Anticipatory call distributor
First Claim
1. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
- (a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls;
(b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), monitoring at least one parameter indicating future channel availability to anticipate the time until a channel will become available to answer calls; and
(c) assigning channels to answer calls based upon the time anticipated in step (b).
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications distribution system is disclosed for facilitating the handling of telephone calls within a plurality of groups. Each of the groups includes a line group and a channel group interconnected by an anticipatory call distributor (ANCD) for determining the availability of channels for connecting to a line from the associated line group, and for reassigning channels to other groups as long as a certain minimum capacity is maintained in each group. The ANCD also anticipates whether any channels are expected to become available within a predetermined period. In response to channel availability, or to a channel that is expected to become available, a priority and availability logic sets an appropriate status register, which is checked by switching command logic. The switching command logic periodically checks the status of the bits in the status register and determines, based upon a priority ranking, whether any channel is available or will become available to answer a phone call, and if so, which channel will be used.
49 Citations
59 Claims
-
1. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls; (b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), monitoring at least one parameter indicating future channel availability to anticipate the time until a channel will become available to answer calls; and (c) assigning channels to answer calls based upon the time anticipated in step (b). - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls, including; (1) determining which line group the call came in on; (2) determining if a channel is available in a designated channel group and assigning such available designated channel to answer the call; and (3) in response to a negative determination in step (a)(2), determining if any channel is available in a non-designated group and assigning any such available non-designated channel to answer the call; (b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), anticipating the time until a channel will become available to answer the call; and (c) assigning said channel to answer the call based upon the time anticipated in step (b). - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls; (b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), anticipating the time until at least one channel will become available to answer calls, including; (1) determining a time period indicative of the call length for a particular line group; (2) measuring the duration of an existing call; and (3) subtracting the measured duration (step b(2)) from the time period for a call in that line group (step b(1)) to determine a predicted time until channel availability for said at least one channel; and (c) assigning channels to answer calls based upon the time predicted in step (b)(3). - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channel groups including channels, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls; (b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), anticipating the time until at least one channel will become available to answer calls; and (c) assigning at least one channel group to answer calls based upon the time anticipated in step (b), including; (1) determining which line group the call came in on; (2) determining if a channel will become available in the designated channel group and assigning the designated channel group to answer the call; (3) in response to a negative determination in step (c)(2), determining if any channel will become available in an unassigned channel group and assigning any such unassigned channel group to answer the call; and (4) in response to a negative determination in step (c)(3), determining if any channel in an assigned non-designated channel group will become available and assigning such channel group to answer the call. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A method of assigning incoming calls on one of a plurality of line groups to a non-designated channel group among a plurality of channel groups, comprising the steps of;
-
(a) assigning a priority value to the line group; (b) assigning calls from the line group to a non-designated channel group based on said priority value of the line group; (c) modifying said priority value of the line group based upon the volume of calls already being answered; and (d) assigning calls from the line group to one or more non-designated channel groups based on said modified priority value of the line group. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system for automatically connecting a call from a telephone line in a designated one of a plurality of telephone line groups to one channel in one of a plurality of channel groups, comprising:
-
a switching bus connecting one telephone line to the one channel; a clock and channel status unit connected to said plurality of channel groups for providing a signal indicative of the duration of a connected call; priority and availability logic for receiving said signals from said clock and channel status units and for determining the period of time until the channel becomes available; wherein said priority and availability logic also updates the period of time until the channel becomes available by determining the duration of a connected call, and subtracting this duration from the call length for the designated line group; and switching command logic for controlling said switching bus to selectively interconnect said line with a channel based upon the calculated time until a channel will become available when not presently available as determined by said priority and availability logic. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. An automated call distributing system, comprising:
-
a plurality of lines configured into a plurality of line groups for receiving incoming calls; a plurality of channels configured into a plurality of channel groups for answering said incoming calls, wherein each line group has a designated channel group for answering incoming calls on the associated line group; an automatic call distributor unit for selectively connecting the lines to the channels, said automatic call distributor including a control and logic processor for monitoring channel availability and selecting available channels to handle incoming calls on the lines; wherein said automatic call distributor reserves a minimum quantity of available channels in each channel group for answering only calls on the associated line group; and wherein said minimum quantity of available channels is dynamically variable and dependent on call load. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
47. A method for controlling the assignment of a plurality of lines to a plurality of channel groups, comprising the steps of:
-
determining the availability of at least some of the plurality of channel groups for assigning available channel groups to the plurality of lines; monitoring at least one parameter indicating future channel group availability to anticipate one or more channel groups becoming available; and assigning at least some of the plurality of channel groups to one or more lines based upon said future channel group availability. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A device for controlling the assignment of a plurality of lines to a plurality of channel groups, comprising:
-
a unit for determining availability of at least some of the plurality of channel groups for assigning available channel groups to the plurality of lines; a monitor for monitoring at least one parameter indicative of future channel group availability and for anticipating one or more channels groups becoming available; and a logic unit for assigning the one or more lines to one or more channel groups based upon said future channel group availability. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
-
-
57. A device for controlling the assignment of a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising:
-
a unit for determining channel availability of at least some of the plurality of channels for assigning available channels to the plurality of lines; a monitor for monitoring at least one parameter indicative of future channel group availability and for anticipating one or more channels becoming available; and a logic unit for assigning the one or more lines to one or more channels based upon said future channel availability.
-
-
58. A method for controlling the assignment of a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
-
determining the availability of at least some of the plurality of channels for assigning available channels to at least some of the plurality of lines; monitoring at least one parameter indicating future channel availability to anticipate one or more channels becoming available; and assigning at least some of the plurality of channels to one or more lines based upon said future channel availability.
-
-
59. A method for distributing calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) determining channel availability and assigning available channels to answer calls; (b) to the extent that any calls remain unassigned after step (a), anticipating the time until at least one channel will become available to answer calls, including; (1) determining a parameter indicative of a call duration; (2) determining a parameter indicative of the status of an existing call; and (3) comparing said parameters determined in steps (b)(1) and (b)(2) to determine channel availability for said at least one channel; and (c) assigning said at least one channel to answer calls based upon the determination in step (b)(3).
-
Specification