Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Call distribution to operator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-11-06
Smith, Creighton (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Call distribution to operator
C379S219000, C379S223000, C379S201010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telecommunication system, and is more particularly related to a call processing in a network that provides operator services.
2. Discussion of the Background
The capability to call collect has proved vital in numerous situations where the calling party does not immediately have the ability to pay for the call or the ability to direct the accompanying charges to a pre-established account. For example, a caller (calling party), who is on travel without a means to pay for a call would need to resort to placing a collect call. In this scenario, the calling party simply can use any phone, including a pay phone, to contact a family member or friend; if the call is of an urgent nature, the called party would gladly accept the charges. From the called party's view, the call is identified as a collect call by the intervention of a telephone operator, who typically would state the calling party's name and ask whether the called party would accept the call. The call is completed upon acceptance of the changes by the called party. This acceptance process becomes complicated if the called party does not speak the same language as the telephone operator. Accordingly, a telephone operator who is fluent in the language of the called party is required to assist with call completion.
To address this need, service providers utilize foreign language operators (FLOs) throughout the telephone network. A conventional system that employs FLOs for processing collect calls is illustrated in FIG.
9
. For purposes of explanation, it is assumed that user
901
, as the calling party, places a collect call to user
903
, the called party via the network of a local exchange carrier (LEC)
905
. As seen in
FIG. 9
, end office
951
has a bridging switch
907
, which is connected to LEC
905
. The bridging switch
907
bridges the call from user
901
to an automatic call distributor (ACD)
909
. Generally, ACDs distribute incoming calls to various agents for further call processing. In this instance, the ACD
909
determines that the call from user
901
is a collect call and that the called party
903
does not speak English. Through a series of voice prompts, the ACD
909
directs the call to a foreign language operator (FLO)
911
, who can then speak with called party
903
to determine whether the collect call will be accepted.
Assuming now that user
901
places a collect call to user
913
, which is served by LEC
915
. Bridging switch
917
within end office
953
. Similar to end office
951
, end office
953
has an ACD
919
that communicates with a local FLO
921
to assist with the collect call. ACD
919
communicates with ACD
909
over a release link trunk (RLT) network
923
. Under this arrangement, no mechanism exists for transferring the connection to the called party
913
to a remote FLO
911
; a method only exists for the transfer of a calling party. As a result, both end offices
951
and
953
require their own FLOs
911
and
921
, respectively. However, requiring a FLO at every end office is not cost effective in that certain end offices will under utilize their respective FLOs; such is the case if the subscribers within a serving area of an end office are English speakers, thereby not requiring a foreign language operator.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for improved approaches for call processing with respect to use of operators.
There is a further need to minimize the cost of network operation.
Based on the need to efficiently employ network resources, an approach for sharing foreign language operators is highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for processing a call between a calling party and a called party. The method comprises receiving a call offer from the calling party. The method also includes selectively distributing the call offer via an automatic call distributor (ACD) to a local operator. The local operator is instructed to establish the call with the called party. The method further comprises instructing the local operator is to establish the call with the called party, and establishing the call with the called party in response to the instruction. The method includes establishing communication between the local operator and a remote operator over a packet switched network. Additionally, the method includes communicating with the called party to determine treatment of the call, and in response, exchanging control messages between the remote operator and the local operator. The method further includes controlling call processing of the call based upon the exchanged messages. Under this approach, under utilized network resources are eliminated, resulting in reduction of cost.
According to another aspect of the invention, a communication system for processing a call between a calling party and a called party comprises a bridging switch that is configured to switch a call offer from the calling party. An automatic call distributor (ACD) is coupled to the bridging switch and is configured to distribute selectively the call offer received from the bridging switch. A local operator is configured to receive the call offer from the ACD and to establish the call with the called party in response to an instruction by the calling party. A remote operator exchanges control messages with the local operator over a packet switched network to control call processing of the call in response to an input by the called party. The remote operator instructs the local operator to complete the call based upon the input. The above arrangement advantageously provides efficient processing of collect calls.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a communication system for processing a collect call comprises a first bridging switch that is configured to receive the call offer from a first customer premises equipment (CPE). The call offer requests setup of a collect call between the first CPE and a second CPE. A first automatic call distributor (ACD) is coupled to the first bridging switch and is also configured to distribute selectively the call offer received from the first bridging switch. A local operator center is configured to receive the call offer from the ACD and to establish the collect call with a called party associated with the second CPE in response to an instruction by a calling party associated with the first CPE. A first adjunct processor communicates with the ACD using a first signaling protocol and with the local operator center using a second signaling protocol, the first adjunct processor performing translation between the first signaling protocol and the second signaling protocol, and vice versa. A second ACD communicates with the first ACD over a circuit switched network. A remote operator center exchanges control messages with the local operator center over a packet switched network to control call processing. A remote operator communicates with the local operator over a packet switched network to control the call. The remote operator controls the call in response to an input by the called party, and completes the call based upon the input. Under this arrangement, end offices can advantageously share a foreign language operator.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for processing a call between a calling party and a called. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions include instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of establishing communication between a local operator and a remote operator over a packet switched network. Another step comprises communicating with the called party to determine treatment of the call. Another step includes exchanging control messages between the remote operator and the local operator based upon the communicating step. Another step includes controlling the call based upon the exchanging step This appr
MCI Worldcom, Inc.
Smith Creighton
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