US5844982A
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Method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with an automatic call distribution
Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies SARL
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Filing: 1996-09-27
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Granted: 1998-12-01
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Expires: 2016-09-27
Abstract
Abstract The method relates to a group (G) of agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE) that are distributed over several communication systems (KS1, 2) of a communication network. If, given an incoming call (ar) in a communication system (KS1), no allocated agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE) is still free for the respective group (G), a resource request (ra) is transmitted to communication systems (KS2) to which agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE) of the same group (G) are connected. Using a response (aw), the addressed communication systems (KS2) indicate whether one of the agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE) is free or whether they are all occupied. After the signaling of a free agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE), the incoming call (ar) is switched to the respective communication system (KS2). With the method, the groups (G) of agent communication terminal apparatus (AKE) are distributed to several communication systems (KS1, 2), with efficient and uniform utilization thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Reinhard Knitl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
232 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource request and the response are transmitted via the communication network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource request and the response are transmitted via an additional local network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein given an availability of a respective agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group, the respective agent communication terminal apparatus is reserved.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method according to claim 4, after identification of a communication system signaling a free agent terminal communication apparatus, a reservation release is formed by the automatic call distribution for other communication systems that likewise signal a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, and wherein this release is transmitted to the other communication systems, whereupon reservation of the agent communication terminal apparatus is removed in the other communication systems.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method according to claim 5, wherein the reservation of the respective agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group is removed after a predetermined time interval in the communication systems that transmit a response to the requesting communication system, provided that no reservation release for the respective agent communication terminal apparatus is received thereat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein in the requesting communication system after a reception of responses that signal no free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, the incoming call is switched to an installation for further call handling by the automatic call distribution, or is rejected.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
78 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource request has communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the originating communication system, and a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the response has communication system information representing originating and target communication systems, a line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a call number indicating free agent communication terminal apparatus, or identification information indicating that no agent communication terminal apparatus is free, and a service number representing an allocated group of free or non-free agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method according to claim 9, the response further has at least one of: set information indicating the number of agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group that are still free; a non-occupied time interval of indicated free agent communication terminal apparatus; the average non-occupied time interval of all agent communication terminal apparatus configured in the respective group.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 5, wherein the reservation release has communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, a call number that indicates the reserved agent communication terminal apparatus, and a service number that represents an allocated group of reserved agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein in the communication systems receiving a resource request, after a determination of several free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, a free agent communication terminal apparatus to which no incoming call has been switched for the longest time interval is selected.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
126 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein in the requesting communication system, after reception of several responses respectively indicating a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, the free agent communication terminal apparatus of that response is selected according to at least one of the following criteria: one of the communication systems of the free agent communication terminals in the respective group is preferred according to a predetermined sequence; no incoming call has been switched to the indicated free agent communication terminal apparatus for a longest time interval; a communication system having the greatest number of free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group; an average non-occupied time interval of all agent communication terminal apparatus configured in the respective group is the longest.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
317 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus; receiving, given an availability of a respective agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group, the respective agent communication terminal apparatus; forming, after identification of a communication system signaling a free agent terminal communication apparatus, a reservation release by the automatic call distribution for other communication systems that likewise signal a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, and transmitting this release to the other communication systems, whereupon reservation of the agent communication terminal apparatus is removed in the other communication systems.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
317 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus; receiving, given an availability of a respective agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group, the respective agent communication terminal apparatus; forming, after identification of a communication system signaling a free agent terminal communication apparatus, a reservation release by the automatic call distribution for other communication systems that likewise signal a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, and transmitting this release to the other communication systems, whereupon reservation of the agent communication terminal apparatus is removed in the other communication systems.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the reservation of the respective agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group is removed after a predetermined time interval in the communication systems that transmit a response to the requesting communication system, provided that no reservation release for the respective agent communication terminal apparatus is received thereat.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein in the requesting communication system after a reception of responses that signal no free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, the incoming call is switched to an installation for further call handling by the automatic call distribution, or is rejected.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein in the communication systems receiving a resource request, after a determination of several free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, a free agent communication terminal apparatus to which no incoming call has been switched for the longest time interval is selected.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
