Method and apparatus for valve-based queuing of telephone calls

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

• establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information for each of said plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• determining a position in said queue between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call according to associated new call information;
• and
• repositioning said plurality of incoming calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• wherein said new call information and said respective call information include information other than information indicative of times of receipt of the respective incoming telephone calls.

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

• establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• processing said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls to assure handling of said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

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

• establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• preventing said at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls from being repositioned in said queue in response to new incoming calls whereby to enable processing of said at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

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

• establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls for which respective economic values have been determined;
• receiving a new incoming telephone call;
• determining an economic value for said new incoming telephone call;
• comparing the economic value for said new incoming telephone call to the respective economic value of at least one of the incoming telephone calls in said queue;
• and
• positioning the new incoming telephone call with respect to said queue on the basis of a result of said comparing step.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• a call processing system;
• and
• a voice response unit connected to said call processing system;
• said call processing system operative to
• establish, based on call information received from said voice response unit, a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information;
• determine a position between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call in said queue based on associated new call information received from said voice response unit;
• and
• reposition said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information for each of said plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• means for determining a position in said queue between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call according to associated new call information;
• and
• means for repositioning said plurality of incoming calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• wherein said new call information and said respective call information include information indicative of economic values of the respective incoming telephone calls.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information for each of said plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• means for determining a position between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call in said queue according to associated new call information;
• and
• means for repositioning said plurality of incoming calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• wherein said new call information and said respective call information include information other than information indicative of times of receipt of the respective incoming telephone calls.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• means for positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• means for repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• means for identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• means for processing said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls to assure handling of said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• means for positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• means for repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• means for identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• means for preventing said at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls from being repositioned in said queue in response to new incoming calls whereby to enable processing of said at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

A system for processing telephone calls, comprising:

• means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls for which respective economic values have been determined;
• means for receiving a new incoming telephone call;
• means for determining an economic value for said new incoming telephone call;
• means for comparing the economic value for said new incoming telephone call to the respective economic value of at least one of the incoming telephone calls in said queue;
• and
• means for positioning the new incoming telephone call with respect to said queue on the basis of a result of said comparison.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a telephone call processing system, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information for each of said plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• computer readable program code means for determining a position in said queue between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call according to associated new call information;
• and
• computer readable program code means for repositioning said plurality of incoming calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• wherein said new call information and said respective call information include information indicative of economic values of the respective incoming telephone calls.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a telephone call processing system, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls ranked according to respective call information for each of said plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• computer readable program code means for determining a position in said queue between two of said plurality of incoming telephone calls for a new incoming telephone call according to associated new call information;
• and
• computer readable program code means for repositioning said plurality of incoming calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• wherein said new call information and said respective call information include information other than information indicative of times of receipt of the respective incoming telephone calls.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a telephone call processing system, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• computer readable program code means for positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• computer readable program code means for repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• computer readable program code means for identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• computer readable program code means for processing said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls to assure handling of said identified at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a telephone call processing system, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls;
• computer readable program code means for positioning a new incoming telephone call at a position within said queue;
• computer readable program code means for repositioning said plurality of incoming telephone calls in said queue based on said position of said new incoming telephone call;
• computer readable program code means for identifying at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls that has been repositioned a predetermined number of times;
• and
• computer readable program code means for preventing said at least one of said plurality of incoming telephone calls from being repositioned in said queue in response to new incoming calls whereby to enable processing of said at least one of said plurality of incoming calls within a predetermined period of time.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a telephone call processing system, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for establishing a queue of a plurality of incoming telephone calls for which respective economic values have been determined;
• computer readable program code means for receiving a new incoming telephone call;
• computer readable program code means for determining an economic value for said new incoming telephone call;
• computer readable program code means for comparing the economic value for said new incoming telephone call to the respective economic value of at least one of the incoming telephone calls in said queue;
• and
• computer readable program code means for positioning the new incoming telephone call with respect to said queue on the basis of said comparison.