Method and system for dynamic customized call routing

A method of selecting a destination automatic call distributor from a group of automatic call distributors in a system comprising a plurality of switching offices, a customer routing point, a data collection point, first data links linking the offices and the customer routing point, second data links linking each of the automatic call distributors to the data collection point, and a third data link linking the data collection point to the customer routing point, the method comprising the steps of:

• at each automatic call distributor,
• accumulating data representative of the automatic call distributor call load status;
• and
• repetitively transmitting the accumulated data to the data collection point;
• at the data collection point,
• repetitively transmitting a status signal representative of the accumulated data to the customer routing point;
• at a switching office,
• transmitting a query message containing a number identifying the automatic call distributor group to the customer muting point in response to receipt of a call directed
• to the automatic call distributor group at an arbitrary call time;
• at the customer routing point,
• in response to the query message, generating an automatic call distributor status prediction for the arbitrary call time, said automatic call distributor status prediction based on said status signal and on the arbitrary call time;
• and
• transmitting a routing signal identifying the destination automatic call distributor to the switching office according to the automatic call distributor status prediction.

A method of selecting a destination automatic call distributor from a group of automatic call distributors in a system comprising a plurality of telecommunications switches and a customer routing point, the method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring data at the customer routing point from each of the automatic call distributors representing the automatic call distributor call load status;
• querying the customer routing point in response to a call received at an arbitrary time at one of the telecommunications switches and directed to the automatic call distributors;
• generating, at the customer routing point in response to said querying, an automatic call distributor status prediction representing expected automatic call distributor status at said arbitrary time, the automatic call distributor status prediction based on said data and on said arbitrary time;
• and
• routing the call to the destination automatic call distributor according to said automatic call distributor status prediction.

An automatic call distributor system for routing a call directed to a group of automatic call distributors to a preferred one of the automatic call distributors over a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving said call at the telecommunications network;
• a customer routing point connected to said telecommunications network, wherein the customer routing point receives status information representing measured call load data of the automatic call distributors, and determines the destination automatic call distributor for said call according to predicting changes in automatic call distributor status over a time period elapsed since the measured call load data of the received status information was acquired, thereby providing an automatic call distributor status prediction;
• and
• means for routing said call to the destination automatic call distributor in response to a routing signal generated by said customer routing point indicating the destination automatic call distributor.

A system for selecting a destination automatic call distributor from a group of automatic call distributors for a call directed to the automatic call distributors, comprising:

• a plurality of telecommunications switches;
• a customer routing point;
• means for acquiring data at the customer routing point from each of the automatic call distributors representing the automatic call distributor call load status;
• means for querying the customer routing point in response to a call received at an arbitrary time at one of the telecommunications switches;
• means for generating, at the customer routing point in response to said querying, an automatic call distributor status prediction representing expected automatic call distributor status at said arbitrary time, the automatic call
• distributor status prediction based on said data and on said arbitrary time;
• and
• means for routing the call to the destination automatic call distributor according to said automatic call distributor status prediction.