Telephonic communications – Plural exchange network or interconnection – With interexchange network routing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-05
2004-07-06
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Plural exchange network or interconnection
With interexchange network routing
C345S215000, C379S265020, C379S265130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06760426
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to a method and system for handling calls in a communication network that require operator assistance.
2. Background
In a communications network, a Service Control Point (SCP) provides call routing information to telecommunications switches. In a typical call routing operation, the telecommunications switch receives a call request and transmits a query message to the SCP. The SCP processes the query message and returns a response message containing the routing information to the switch. For example, the switch may receive an “800” number call and query the SCP with the “800” number. The SCP processes the “800” number and returns a routing number to the switch. These query and response messages are typically Signaling System #7 (SS7) Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) messages that are well known in the art.
In some call scenarios, the communications network also uses a telecommunications resource to provide services to a call before the call is routed to a destination. An operator center is one example of a telecommunications resource used to provide these services. In some instances operator centers comprise several individual operators working at individual operator workstations to provide the various services to calls. In other instances the operator center is automated and provides the services using one or more voice response units.
To connect a call to an operator center, the communications network often obtains routing information from an SCP. The routing information can be information on a switch and connection coupled to the operator center. The operator center typically provides a service to the call based on the called and calling number that are provided over the connection. When the operator service is completed, the operator center directs the network to use a new connection to extend the call to the call destination.
To determine how to handle a call, it is desirable to provide context information to the operator center. The context information is information related to the call that is collected or generated by the various devices in a communications network. Some examples of context information are: the call ID, template ID, TCAP message transaction ID, originating switch ID, SCP ID, call detail record (CDR) record type, called number, nature of the called number, calling number, nature of the calling number, account codes, authorization codes, credit card numbers, calling card numbers, query class, query sequence number, service type, call-leg sequence, DNIS, and out-dial number. The context information for the call is typically stored in the SCP or in a remote context server.
FIG. 1
illustrates an example of a call session that requires an operator service to complete the call. On
FIG. 1
the caller
101
places a call to the destination
102
. In response to the call placement, a call request
106
is provided to the telecommunications switch
103
. In response to determining the call request is an operator call request that requires information from the SCP
100
, the telecommunications switch
103
processes the call request
106
to generate a query message
107
for the SCP
100
. The query message
107
includes a request for call handling information for the call. The SCP
100
receives the query message and generates call handling information for the call, which includes routing instructions for the switch
103
. The SCP
100
generates a response message
108
that contains the call handling information and transmits the response message
108
to the switch
103
. The call handling information causes the switch
103
to extend the call over the connection
110
to the operator center
105
.
The operator center
105
receives the call over the connection
110
and processes the call to provide a service to the call. After providing the service, the operator center
105
generates a transfer message
109
for the SCP
100
. The SCP
100
receives the transfer message
109
and processes the transfer message
109
to select call handling information for the call. The SCP
100
generates a response message
111
that contains the call handling information and transmits the response message
111
to the switch
103
. The call handling information causes the switch
103
to disconnect the operator center
105
and extend the call over connection
112
to the destination
102
to complete the call.
Unfortunately, the connection
110
between the operator center
105
and switch
103
is a proprietary connection that supports unique functionality between the switch
103
and the operator center
105
. Thus, the switch
103
cannot support tandem routing to allow the switch
103
to route a call to other operator centers connected to other switches.
It is also known in the art to use an on-site routing node at an operator center that communicates with an SCP to provide call routing to individual operators at the operator center. For example, a technical support department of a company that has a large number of individual operators might use an on-site routing node to route incoming calls to specific operators. This prevents calls from being routed to an operator who is on a lunch break or not currently at an operator station. When an operator will not be at the operator station, the operator sends a message to the on-site routing node. The on-site routing node then will not route calls to that operator station.
Unfortunately, context information is not available to the on-site routing node during the selection of an operator at the operator center. Therefore a need exists in the art for a method and system for handling calls in a communications network that require operator assistance.
SUMMARY
The present invention solves the problems outlined above and advances the art by providing a method and system for handling calls that require operator assistance in a communications network. The present method and system utilizes an operator server to dynamically select an optimal operator center from a plurality of available operator centers for a call based on the available context information for the call. The operator server then provides information on the selected operator center to a Service Control Point (SCP), which generates call handling information for the call that causes the communications network to route the call to the selected one of the operator centers. In some examples of the present method and system, the operator server could select an optimal group of operator centers from the plurality of available operator centers for the call based on the available context information. In this case, the operator server provides information on the selected group of operator centers to the SCP, which selects one of the selected group of operator centers for the call and generates call handling information that causes the communications network to route the call to the selected one of the operator centers.
A first advantage of the present method and system is the distribution of calls requiring operator assistance to the most appropriate operator center equipped to handle the call based on the context information for the call. For example, the nature of the call could be such that a human operator center would be the optimal operator center to handle the call. In other examples, the nature of the call could be such that an automated operator center would be the optimal operator center to handle the call. Advantageously, the operator server uses the context information for the call to select the most appropriate one and type of operator center to handle a specific call. A second advantage of the present invention, is that the operator server could monitor the plurality of operator centers to select an operator center based on both the most optimal equipped operator center and the current call volume of the plurality of
Fenton Keith Eric
Sbisa Daniel Charles
Hong Harry S.
Sprint Communications Company L.P.
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