Abstract:
A computerized Internet-Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) routing system has a routing processor for receiving and forwarding IPNT calls based on information stored in an associated database regarding operation and status of possible destinations for the call. In some embodiments destinations are call centers adapted for receiving IPNT calls at workstations associated with a central processor, and the information in the database at the routing processor is collected and processed at the call centers that are potential destinations for the calls. The information is collected processed and forwarded to the database for the purpose of enhancing call-routing efficiency and accuracy.
Abstract:
A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.
Abstract:
A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network (100) including a service control point (SCP) (101) operates with a plurality of workstations (361, 362) each comprising a telephone (131, 132) coupled to the telephony network (100) and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC/VDU) (331, 332), the PC/VDU (331, 332) connected to the SCP (101) via a wide range area network (WAN), and a personal router (207) associated with each PC/VDU (331, 332). The SCP (101) broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC/VDUs (331, 332) via the WAN, and the personal routers (207) negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP (101) with a destination for the call.
Abstract:
The present invention involves a system for routing video telecommunication calls received by a central exchange to one of a plurality of video stations connected to the exchange. Each video communication channel occupies two voice-quality telephone channels. Video telecommunication calls are initiated by a video device having preassigned telephone numbers. The video device then calls the central exchange. The routing system contains a telephone switch that connects the first incoming telephone channel to a video station. The ANI of the calling video device is recorded. When the second incoming telephone channel of the same video station is received, its ANI is detected. Because the telephone numbers associated with the calling video device are preassigned, the routing system is able to anticipate the second ANI of the channel which carries the video telecommunication. Upon receiving a call having the second ANI, the routing system then connects this call to the same video station.
Abstract:
A system (33) for outbound dialing for call centers (11) places the outbound dialer (21) at network level (13), and client call centers provide destination number calling lists. The outbound dialer (21), upon completing a call to a destination number, connects the completed call to a routing point at a client call center. The system (33) may be CTI-enhanced, and can be hosted by a client of the network provider, or by the network provider. Clients may subscribe to the network provider for service, providing calling lists and routing points, and completed calls may be routed to call centers operated by different clients. The architecture and method of this system (33) minimizes the number of leased lines required by each call center taking advantage of the system (33).
Abstract:
A system for rerouting misrouted calls between call centers has multiple call centers (501, 502, 503) all connected by digital link (511, 512, 513) to a central rerouter (510), which maintains a data list of a unique pool of destination numbers assigned to each of the call centers (501, 502, 503). The central rerouter (510) sends rerouted calls to destination numbers in the destination number pool for each call center (501, 502, 503) in a sequential manner such that any destination number in the pool for any call center (501, 502, 503), once used, is not used again until all of the remaining destination numbers in the pool for that call center are used once each. In a preferred embodiment call centers (501, 502, 503) are interconnected by private lines, and rerouted calls are sent over the private lines.
Abstract:
A personal telephone call router adapted to execute on a personal computer (PC) connected to a local area network (LAN) wherein the LAN is also connected to a computerized telephony switching system has a graphic user interface allowing an individual user to route incoming calls from his/her PC by drag-and-drop techniques. In some embodiments the user may also customize routing rules for incoming calls. In preferred embodiments incoming calls are directed in the telephony switch to a virtual routing destination. In some cases each individual user is associated with a specific virtual destination, and in others data associated with each call is broadcast on the LAN to be filtered at each PC on the LAN running a personal router according to an embodiment of the invention.
Abstract:
A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network (100) including a service control point (SCP) (101) operates with a plurality of workstations (361, 362) each comprising a telephone (131, 132) coupled to the telephony network (100) and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC/VDU) (331, 332), the PC/VDU (331, 332) connected to the SCP (101) via a wide range area network (WAN), and a personal router (207) associated with each PC/VDU (331, 332). The SCP (101) broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC/VDUs (331, 332) via the WAN, and the personal routers (207) negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP (101) with a destination for the call.
Abstract:
A method for a reporting application to flexibly report the status of an entity in a call center to a requesting application is provided. The entity could be in one or more states. Examples of an entity are a directory number (217-219, 223 and 224), an agent (230 and 231), a group (232 and 233), a routing point (214-216, 221 and 222), and an agent place (226-228). The requesting application sets the priority of these states belonging to the entity by sending a status priority table to the reporting application. The reporting application reports the status based on the active states of the entity and the priority table. As an example, the reported status could be the active state having the highest priority in the table. This state is reported back to the requesting application. Because different requesting applications could present different priority tables, the reporting application could report different states for the same entity.
Abstract:
A plurality of aspects (113, 114, 120, 124) and embodiment of unique telephony apparatus and methods are disclosed, including but limited to video routing and conferencing, coordinating telephone calls with data pertaining to the calls, methods for implementing and operating call centers (110), routing calls by statistical modeling, using multiple object states in telephony software systems, and routing of electronic documents.