Method and apparatus for dynamic and interdependent processing of inbound calls and outbound calls

A method for processing telephone calls, comprising the steps of:

• detecting inbound calls;
• placing outbound calls;
• detecting the answering of said outbound calls;
• selectably connecting said inbound calls and answered outbound calls to a plurality of agents;
• generating statistics concerning said outbound calls;
• adjusting the rate of placement of said outbound calls in response to said statistics;
• and
• responding to a next inbound call in a manner determined by said statistics.

For use with a system which accomodates inbound calls and outbound calls, a method for pacing the placement of said outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

• monitoring the time that a predetermined agent is connected to a call;
• determining whether said call is an inbound call or an outbound call;
• if said call is an inbound call then updating the statistics for said predetermined agent for inbound calls;
• if said call is an outbound call then updating the statistics for said predetermined agent for outbound calls;
• performing the above steps for each agent of a plurality of agents;
• calculating the estimated time at which each of said agents will become available, based upon said statistics and considering whether each of said agents is currently on a said inbound call or a said outbound call;
• and
• placing a next outbound call at a time determined by the projected availability of at least one of said agents.

A telephone call processing system, comprising:

• first means for detecting inbound calls;
• second means for placing outbound calls by seizing selected ones of a plurality of telephone trunks and dialing telephone numbers thereon;
• third means for providing status information concerning said outbound calls by monitoring signals on said selected ones of said telephone trunks;
• a plurality of agent work stations, each said agent work station allowing an agent to converse with a connected party and to view information concerning said connected party;
• switching means for selectively connecting ones of said telephone trunks to ones of said agent work stations;
• and
• control means connected to said first means, said second means, said third means, said plurality of agent work stations, and said switching means, for storing information concerning customers, for responding to said first means detecting an inbound call on an inbound trunk by causing said switch to connect said inbound truck having said inbound call to an available agent work station, and for sending information to said agent work station concerning said customer on said inbound call, for causing an outbound call to be placed on a said outbound trunk by sending a telephone number to said second means, for responding to said third means detecting that said outbound call has been answered by causing said switching means to connect said outbound trunk having said outbound call to an available agent work station, for sending information to said agent work station concerning said customer on said outbound call, for generating statistics concerning said inbound calls and said outboard calls, and for adjusting the rate of placement of said outbound calls in response to said statistics on said inbound calls and said outbound calls.

An apparatus for placing and receiving telephone calls, comprising:

• first means for detecting inbound calls;
• second means for placing outbound calls;
• third means for detecting the answering of said outbound calls;
• fourth means for selectively connecting said inbound calls and answered outbound calls to a plurality of agents;
• and
• control means for generating statistics concerning said inbound calls and said outbound calls, and for adjusting the rate of placement of said outbound calls in response to said statistics on said inbound calls and said outbound calls.

An apparatus for placing and receiving telephone calls, comprising:

• first means for detecting inbound calls;
• second means for placing outbound calls;
• third means for detecting the answering of said outbound calls;
• a plurality of agent work stations, each agent work station being associated with a corresponding agent;
• fourth means for selectably connecting said inbound calls and said outbound calls to said agent work stations;
• and
• fifth means for generating statistics concerning said inbound calls and said outbound calls, for causing said second means to place said outbound calls in response to said statistics, and responsive to said first means and to said third means for controlling said fourth means.

A method for controlling trunk allocation between inbound calls and outbound calls, comprising the steps of:

• allocating a first group of a plurality of telephone trunks to said inbound calls;
• allocating a second group of said plurality of telephone trunks to said outbound calls;
• determining the degree of usage of a selected one of either said first group or said second group;
• and
• adjusting the size of said first group and said second group in response to said degree of usage.

A telephone call processing system, comprising:

• first means for detecting inbound calls;
• second means for placing outbound calls by seizing selected ones of a plurality of telephone trunks and dialing telephone numbers thereon;
• third means for providing status information concerning said outbound calls by monitoring signals on said selected ones of said telephone trunks;
• a plurality of agent workstations, each said agent workstation allowing an agent to converse with a connected party and to view information concerning said connected party;
• switching means for selectably connecting ones of said telephone trunks to ones of said agent workstations;
• and
• control means connected to said first means, said second means, said third means, said plurality of agent workstations, and said switching means, for partitioning said plurality of trunks into a group of inbound trunks and a group of outbound trunks, for responding to said first means detecting an inbound call on an inbound trunk by causing said switch to connect said inbound trunk having said inbound call to an available agent workstation, for causing an outbound call to be placed on a said outbound trunk by sending a telephone number to said second means, for responding to said third means detecting that said outbound call has been answered by causing said switching means to connect said outbound trunk having said outbound call to an available agent workstation, monitoring the degree of usage of a selected one of either said group of said inbound trunks or said group of said outbound trunks, and repartitioning said plurality of said trunks in response to said degree of usage.