System and method for an improved predictive dialer

Claim 1

A call pacing system for initiating outbound telephone calls on a plurality of telephone lines coupled to an automated telephone system, said telephone calls to be handled by one or more telephone agents connected to said telephone system, said call pacing system comprising: predictive dialing circuitry for initiating outbound calls from said telephone system according to a call pacing delay; computer input means for receiving a target value for a first parameter selected from a plurality of operating parameters of said telephone system; monitoring circuitry for measuring said plurality of operating parameters; a control processor coupled to said computer input means and said monitoring circuitry for calculating and updating a plurality of averages of said operating parameters, and comparing a selected one of said averages corresponding to said first parameter to said target value in order to detect a difference between said selected average and said target value, said comparing occurring substantially concurrent with said measuring Said plurality of operating parameters; and adjustment means coupled to said predictive dialing circuitry and said control processor for increasing or decreasing said call pacing delay, wherein said adjustment means increases or decreases said call pacing delay so as to decrease the detected difference between said selected average and said target value.

Claim 9

A method of controlling a predictive dialer placing outbound telephone calls on a plurality of telephone lines coupled to an automated telephone system, the telephone calls to be handled by a plurality of agents connected to the telephone system, the method comprising the steps of: setting a target value for a first parameter selected from a plurality of operating parameters of the telephone system; measuring the plurality of operating parameters of the telephone system; calculating and updating a plurality of averages of the measured operating parameters; comparing the target value with a corresponding one of the measured operating parameter averages in order to determine a difference, said comparing occurring substantially concurrent with said measuring said plurality of operating parameters; and adjusting a call pacing value in order to decrease the difference between the target value and the corresponding measured operating parameter average, wherein the call pacing value increases or decreases the rate at which the predictive dialer places outbound calls.

Claim 10

A method of controlling a predictive dialer placing outbound telephone calls on a plurality of telephone lines coupled to an automated telephone system, the telephone calls to be handled by a plurality of agents connected to the telephone system, the method comprising the steps of: setting a target value for a first parameter selected from a plurality of operating parameters of the telephone system; measuring the plurality of operating parameters of the telephone system; calculating and updating a plurality of averages of the measured operating parameters; comparing the target value with a corresponding one of the measured operating parameter averages in order to determine a difference, said comparing occurring substantially concurrent with said measuring said plurality of operating parameters; and adjusting a call pacing value in order to decrease the difference between the target value and the corresponding measured operating parameter average, wherein the call pacing value increases or decreases the rate at which the predictive dialer places outbound calls.