Protocol builder for a call handling system

• US 7,646,858 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Inventors: Turk, Jeremy Edward, Salafia, Christopher Michael, Salafia, Philip M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S
• Application Number:
  US11/733,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/540, 340/5.61, 340/825.09, 340/573.1, 379 37- 49, 379/201.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/88.01, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/201.03, 600/300, 600/301, 600/486, 600/529, 707/10
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for handling calls. In one embodiment of the invention, a call handling system is configured for handling a variety of emergency and/or non emergency related calls. The call handling system may enable recognition of and response to received call information. The call handling system comprises a call interface configured for receiving the call information. A processor is communicatively coupled to the call interface and configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol. This protocol may, as it progresses, be used to generate data for use in a CAD system. The CAD system may subsequently dispatch responders based on the generated data. The call handling system includes an advisory component that recommends a type of dispatch and a risk assessment. The call handling system also includes a build component that allows for the generation of protocols.

Claims

1. A call handling system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive information from a caller using a call handler interface; and

modularly configure call handling rules using a build component, which enables the creation and amendment of one or more protocols, wherein the processor initiates the one or more protocols to direct a call handler to respond to a caller, the rules include information for generating one or more protocol modules for each of the one or more protocols, the one or more protocol modules are configured for a situation pertaining to a caller, the one or more protocol modules include one or more script elements that are created and amended by the build component, the one or more script elements include at least one of a caller'"'"'s answers to selected scripts, a descriptive response by a caller and one or more activity triggers associated with various script elements.

2. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to process the rules using a rules processing engine to generate the one or more protocols.

3. The call handling system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a first of the one or more protocols based on a response to an initiated protocol using the processing engine having a bridge component.

4. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more activity triggers within the one or more protocols using the build component, wherein the one or more activity triggers include links to other protocols based on responses from a caller.

5. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate one or more activity triggers within the one or more protocols using the build component, wherein the one or more activity triggers initiate an advisory component of the call handling system based on responses from a caller.

6. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to test the generated one or more script modules using the build component having a test element.

7. The call handling system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to test the generated one or more script modules using the test element by deploying a script module for operation within the call handling system while decoupling the call handling system from external computer aided dispatch systems.

8. The call handling system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to provide accessibility to a generated script module by the call handling system using the build component having a publication component.

9. The call handling system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to provide version control of a generated script module using the build component.

10. The call handling system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to migrate the version control of a generated script module to at least one other script module using the build component.

11. The call handling system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to prevent inadvertent access to a previous version of a generated script module using the version control of the generated script module.

12. A call handling system, comprising:

a call handler interface component that facilitates receiving call information, wherein the call handler interface component comprises;

a storage unit comprising;

one or more protocols stored within the storage unit, wherein the one or more protocols facilitate directing a call handler to respond to a caller; and

a database having one or more terms based on the call information, wherein the one or more terms are cross referenced to the stored protocols to initiate at least one of the stored protocols; and

a processor coupled to the storage unit and configured to;

process the call information;

populate the database with the one or more terms based on the call information; and

configure rules using a build component, wherein the rules are input via the call handler interface to create and amend the one or more protocols, wherein the rules include advisory information and a relative importance of a protocol module and wherein a generated protocol has one or more modules configured from the rules, each module includes one or more script elements that are created and amended by the build component and the one or more script element includes at least one of a caller'"'"'s answers to selected scripts, a descriptive response by a caller and one or more activity triggers associated with various script elements.

13. The call handling system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a second of the stored protocols using a bridge component.

14. The call handling system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to operably merge at least two of the stored protocols to facilitate generating a merged protocol using the bridge element.

15. The call handling system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to detect an event based on processed call information to facilitate initiating the second of the stored protocols using the bridge element.

16. A method of generating a protocol module for use in a call handling system, said method implemented using a processor configured to:

provide a protocol framework;

receive first information relevant to a first portion of a call handling system scenario;

process the first information to generate a first protocol module;

create a script element included within each first protocol module, wherein the script element includes at least one of a caller'"'"'s answers to selected scripts, a descriptive response by a caller and an activity trigger associated with various script elements;

amend the script element; and

format the first protocol module within the protocol framework.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

generate the activity trigger for initiating an advisory component upon initiation of the first protocol module; and

format the activity trigger within the first protocol module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

receive second information relevant to a second portion of the call handling system scenario;

process the second information to generate a second protocol module; and

format the second protocol module within the protocol framework.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to compile the first protocol module and the second protocol module within the protocol framework to generate a first protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

test the first protocol to determine operability of the first protocol;

provide the call handling system with test data relevant to the call handling system scenario; and

decouple external systems in communication with the call handling system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to publish the first protocol to one or more call handling systems.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

generate a version control indicator for the first protocol; and

update one or more preconfigured protocols with links to the first protocol based on the version control indicator.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

amend the first protocol; and

update the version control indicator based on the amendment to the first protocol.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

retain an original copy of the first protocol in a database; and

prevent access to the original copy of the first protocol during an actual call handling system scenario.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to compile the first protocol module within the protocol framework to generate a first protocol.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

test the first protocol to determine operability of the first protocol;

provide the call handling system with test data relevant to the call handling system scenario; and

decouple external systems in communication with the call handling system.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to publish the first protocol to one or more call handling systems.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

generate a version control indicator for the first protocol; and

update one or more preconfigured protocols with links to the first protocol based on the version control indicator.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

amend the first protocol; and

update the version control indicator based on the amendment to the first protocol.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to:

retain an original copy of the first protocol in a database; and

prevent access to the original copy of the first protocol during an actual call handling system scenario.

31. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is implemented using a processor further configured to generate an indicator reception within the first protocol module for initiating a preconfigured protocol.