Remote agent operation for automatic call distributors

An automatic call distributor (ACD) switching network service method of serving calls from a position of the ACD, the ACD served by a first common carrier switching system and controlled by an ACD process means of the first system, wherein the position is served by a second common carrier switching system, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a switched voice and a data connection via the second common carrier switching system between the position and the first common carrier switching system, wherein said establishing comprises:
• establishing a first data connection between the position and a front-end process means of the first system for interfacing between the ACD process means and the position, and establishing a message link between the front-end process and the ACD process means;
• under the control of the ACD process means, connecting incoming calls, from any switching system, to the voice connection between the first switching system and the position, for service by the position, and the position communicating with the ACD process means via the data connection in serving each call;
• sending messages in a first protocol from the ACD process means to the front-end process via the message link for conversion to a second protocol for sending messages to the position via the first data connection;
• and
• sending messages in the second protocol from the position to the front-end process means via the first data connection for conversion to the first protocol for sending messages to the ACD process means via the message link.

An automatic call distributor (ACD) switching network service method of serving calls from a position of the ACD, the ACD served by a first common carrier switching system and controlled by an ACD process means of a first common carrier switching system, wherein the position is served by a second common carrier switching system, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a switched voice and a data connection via the second switching system between the position and the first switching system;
• under the control of the ACD process means, connecting incoming calls, from any switching system, to the voice connection between the first switching system and the position, for service by the position, and the position communicating with the ACD process means via the data connection in serving each call;
• and
• responsive to a request from the position for accessing a data base, the second system establishing a data connection between the position and the data base.

In a common carrier switching system, an automatic call distributor (ACD) arrangement comprising:

• ACD process means responsive to an incoming call to an ACD for assigning an agent position for serving the call, and for communicating with the agent position using data messages in a first protocol, said first protocol for communicating with agent positions served from a first switching system comprising said ACD process means;
• and
• means for converting data messages between the first protocol and a second protocol for communicating via the second protocol with an agent position, said second protocol for transmitting messages between said first switching system and a second switching system and wherein the common carrier switching system further comprises:
• a switching network having a plurality of ports and a data link for connection to a common carrier network for establishing voice connections to an originator of the call and to the agent position, and for transmitting data messages between the agent position and a front-end process means of said switching system.

An automatic call distributor (ACD) arrangement comprising:

• ACD process means responsive to an incoming call to an ACD for assigning an agent position for serving the call, and for communicating with the agent position using data messages;
• link monitoring process means for communicating with a data link connected to a switching system;
• control process means for receiving a message from the position requesting attachment of the position to the ACD, for enabling a front-end process means in response to the receipt of the message, and for setting up a message link for transmitting messages between the agent position and the front-end process means;
• wherein the front-end process means comprises means, responsive to said enabling, for notifying the ACD process means of the request to attach the position to the ACD;
• and
• means for setting up a message link between the link monitoring process means and the front-end process means, and between the front-end process means and the ACD process means for communicating messages between the position and the ACD process means.