US 5,490,211 A · Automatic call distributor with internal written message communication system and method

Abstract

An automatic call distributor (20) having a multiport switch (22), a central processing unit (24) with a switch operations memory (26) for controlling the switch (22), a plurality of internal telephones (40, 40A, 40B, 40C-N) interconnectable through the multiport switch (22) to external telephones (28) of an external telephonic network (32) and a plurality of display terminals (36, 36A, 36B, 36C-N) for display of information relating to the operation of the switch (22), with an internal written message communication system (21) having an associated switch memory (46) for storing written messages (66) for display at a display terminal (36), a display screen (44) at the display terminal (36) for providing an indication of storage of a written message at the associated switch memory (46) for display at the display terminal (36) and a keyboard (42) at the display terminal (36) for electing to have the written message displayed at the display terminal (36) in lieu of information relating to the operation of the switch (22).

Claims20

Dependent claims

In an automatic call distributor system with an automatic call distributor in which the automatic call distributor has a multiport switch, a central processing unit and a switch operations memory for controlling the switch, the automatic call distributor system having a plurality of internal telephones interconnectable through the multiport switch to external telephones of an external telephonic network and a plurality of display terminals for display of information relating to the operation of the switch, the improvement comprising:

means for sending a written message from one of the display terminals to a selected one of the plurality of display terminals;
means for storing the written message at a written messages memory for display at the selected one of the display terminals which is coupled with the central processing unit of the automatic call distributor;
means at the selected one of the display terminals for providing an indication of storage at the written messages memory automatically in response to receipt of the written message for said selected one of the display terminals;
and
means for electing at the selected one of the display terminals to have the written message displayed at the selected one of the display terminals in lieu of the information relating to the operation of the switch.

2 more elements

In an automatic call distributor system with an automatic call distributor in which the automatic call distributor has a multiport switch, a central processing unit and a switch operations memory for controlling the switch, the automatic call distributor having a plurality of internal telephones interconnectable through the multiport switch to external telephones of an external telephonic network and a plurality of display terminals for display of information relating to the operation of the switch, the improvement being a method comprising the steps of:

displaying information relating to the operation of the switch at the display terminals;
sending a written message from one of the display terminals for receipt by another one of the display terminals;
storing the written message at a written messages memory coupled with the central processing unit;
automatically providing an indication of storage of the stored written message to the other display terminals in response to receipt of the written message at the written messages memory;
and
electing at the other display terminal to have the written message displayed at the other display terminal in lieu of the information relating to the operation of the switch.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic call distributor with internal written message communication system and method

Life of this patent

Automatic call distributor with internal written message communication system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20