CA2114272C - Work at home acd agent network - Google Patents

Work at home acd agent network

Info

Publication number
CA2114272C
CA2114272C CA002114272A CA2114272A CA2114272C CA 2114272 C CA2114272 C CA 2114272C CA 002114272 A CA002114272 A CA 002114272A CA 2114272 A CA2114272 A CA 2114272A CA 2114272 C CA2114272 C CA 2114272C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
agent
acd
agent station
station
call
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA002114272A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2114272A1 (en
Inventor
Mary Rita Otto
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AT&T Corp
Original Assignee
American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc filed Critical American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc
Publication of CA2114272A1 publication Critical patent/CA2114272A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2114272C publication Critical patent/CA2114272C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/523—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing with call distribution or queueing
    • H04M3/5232—Call distribution algorithms
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/523—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing with call distribution or queueing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/5125—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing with remote located operators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
    • H04Q3/0016—Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
    • H04Q3/0029—Provisions for intelligent networking
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M2203/60—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to security aspects in telephonic communication systems
    • H04M2203/6018—Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/5175—Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/5183—Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13072—Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13106—Microprocessor, CPU
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13349—Network management
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13385—Off-net subscriber
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13389—LAN, internet

Abstract

An arrangement for providing Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) service from a mixture of local and remote agents. The remote agents are connected via a voice connection to the home switch of the ACD and voice data connection to a Home Agent Server (HAS). The HAS passes call event data to a Management Information Agent System (MIS) of the ACD, which informs the ACD switch of call events that make a remote agent available or unavailable, and passes applications data to a host processor for serving the applications of the ACD. Advantageously, ACD service can be provided efficiently and economically from a remote server.

Description

-- - 2~272 .. . .

WORK AT HOME ACD AGENT NETWORK

Tecbnical Field This in~. - relates to arrangements for allowing physically separated agents to work as a member of an automatic call ~ u~o~ (ACD) team. - ;

The ~ in l~le ~ is stardng to make it possible to realize an old dream, that of being able to work as e~,L.~ om a home as from an of fice. Many people, ~-r e -~ly those in the computer industry, are able to -~
complete a large part of their work from worlc stations or personal computers in their 10 homes. So far, howeva, such applications as permitting t~ r' ~ agents to workfrom their homes have not achieved wide acceptance. Generally, it has been difficult to maintain a ~ surveillance of such agents and the cost of providing t~ 11 ~ 1'- - - access to such agents has been ~Lrr~' e~ high to discourage ~ ~
the ~ gly, a problem of the prior art is that no sound e~ - - -' - -15 way has been found for ~ t~ r' - - agents that are a part of an ~ ~1 ~ - call ~-~' ~I team to be L' ~ Se~ from the other ..w ..~ of the team.

Solution~
This problem has been solved and an advance made over the prior art in aceordance with the principles of my invendon, wherein a work at home agent 20 selected to serve a call by an ACD control system is ~ a to the caller on an audio link, and is c ~ ct~d to a home agent server (HAS) unit via a data The HAS unit distributes wod~ at home agent status changes to a - - lg~nent information system for maintaining su~veillance of the agent, and to the ACD control system so that the availability of the agent to serve a new call can be 25 noted by the ACD control system, and transmits application data from and to a host computer for providing and accepting a~,~l - - - data to and from the work at -home agent. Advantageously, this atran~ : ~ offers an ;-~ way of providing an audio r ~ ~t ~ to the work at home agent (the c~ -~t- - - is maintained only for the duration of the calls to the agent), and offers the agent a 30 single data path to obtain and accept applicadons data, and to provide data for ~ ;
updadng manag. --~ information system and the agent availability informadon for ~ ~ -the ACD.

