Call center management systems

• US 7,925,003 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Castel Communications LLC
• Original Assignee: Castel Communications LLC
• Inventors: Fieldman, Dennis H., Haug, V. Lawrence Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US10/637,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• 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 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

A call center management system employs out-of-band signaling, such as provided by ISDN telecommunications technology, to manage outbound calls from a call center. By communicating with a central office of the PSTN in this way, it is possible to exercise a great degree of control over outbound calls originating from the call center. This control may be used, for example, to insert a meaningful caller identification label into the outbound call, or to manage dead air time within limits established by law, custom, or convenience, and to provide detailed reporting of outbound call activity.

Claims

1. A method for managing caller identification of a calling party in outbound telephone calls comprising:

obtaining a record for an outbound call to be made from a call center for the calling party to a receiving party, the record including calling rules associated with the receiving party and a caller identifier for transmission to the receiving party in the outbound call as an identifier of the calling party;

assigning the caller identifier based, at least in part, on the calling rules;

transmitting an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call, the out-of-band message including a telephone number used to connect to the receiving party through a telecommunications network, and the message including the caller identifier for transmission to the receiving party;

receiving at the call center an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered; and

connecting an agent to the outbound call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identifier includes at least one of a numeric and alphanumeric identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identifier includes an automatic number identification (ANI).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party includes the party who operates the call center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling party includes a customer of the call center who engages the call center to place the outbound call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller identifier includes a text identifier of the calling party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band message includes an ISDN message.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising communicating the out-of-band message using at least one of DOCSIS, GSM, VOIP, and SS7 signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling rules include rules associated with a geographic region, the geographic region being associated with at least one of the telephone number and address of the receiving party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the calling rules are based, at least in part, on at least one of rules mandated by the geographic region and rules required by the call center.

11. A system for managing caller identification of a calling party in outbound telephone calls from a call center comprising:

a plurality of agent stations, each agent station including a display and a telephone;

a telecommunications switch coupled to the telephone at each one of the plurality of agent stations, the telecommunications switch also coupled in a communicating relationship with a central office, the communicating relationship including one or more voice channels and one or more signaling channels;

a database of records corresponding to outbound calls that are to be placed and at least one caller identifier; and

a computer configured to i) obtain a record from the database for an outbound call to be made from the call center for the calling party to a receiving party, the record including calling rules associated with the receiving party and the at least one caller identifier for transmission to the receiving party in the outbound call as an identifier of the calling party, ii) assign the at least one caller identifier based, at least in part, on the calling rules, iii) transmit an out-of-band message to initiate the outbound call, the out-of-band message including a telephone number used to connect to the receiving party through a telecommunications network, and the message including the at least one caller identifier for transmission to the receiving party, iv) receive at the call center an out-of-band message that the outbound call has been answered, and v) connect an agent station to the outbound call.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the caller identifier includes at least one of a numeric and alphanumeric identifier.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the caller identifier includes an automatic number identification (ANI).

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the calling party includes the party who operates the call center.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the calling party includes a customer of the call center who engages the call center to place the outbound call.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the caller identifier includes a text identifier of the calling party.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the out of band message includes an ISDN message.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the out-of-band message is communicated via at least one of DOCSIS, GSM, VOIP, and SS7 signaling.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the calling rules include rules associated with a geographic region, the geographic region being associated with at least one of the telephone number and address of the receiving party.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the calling rules are based, at least in part, on at least one of rules mandated by the geographic region and rules required by the call center.