Automatic call back system and method of operation
AssigneeIntervoice, Inc.
InventorDaniel D. Hammond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of answering incoming calls are disclosed in which, if the resource (18)(19) desired by the caller is not then available, a robot controller (14) will inform the caller when a call back to the caller can be made. The callback time can be suggested by the robot controller (14) or the caller can request a specific callback time. The robot controller (14) ascertains and verifies the caller's call back identity and stores the number of the identity in a callback queue (11) along with such other pertinent information as the callback time, the caller's name and the required resource. At the appropriate time, the robot controller (14) removes the information from the callback queue (11), places the call and connects the desired resource (18)(19).
Claims66
A system for answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said system comprising
- means for robotically ascertaining a digitally encoded call back identity of incoming calls;
- means for disconnecting said incoming calls after said call back identity has been ascertained;
- and
- means operating from said digitally encoded call back identify for establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time.
A robot controller responsive to incoming calls from a plurality of calling telephone facilities comprising:
- a central processing unit for controlling said robot controller;
- means controlled by said processing unit for ascertaining a digitally encoded call back time for selected calling telephone facilities;
- and
- means operating from said digitally encoded call back time for establishing a call back connection to certain ones of said selected calling telephone facilities at a later period of time.
A system for scheduling the subsequent transfer of information from calls incoming to a communication facility from calling communication facilities, said system comprising:
- means for temporarily establishing communication connection to any said calling communication facility;
- means for robotically establishing the call back identity of said calling communication facility;
- means for robotically establishing a call back time with respect to said identified calling communication facility;
- means for storing said established call back identity and said established call back time;
- and
- means for disconnecting said temporary communication connection and wherein said call back time establishing means includes:
- means for interchanging data over said temporarily established communication connection to arrive at a mutually acceptable call back time.
The method of scheduling and subsequent transfer of information from calls incoming to a called communication facility from calling communication facilities, said method comprising the steps of:
- temporarily establishing a communication connection to any said calling communication facility;
- robotically establishing a call back time with respect to said identified calling communication line;
- string said established call back identity and said established call back time;
- and
- disconnecting said temporary communication connection and wherein said call back time establishing step includes the step of:
- interchanging data over said temporarily established communication connection to arrive at a mutually acceptable call back time.
A method of answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said method comprising the steps of:
- robotically ascertaining the call back identity of incoming calls;
- disconnecting said incoming call connection from said selected calling telephones after ascertaining said call back identify;
- establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time
- ascertaining the call back time for each said ascertained call identity;
- and
- robotically communicating said ascertained call back time to each said ascertained call back identity prior to enabling said disconnecting step with respect to said selected calls.
A robot call management system for use with calls incoming to a called communication facility from a calling communication facility, said system comprising:
- means for temporarily establishing a communication connection to any said calling communication line;
- means for determining at any time the current availability and the subsequent availability of the call completion resources at said called communication facility;
- means responsive to a determined current unavailability of said call completion resources for robotically establishing a call back time with respect to said calling communication facility, said call back time predicted from said determined subsequent availability of said call completion resources;
- and
- means for communicating said call back time over said temporarily established connection.
A system for processing calls incoming to a called communication facility from calling communication facilities, said system comprising:
- means for temporarily establishing a communication connection to any said calling communication facility;
- means for robotically establishing a digitally encoded call back identity of said calling communication facility;
- means for communication said established digitally encoded call back identity to another communication facility;
- means for robotically establishing a digitally encoded call back time with respect to said identified calling communication line;
- and
- means for communication said established digitally encoded call back time to said other communication facility in conjunction with said established call back identity.
A method of processing calls incoming to a called communication facility from calling communication facilities, said method comprising the steps of:
- temporarily establishing a digitally encoded call back identity of said calling communication facility;
- storing said established digitally encoded call back identity;
- communicating said stored call back identity to another communication facility;
- robotically establishing a digitally encoded call back time with respect to said identified calling communication facility;
- storing said digitally encoded callback time in conjunction with said call back identity;
- and
- communication said stored digitally encoded call back time to said other communication facility in conjunction with said call back identity.
