone sessions between the remote telephone stations and the one or more attendant telephone stations,

wherein the call reception logic operates to;

receive call initiation signals from a particular one of the remote telephone stations,

send control signals to the particular remote telephone station indicating the ACD controller will control a user interface comprising a display screen within the particular remote telephone station,

monitor if an attendant availability parameter is met;

if the attendant availability parameter is not met, to send at least one data information message comprising a display screen message to the particular remote telephone station via the at least one packet-based network; and

, if the attendant availability parameter is met, to establish an audio channel between the particular remote telephone station and a particular one of the one or more attendant telephone stations, and

query capabilities of the particular remote telephone station prior to sending the data information message, a format for the data information message being determined based upon the capabilities of the particular remote telephone station.

10. An ACD center according to claim 9, wherein the at least one packet-based network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network and the data information message is transmitted within an IP packet.

11. An ACD center according to claim 9, wherein the call reception logic further operates to determine a waiting parameter to be presented to a user at the particular remote telephone station, the data information message comprising the waiting parameter.

12. An ACD center according to claim 11, wherein the waiting parameter comprises a number corresponding to an order in which the call initiation signals were received from the particular remote telephone station with respect to other call initiation signals received from other ones of the remote telephone stations.

13. An ACD center according to claim 11, wherein the waiting parameter comprises an estimate of a time before the attendant availability parameter will be met.

14. An ACD center according to claim 11, wherein the call reception logic further operates to update the waiting parameter periodically until the attendant availability parameter is met and to send further data information message comprising updated waiting parameters to the particular remote telephone station via the packet-based network until the attendant availability parameter is met.

15. An ACD center according to claim 9, wherein the at least one packet network comprises a local area network coupling the ACD controller and the one or more attendant telephone stations.

16. An ACD center according to claim 9, further comprising one or more attendant console devices, each of the one or more attendant console devices associated with one of the one or more attendant telephone stations.

17. An ACD center according to claim 9, wherein the user interface of the particular remote station further comprises softkeys.

18. An ACD center according to claim 17, wherein the capabilities queried comprise a size of a display screen and a configuration of softkeys.

19. A method of operating an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) center comprising an ACD controller coupled through at least one packet-based network to a plurality of remote telephone stations and one or more attendant telephone stations, the method comprising controlling establishment of telephone sessions between the remote telephone stations and the one or more attendant telephone stations by:

receiving call initiation signals from a particular one of the remote telephone stations;

sending control signals to the particular remote telephone station indicating the ACD controller will control a user interface comprising a display screen within the particular remote telephone station;

monitoring if an attendant availability parameter is met;

if the attendant availability parameter is not met, sending at least one data information message comprising a display screen message to the particular remote telephone station via the at least one packet-based network;

if the attendant availability parameter is met, establishing an audio channel between the particular remote telephone station and a particular one of the one or more attendant telephone stations; and

querying capabilities of the particular remote telephone station prior to sending the data information message, a format for the data information message being determined based upon the capabilities of the particular remote telephone station.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one packet-based network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network and the data information message is transmitted within an IP packet.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising determining a waiting parameter to be presented to a user at the particular remote telephone station, the data information message comprising the waiting parameter.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the waiting parameter comprises a number corresponding to an order in which the call initiation signals were received from the particular remote telephone station with respect to other call initiation signals received from other ones of the remote telephone stations.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein the waiting parameter comprises an estimate of a time before the attendant availability parameter will be met.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

updating the waiting parameter periodically until the attendant availability parameter is met; and

sending further data information messages comprising updated waiting parameters to the particular remote telephone station via the packet-based network until the attendant availability parameter is met.

25. A method according to claim 19, wherein the user interface of the particular remote station further comprises softkeys.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the capabilities queried comprise a size of a display screen and a configuration of softkeys.