126 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein in the requesting communication system, after reception of several responses respectively indicating a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, the free agent communication terminal apparatus of that response is selected according to at least one of the following criteria: one of the communication systems of the free agent communication terminals in the respective group is preferred according to a predetermined sequence; no incoming call has been switched to the indicated free agent communication terminal apparatus for a longest time interval; a communication system having the greatest number of free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group; an average non-occupied time interval of all agent communication terminal apparatus configured in the respective group is the longest.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
564 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus; reserving, given an availability of a respective agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group, the respective agent communication terminal apparatus; forming, after identification of a communication system signaling a free agent terminal communication apparatus, a reservation release by the automatic call distribution for other communication systems that likewise signal a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, and wherein this release is transmitted to the other communication systems, whereupon reservation of the agent communication terminal apparatus is removed in the other communication systems; the resource request having communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the originating communication system, and a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system; the response having communication system information representing originating and target communication systems, a line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a call number indicating free agent communication terminal apparatus, or identification information indicating that no agent communication terminal apparatus is free, and a service number representing an allocated group of free or non-free agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system; the response request further having at least one of set information indicating the number of agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group that are still free, a non-occupied time interval of indicated free agent communication terminal apparatus, and average non-occupied time interval of all agent communication terminal apparatus configured in the respective group; the reservation release having communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, a call number that indicates the reserved agent communication terminal apparatus, and a service number that represents an allocated group of reserved agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
564 words
A method for determining free agent communication terminal apparatus in communication networks with automatic call distribution, comprising the steps of: respectively switching incoming calls addressed to a service number to a free agent communication terminal apparatus of a communication system, the free agent communication terminal apparatus being selected through the automatic call distribution from a respective group of agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the service number, the agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group being distributed via several communication systems of the communication network; forming resource requests, given a call with a service number coming in to a respective communication system, for which call there is no longer a free agent communication terminal apparatus in the respective group of the respective communication system, and transmitting the resource requests to those communication systems to which agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group are distributed; determining, in each communication system that receives a resource request, availability of an agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group and forming and transmitting a response to the requesting communication system; identifying a communication system with a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group in the requesting communication system from the transmitted response, and switching the incoming call to the identified communication system using the automatic call distribution in the sense of a switching to the free agent communication terminal apparatus; reserving, given an availability of a respective agent communication terminal apparatus allocated to the respective group, the respective agent communication terminal apparatus; forming, after identification of a communication system signaling a free agent terminal communication apparatus, a reservation release by the automatic call distribution for other communication systems that likewise signal a free agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group, and wherein this release is transmitted to the other communication systems, whereupon reservation of the agent communication terminal apparatus is removed in the other communication systems; the resource request having communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the originating communication system, and a service number that represents an allocated group of agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system; the response having communication system information representing originating and target communication systems, a line information that represents a physical communication connection that transmits the call respectively being received in the originating communication system, a call number indicating free agent communication terminal apparatus, or identification information indicating that no agent communication terminal apparatus is free, and a service number representing an allocated group of free or non-free agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system; the response request further having at least one of set information indicating the number of agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group that are still free, a non-occupied time interval of indicated free agent communication terminal apparatus, and average non-occupied time interval of all agent communication terminal apparatus configured in the respective group; the reservation release having communication system information that represents originating and target communication systems, a call number that indicates the reserved agent communication terminal apparatus, and a service number that represents an allocated group of reserved agent communication terminal apparatus in the target communication system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein the reservation of the respective agent communication terminal apparatus of the respective group is removed after a predetermined time interval in the communication systems that transmit a response to the requesting communication system, provided that no reservation release for the respective agent communication terminal apparatus is received thereat.
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