Method and apparatus for teleworking from remote terminals

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting an available one of said predetermined set of terminals is constituted by selecting an available one of a set of dummy terminals connected to the switching system but not forming part of actual agent positions at the call center.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching system joins said external first and second calls in conference mode.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching system joins said external first and second calls upon detecting answering of said external second call.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the marking of said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state is performed at substantially the same time as the making of said external second call, and including the step of compensating a data recording system of the ACD system for the period from said marking of said selected terminal to the detection of the answering of said external second call.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marking of said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state is performed at substantially the same time as the making of said external second call.

Claim 8

A call control apparatus for use in a call center having an automatic call distribution (ACD) suite comprising an ACD system and a switching system arranged to make and receive external calls and having an associated plurality of local terminals, these systems being specifically designed for use with a work force of only local agents, the call control apparatus being arranged: to receive the identity of a teleworking agent who is to be made operational and the identity of the network terminal number of a remote terminal at which the teleworking agent is to work, and to record these two associated identities; to select an available one of a predetermined set of said local terminals and to associate the identity of said selected terminal with the recorded identity of said teleworking agent; to command the ACD system to include the identity of said teleworking agent and the associated terminal identity in a table of operational agents and respective associated terminals; to detect when the ACD system allocates said selected terminal for the switching system to make a connection between said selected terminal and an external line circuit which is involved in an external first call; and in response thereto: to retrieve said network terminal number; to command the switching system to make an external second call to said network terminal number; to command the switching system to mark said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state; and to command the switching system to join said external second call to said external first call.

Claim 9

A call control apparatus for use in a call center having an automatic call distribution (ACD) suite comprising an ACD system and a switching system arranged to make and receive external calls and having an associated plurality of local terminals, these systems being specifically designed for use with a work force of only local agents, the call control apparatus being arranged: to receive the identity of a teleworking agent who is to be made operational and the identity of the network terminal number of a remote terminal at which the teleworking agent is to work, and to record these two associated identities; to select an available one of a predetermined set of said local terminals and to associate the identity of said selected terminal with the recorded identity of said teleworking agent; to command the ACD system to include the identity of said teleworking agent and the associated terminal identity in a table of operational agents and respective associated terminals; to detect when the ACD system allocates said selected terminal for the switching system to make a connection between said selected terminal and an external line circuit which is involved in an external first call; and in response thereto: to retrieve said network terminal number; to command the switching system to make an external second call to said network terminal number; to command the switching system to mark said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state; and to command the switching system to join said external second call to said external first call.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, and arranged to command the switching system to join said external first and second calls in conference mode.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, and arranged to command the switching system to join said external first and second calls upon detecting answering of said external second call.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, and arranged to: command the switching system to mark said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state at substantially the same time as it commands the switching system to make said external second call and measure the period from said marking of said selected terminal to the detection of the answering of said external second call and to command the ACD system to compensate its data recording system by the measured period.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, and arranged to command the switching system to mark said selected terminal as being in an off-hook state at substantially the same time as it commands the switching system to make said external second call.

Claim 14

An ACD suite incorporating a call control apparatus as claimed in claim 7.

Claim 15

An ACD suite as claimed in claim 12, wherein the switching system comprises a set of dummy terminals connected to the switching system and constituting said predetermined set.

Claim 18

A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the call involving the first external line circuit and the call to the remote terminal used by the teleworker are joined in conference mode.

Claim 19

A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the detecting of when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit is in response to a selection by the teleworker of a customer for a telesales attempt.

Claim 20

A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the detecting of when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit is in response to an incoming customer call to the system.

Claim 21

A call control apparatus for providing teleworking capability from remote terminals usable with a system designed for use with only local terminals, the call control apparatus being configured to: associate a network terminal number of one of the remote terminals with the identity of a teleworker using that remote terminal and associating one of the local terminals with the identity of the teleworker; and detect when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit, and, in response thereto: to use the network terminal number for the remote terminal used by the teleworker to make a call to that remote terminal; and to join the call involving the first external line circuit to the call to the remote terminal used by the teleworker.

Claim 22

A call control apparatus for providing teleworking capability from remote terminals usable with a system designed for use with only local terminals, the call control apparatus being configured to: associate a network terminal number of one of the remote terminals with the identity of a teleworker using that remote terminal and associating one of the local terminals with the identity of the teleworker; and detect when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit, and, in response thereto: to use the network terminal number for the remote terminal used by the teleworker to make a call to that remote terminal; and to join the call involving the first external line circuit to the call to the remote terminal used by the teleworker.

Claim 23

A call control apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call involving the first external line circuit and the call to the remote terminal used by the teleworker are joined in conference mode.

Claim 24

A call control apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call control apparatus detects when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit in response to a selection by the teleworker of a customer for a telesales attempt.

Claim 25

A call control apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call control apparatus detects when the local terminal associated with the identity of the teleworker is allocated for connection to a call involving a first external line circuit in response to an incoming customer call to the system.