EP0526103A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
ACD multiflow network call distribution
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1992-07-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-07-23
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to apparatus and methods for sharing traffic among a plurality of automatic call distributor (ACD) sites (1,31,32,33) serving a customer. Each ACD site has a main queue (10) for storing incoming calls to that ACD, and a group of overflow queues (11,12) for storing calls rerouted from one of the other ACD sites. Before rerouting a call to an alternate site (31,32), the overflow queue (11,12) for that site is checked; if it has an excessive number of entries, calls will not be rerouted to that alternate site. If one of the ACD sites (33) is not appropriately equipped with overflow queues for different sites and an appropriate program for steering calls, that ACD site can route its overflow traffic via one of the ACD sites, designated as a mother node (1), for distributing overflow from the one site to others.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel Collins Kerrigan
- 👤 Mary Rita Otto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 11:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M3/5237; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/64; H04Q3/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of serving calls to a customer having a plurality of call distributor (CD) serving centers, comprising the steps of: receiving said call in one of said centers; testing whether delay for serving said call in said one center is expected to exceed a first threshold; responsive to determining that said first threshold is expected to be exceeded, determining whether an excessive number of calls have been rerouted from an alternate center, and if an excessive number of calls has not been rerouted from said alternate center, rerouting said call to said alternate center.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a rerouted call from said alternate center; testing whether delay for serving said rerouted call from said alternate center is expected to exceed a second threshold; responsive to determining that said second threshold is expected to be exceeded, rejecting said rerouted call by rerouting said rerouted call back to said alternate center.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said one center comprises an overflow queue for storing overflow calls routed from said alternate center, further comprising: storing a rejected call from said alternate center in said overflow queue, said rejected call being a call originally rerouted from said one center to said alternate center
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: responsive to receiving a rejected call from an alternate center, said rejected call being a call originally rerouted from said one center to said alternate center, storing an indication that calls should not be rerouted to said alternate center while said rejected call is queued for service.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said determining whether an excessive number of calls have been rerouted comprises: testing whether more than a predefined number of unserved calls in said one center have been rerouted from said alternate center.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said rerouting comprises rerouting over a public switched network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said rerouting over a public switched network comprises rerouting over said network using a telephone number different from a main telephone number for said alternate center.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: receiving, in said one center a call overflowed from a second of said centers; determining whether an excessive number of calls have been rerouted to said one center from an alternate center other than said second center; and if an excessive number of calls has not been rerouted from said alternate center, rerouting said call to said alternate center.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of: responsive to receiving a rejection of said call from said alternate center, serving said call from said one center.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of: responsive to receiving said overflowed call, testing whether delay for serving said call in said one center is expected to exceed a first threshold; and responsive to determining that said first threshold is not expected to be exceeded, serving said call in said one center.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising: receiving in said one center a call from one of said alternate centers; determining whether an excessive number of calls have been rerouted to said second center via said one center, and if an excessive number of calls has not been rerouted to said second center via said one center, rerouting said call received from said alternate center to said second center.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
A call distributor (CD) connectable to at least one other CD, comprising: queue means for storing calls overflowed into said CD from other CDs; means for estimating whether expected delay in serving an incoming call exceeds a threshold; means responsive to estimating delay exceeding said threshold for examining said queue means to identify one of said at least one other CDs which has overflowed relatively few calls to said CD; and means responsive to said examining means for rerouting said call to the identified CD.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
61 words
The CD of claim 12 further comprising: means for receiving a call rerouted from one of said at least one other CDs; means for estimating whether expected delay in serving said rerouted call exceeds another threshold; and means responsive to estimating delay exceeding said another threshold for rejecting said rerouted call by rerouting said rerouted call back to said other CD.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising: means responsive to receiving a rejected call for storing an indication that calls should not be rerouted to an CD that rejected said call while said rejected call is queued for service.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The CD of claim 12 wherein said examining means comprises means for testing whether any unserved calls in said CD have been rerouted from a candidate for identification as said identified CD.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The CD of claim 12 wherein said means for rerouting comprise means for rerouting over a public switched network.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
73 words
The CD of claim 12 further comprising: queue means for storing calls overflowed into said CD from a second CD and other alternate CDs; means responsive to receipt of a call overflowed from said second CD for examining said queue means to identify one of said alternate CDs which has overflowed relatively few calls to said CD; and means responsive to said examining means for rerouting said call to the identified alternate CD.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The CD of claim 17 wherein said means for examining comprises means for testing whether any unserved calls in said CD have been rerouted from a candidate for identification as said identified alternate CD.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The CD of claim 18 wherein said means for examining further comprises means for testing how many calls have been overflowed into said first CD from others of said alternate CDs.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
80 words
The CD of claim 17 further comprising: means for estimating whether expected delay, in serving in said CD an incoming call received in said CD, exceeds a second threshold; means for examining a queue for storing calls rerouted from said second CD to said CD to determine if an excessive number of calls has bren so rerouted; and means responsive to a determination that an excessive number has not been rerouted for routing said incoming call to said second CD.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
The CD of claim 17 further comprising: means for estimating whether expected delay in serving said call overflowed from said second CD exceeds a threshold; and means responsive to said means for estimating for serving said call if said delay does not exceed said threshold.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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