US 6,603,847 B1 · Incoming call routing system with integrated wireless communication system

Abstract

The incoming call routing system for a communication system that serves a facility, and which functions to automatically direct the incoming call to the specific service provider who is presently assigned to provide services for an identified resident of the facility. This is accomplished by providing an incoming call routing system, and optionally an integrated wireless communication system, to automatically effect the desired communication connections. The present description uses the hospital communication system as a well known example of such a communication environment in which the present system incoming call routing system is operational. The incoming call routing system of the hospital communication system functions to identify the hospital patient about whom the calling party is requesting information. The calling party is provided with a voice prompt based menu to enable the calling party to select the one particular class of care giver that can provide the calling party with the desired information. The incoming call routing system uses the patient identity data and the calling party's responses to the menu to identify the particular care giver who is presently assigned the responsible to provide specific information about this patient. The identity of this care giver is then translated into the telephone number of the wireless communication device or wired telephone used by this identified care giver. An incoming communication connection is then established from the calling party through the wireless communication system to the identified care giver's wireless communication device.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An incoming call routing system operable with a private branch exchange switching system for establishing communication connections from a calling party to a selected one of service personnel who are assigned to serve a subscriber who is assigned a particular telephone station served by said private branch exchange switching system and having a unique telephone number, wherein the purpose of said incoming call is not to communicate with said subscriber, comprising:

means, responsive to an incoming communication connection directed to said unique telephone number, for presenting a calling party on said incoming communication connection with a menu indicative of a plurality of call routing choices;
means, responsive to said unique telephone number and said calling party transmitting data on said incoming communication connection indicative of a selection from said menu, for determining an identity of a one of service personnel assigned to serve a subscriber associated with said unique telephone number, comprising:
means, operable to the exclusion of said subscriber, for storing data indicative of said unique telephone number and a set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number,
means for associating each of said menu choices with a corresponding one of said set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number;
and
means for routing said incoming communication connection to a communication device assigned to said identified one of said service personnel to enable said one of said service personnel to provide information to said calling party, which information relates to the subscriber and is desired by the calling party.

3 more elements

A method of operating an incoming call routing system operable with a private branch exchange switching system for establishing communication connections from a calling party to a selected one of service personnel who are assigned to serve a subscriber who is assigned a particular telephone station, wherein the purpose of said incoming call is not to communicate with said subscriber, comprising the steps of:

presenting, in response to an incoming communication connection directed to said unique telephone number, a calling party on said incoming communication connection with a menu indicative of a plurality of call routing choices;
determining, in response to said unique telephone number and said calling party transmitting data on said incoming communication connection indicative of a selection from said menu, an identity of a one of service personnel assigned to serve a subscriber associated with said unique telephone number, comprising:
storing, exclusive of any actions of said subscriber, data indicative of said unique telephone number and a set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number,
associating each of said menu choices with a corresponding one of said set of said service personnel presently assigned to serve said subscriber associated with said unique telephone number;
and
routing said incoming communication connection to a communication device assigned to said identified one of said service personnel to enable said one of said service personnel to provide information to said calling party, which information relates to the subscriber and is desired by the calling party.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Incoming call routing system with integrated wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Incoming call routing system with integrated wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10