A system for answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said system comprising:
- means for robotically ascertaining the call back identity of incoming calls;
- means for disconnecting said incoming calls after said call back identity has been ascertained;
- and
- means for establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time;
- means for ascertaining the call back time for each said ascertained call back identity;
- means for robotically communicating said ascertained call back time of each said incoming call prior to enabling said disconnecting means with respect to said incoming calls;
- and
- wherein said call back time ascertaining means includes means for predictive determining the prospective availability of said resources.
A system for answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said system comprising:
- means for robotically ascertaining the call back identity of incoming calls;
- means for disconnecting said incoming calls after said call back identity has been ascertained;
- and
- means for establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time;
- means for ascertaining the call back time for each said ascertained call back identity;
- means for robotically communicating said ascertained call back time to each said incoming call prior to enabling said disconnecting means with respect to said incoming calls;
- and further including:
- a queue of ascertaining call back identities, and means for removing said call back identities from said queue at said ascertained call back time.
A system for answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said system comprising:
- means for robotically ascertaining the call back identity of incoming calls;
- means for disconnecting said incoming calls after said call back identity has been ascertained;
- means for establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time;
- means for ascertaining the call back time for each said ascertained call back identity;
- means for robotically communicating said ascertained call back time to each said incoming call prior to enabling said disconnecting means with respect to said incoming calls;
- and wherein said call back time ascertaining means further includes:
- means for determining the statistical probability that a resource will be available when said call is completed to said ascertained call back identity.
A system for answering incoming calls on a plurality of telephone lines, said system comprising
- means for robotically ascertaining the call back identity of incoming calls;
- means for disconnecting said incoming calls after said call back identity has been ascertained;
- means for establishing a call back connection to said ascertained identities of said incoming calls at a later period of time;
- and wherein said call back identity ascertaining means further includes:
- means for receiving ANI information from said incoming calls.
A robot controller responsive to incoming calls from a plurality of calling telephone facilities comprising:
- a central processing unit for controlling said robot controller;
- means controlled by said processing unit for ascertaining a call back time for selected calling telephone facilities;
- means for establishing a call back connection to certain ones of said selected calling telephone facilities at a later period of time;
- wherein said call back establishing means includes:
- a call back queue for storing call back information for said certain ones of said calling telephone facilities;
- and
- means for removing from said queue stored call back information at said later period of time.
A robot controller responsive to incoming calls from a plurality of calling telephone facilities comprising:
- a central processing unit for controlling said robot controller;
- means controlled by said processing unit for ascertaining a call back time for selected calling telephone facilities;
- means for interrogating said selected calling telephone facilities;
- and
- means for monitoring signals returned from said calling telephone facilities in response to said interrogation.
A robot controller responsive to incoming calls from a plurality of calling telephone facilities comprising:
- a central processing unit for controlling said robot controller;
- means controlled by said processing unit for ascertaining a call back time for selected calling telephone facilities;
- means for establishing a call back connection to certain ones of said selected calling telephone facilities at a later period of time;
- wherein said incoming calls require service of call servicing resources;
- wherein said call back time is ascertained when said call servicing communication resources are unavailable to handle said telephone facility;
- and
- wherein said call back time ascertaining means includes:
- means for interrogating said selected calling telephone facility to establish a call back time;
- means for predictively determining the availability of one of said call servicing communicating resources;
- and
- means controlled jointly by said interrogating means and by said predictively determining means for controlling said time ascertaining means.
A robot controller responsive to incoming calls from a plurality of calling telephone facilities comprising:
- a central processing unit for controlling said robot controller;
- means controlled by said processing unit for ascertaining a call back time for selected called telephone facilities;
- means for establishing a call back connection to certain ones of said selected calling telephone facilities at a later period of time;
- wherein said means for establishing a call back connection further comprises:
- means for establishing said call back to said selected calling telephone facility upon the statistical probability that a resource will be available to handle said established call when said call is completed to said original calling facility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.