Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system
Reexamination Certificate
1997-02-19
2001-03-13
Zele, Krista (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
C379S219000, C379S220010, C379S221050, C379S265080, C379S266070, C379S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201863
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the area of telephone call processing and switching, and pertains more particularly to intelligent call-routing, systems, and equipment and methods for customizing and Personalizing Routing Rules and Protocol.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Telephone call processing and switching systems are, at the time of the present patent application, relatively sophisticated, computerized systems, and development and introduction of new systems continues. Much information on the nature of such hardware and software is available in a number of publications accessible to the present inventor and to those with skill in the art in general. For this reason, much minute detail of known systems is not reproduced here, as to do so would obscure the facts of the invention.
One document which provides considerable information on intelligent networks is “ITU-T Recommendation Q.1219, Intelligent Network User's Guide for Capability Set 1”, dated April, 1994. This document is incorporated herein by reference.
At the time of filing the present patent application there continues to be remarkable growth in telephone routing systems, with routing done both at or near point-of origin of incoming calls, and at call destinations. For example, systems are known to the present inventor that perform initial call processing before routing an incoming call to a destination switch, and further routing is done at the call destination in computerized telephony equipment, often termed customer premises equipment (CPE). The present invention pertains most particularly to routing at customer premises.
There are, at the time of the present patent application a considerable range of CPE systems available for use from various manufacturers, and, as state-of-the-art routing systems are typically computerized, there is a broad variety of software available for such systems as well. It is the software in general wherein routing rules are set, and the routing rules determine the decision-making paths a system follows in routing calls.
In current art, although there are widely varying systems in the art relative to routing rules, all such systems exhibit a common drawback. Typically such systems, once set up (programmed) to follow certain routing rules and practices, cannot easily vary, and individual users or groups of users, cannot change the rules arbitrarily. To tinker with the routing rules in CPE typically requires a highly-trained maintenance technician (system administrator).
What is clearly needed is method and apparatus which allows an individual user of a routing system, or a group of users, to alter and customize the routing rules of the system for particular purposes, which may change from time to time, depending on the users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for routing telephone calls at customer premises is provided, comprising steps of (a) receiving a call at a telephony switch coupled to a customer local area network (LAN); (b) forwarding an indication of the received call to a personal computer (PC) connected to the LAN and displaying an indicator of the call on a video display unit (VDU) connected to the PC, wherein the PC executes a personal router application; (c) determining routing for the call in the personal router application; and (d) sending routing commands or requests effecting further routing of the call to the telephony switch as a result of the personal routing determined in step (c).
In some embodiments a facility is also provided including a user interface providing capability for a user to edit routing rules. In this case there is provided an-on screen window with editable script in a high-level language.
In preferred embodiments the PC includes a graphical user interface having icons indicating telephone calls received and other icons for choices of disposition of telephone calls received, and a user can precipitate actions in call routing by iconic drag-and-drop procedures.
In another aspect of the present invention, for a customer premises telephone call-routing system, a method is provided for individual customization of routing rules for an incoming telephone call, comprising steps of (a) calling a user interface on a computer connected to a customer LAN, the LAN also coupled to a computerized telephony switch system receiving the incoming telephone call, wherein the telephony switch system is adapted to broadcast data associated with incoming call on the LAN prior to routing the incoming call; (b) editing routing rules at the user interface; (c) associating the edited routing rules with the broadcast data; and (d) instructing the computerized telephony switch system to route the incoming call according a specific routing determined by the edited routing rules.
In yet another aspect a personal telephone call router for determining routing of incoming telephone calls in a customer premises telephone call switching system is provided, comprising a graphic user interface displayable on a display screen of a computer workstation and adapted to display first icons indicating incoming telephone calls and second icons indicating disposition of the incoming telephone calls; and an instruction transmitter adapted for transmitting routing instructions on the LAN to which the computer workstation is connected. In this embodiment drag and drop procedures executed by the user with the first and second icons generate instructions transmitted on the LAN to effect call routing.
In yet another aspect a customer premises telephone call routing system is provided comprising a computerized telephony switch system having one or more incoming telephone lines; a customer local area network (LAN) coupled to the computerized telephony switch system; a computer workstation including a display connected to the LAN; and a personal telephone call router executable on the computer workstation. In this embodiment the personal telephone call router comprises a graphic user interface (GUI) displayable on a display screen of the computer workstation, the GUI adapted to display first icons indicating incoming telephone calls and second icons indicating disposition of the incoming telephone calls, and an instruction transmitter adapted for transmitting routing instructions on the LAN to which the computer workstation is connected. Drag and drop procedures executed by the user with the first and second icons generate routing instructions transmitted on the LAN.
In various embodiments of the invention personal routing in real time is made possible, wherein individuals at call centers and other organizations may exercise close and immediate control of calls meant to come to come within their individual spheres of influence. Considerable advancement in the art of call routing and new and previously unavailable functions and capabilities are provided.
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Boys Donald R.
Bui Bing
Central Coast Patent Agency
Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories , Inc.
Zele Krista
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