Telephone agent call management system

A telephone agent call management arrangement for use with a plurality of agent stations connected to an ISDN central office switching system, comprising:

• processor means;
• memory means for storing data;
• and
• interface circuitry for interfacing said processor means to an ISDN subscriber line connected to said switching system;
• said processor means responsive to associated ISDN messages from said subscriber line defining ISDN call handling messages exchanged between said switching system and said agent stations for interpreting said associated messages and recording in said memory means data defining call handling activity of said agent stations;
• and
• said processor means responsive to ISDN messages from said subscriber line defining a call to said computer for selecting one of said agent stations on the basis of said recorded data and transmitting on said subscriber line ISDN messages defining the establishment of a call from said computer to said selected station and messages defining said incoming call and said call to said selected agent and requesting an interconnection between said calls.

The telephone agent outgoing call management arrangement for use with a plurality of central office switching systems each having at least one telephone agent station connected thereto, comprising:

• processor means;
• and
• interface means for connecting said processor means to each of said central office switching systems;
• said processor means responsive to messages transmitted by each of said switching systems, representative of call handling messages exchanged between said agent stations and said switching systems, for recording data defining call handling activity of each of said agent stations;
• said processor means initiating a call to a subscriber connected to a first one of said switching systems and initiating a call to one of said agents connected to a second of said switching systems, via said first and said second switching systems, and responsive to a message from said first switching system indicating an answer at said subscriber station for transmitting to said first switching system a message for causing said first switching system to interconnect said first and said second calls.

A telephone agent call management arrangement for connection to a plurality of central office switching systems each having telephone agent stations connected thereto, comprising;

• computer means;
• and
• means for connecting said computer means to said plurality of central office switching systems;
• said computer means initiating a call to a subscriber station connected to a first of said switching systems and initiating a call to a selected one of said agents connected to a second one of said switching systems through said first and said second switching systems;
• said computer responsive to a message from said first switching system indicating that said subscriber station has answered, for transmitting to said first switching system a message requesting said first switching system to interconnect said first call and said second call, whereby a connection is established between a subscriber station selected by said computer on said first switching system and an agent station selected by said computer on said second switching system.

A telephone agent call management arrangement for use with an ISDN switching system, comprising:

• processor means;
• memory means;
• and
• means for connecting said processor means to an ISDN subscriber line having shared call appearances assigned thereto with a plurality of agent stations connected to said switching system;
• said processor means responsive to shared call appearance associated ISDN messages on said subscriber line for recording in said memory data defining call handling activity of each of said agent stations and responsive to an incoming call to said call handling arrangement over said ISDN subscriber line for selecting one of said agent stations on the basis of said recorded information and for transmitting to said switching system ISDN messages recognizable by said switching system for causing said switching system to establish a connection from said incoming call to said selected agent station;
• said processor means transmitting to said switching system ISDN messages defining the establishment of a call to a selected subscriber station and responsive to an ISDN message from said switching system corresponding to a answer indication at said subscriber station for transmitting to said switching system, via said subscriber line, ISDN messages for causing said switching system to establish a connection between said subscriber station and agent stations selected by said processor means on the basis of said stored information.

A method of managing calls for a plurality of agent stations connected to a central office switching system, in a computer connected to said switching system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving at said computer associated messages transmitted by said central office switching system and indicative of call handling information exchanged between said switching system and said stations;
• interpreting said messages and recording in said computer call handling activity data for said stations;
• placing an outgoing call from said computer through said switching system to a predetermined customer;
• selecting one of said agent stations for handling said call on the basis of said recorded data;
• and
• transmitting to said switching system a call handling message for causing said switching system to extend a call from said computer to said selected agent station and a message for causing said switching system to interconnect said outgoing call and said call to said selected agent station.