'' 21~427C~ , Brief Descripaon of the Drawin~
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of lpp" 's - -in~cntio..; and FIGS. 2-5 are flow diagrams illustrating the methods of performing the 5 ..~..
n ~ d DescriPaon ::
FIG. 1 is a block diagram i~ the oF - - of ~ - 's -~
- - - T - ' ~ calls go to a switch 1 which is the host switch for the call ~ (ACD) which ~' ~ calls to thc agents of the called 10 This switch typically has many agents directly c ~ to the switch and, in ~ e with the principbs of this invendon, has at least one agent served by another switch. This agent is served by switch number 2. The agent has an ~ ~ 'i, ~ work station 3. This ~ - "ig work station receives voice signals from switch 2 and also transmits and receives data ~ g. s over link 4 c~ - ~ i to lS switch 2 which Link is c ~ in data link 5 and i: ~ ~t s at a home agent server 6. The data link carries event messages (such as answer and ~ - - ' and Ip~ - mPc~g,s (such as data for an order placed by the caller). The home agent server (HAS) 6 transmits the applications data to a host ~locei.~r 7, for example, for a- .c~ ' ~e order data, and communicates via the - - ~ nlPn~
20 informadon system 8 to the switch 1. Alternadvely, a direct link may exist between HAS 6 and switch 1.
The management informadon system (MIS) is used by the supervisors of the ACD to keep track of the individual work performance of the agents of theACD and to maintain such additional data as the number of calL that are not 25 answered and the dis ~ of the waiting time before calls are ~. ~
The switch 1 controls the functions normally ~ - f~-- ...~ by an ACD
including queuing calls and assigning calls to par~icular agents, including in this case the remote agent at intelligent agent work station 3 being served by switch 2. Aparticular agent worlc stadon is seized in response to receipt of a call from switch 1, 30 but the agent is made a. '-~'- for the nextca11 on the basis of event data received from the ACD interface unit 9.
Switches 1 and 2 are connected by the public switch tcl r hone network 11 and switch 2 is connected to home agent server by any available data network 10, such as anetwork 3~cesced by dial-up allang~ ents, such as 35 Compunet~9 or Tdenet~9.

211~27~ -FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the process of logging in from a remote agent work stadon 3. The agent logs on via the data link to the home agent server (HAS) 6 (acdon block 201). The work stadon sets up a dialog with the HAS (actionblock 203). The HAS ~,lv~esses the login t - - thrvugh MIS 8 and the ACD
feature of switch 1 (acdon block 205). In test 207 it is ~ d whether the call is ~ ~
frm the agent's nv~mal locadon. If so, the ACD marks the agent logged in on the standard t ':ph - number (acdon block 209). If the 1Ogin is not from the agent's -~
normal locadon (negadve result of test 207) then test 211 is used to determine if the agent is allowed to log in away from that agent's normal locadon. If not, then the - m 10 login request is rejected (acdon block 213) and the HAS rep~Tts the login denied to the agent work stadon (acdon block 215). If the agent is allowed to log in away from the nonnal locadon ~po ~ result of test 211), then the ACD marks the agent logged in and records the ~ q~ number for that agent (acdon block 217). Following the ~ e ,~ r of either acdon block 209 or 217, the HAS
15 reports login -sccr I d to the agent work stadon (acdon block 221). When the agent is ready, the agent then signals the HAS that it is available (acdon block 223). The HAS then signals the ACD that the agent is available (acdon block 225) and the agent is marked as being available for ealls by the ACD. ~:FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustradng the p,. g of a call that is 20 routed to the remote agent. The ACD switeh receives a eall for an agent of that ACD
(acdon bloelc 301). The ACD sebets the ho~ agent to receive the eall (because it is the turn of that agent to proeess the eall) and marks that agent busy (acdon block 303). The ACD sends an event message to MIS 8 to indicate that the agent is busy on a eall (acdon bloelc 305). The ACD determines the POTS (Plain Old 25 Telephone Service) phone number of the agent and routes the eall to the agent(aedon block 3~7). Alternadvely, the agent stadon 3 ean be a~cc ~ ~ d via any ~ ;
dialable number, and the access can be thrugh a Private Branch F-~ e (PBX) or a key t l ~ ~n~ system. The remote agent's switeh 2 receives the call and ~ sestablishes the ,c c - ct~i to that agent (action block 309). The agent answers the ea11 (action block 311) and ~,~v.i~s an event message to the HAS which informs the ;
MIS 8 and switch 1 (aedon block 312). The agent then talks to the caller and ~ - f~ data tra ~t; - with the host ~ ocessvr 7 via the data ac~ - and the HAS (acdon block 313). Eventually, the agent ~' - - -: from the ealler (or vice versa) (aedon bloek 315). The work stadon sends a call ended event message to the 35 HAS and the HAS informs the MIS and the switch of this event (aedon block 316).
The agent then CQ~ n~ S tO send messages to the HAS for after-eall work (aetdon 4. 211~272 ~-block 317). This after-call work is in the form of CQ~ f ~ with host vccss~r 7. Eventually, the agent sends a request to be made available signal to the HAS (acdon block 319) and the HAS informs the MIS that the agent is now available (acdon block 321). The MIS then informs the ACD that the agent is 5 available (acdon block 323) and the ACD feature of switch 1 marks the agent available for another call (acdon block 325).
FIG. 4 il~ I s the actions ~ r.......... ~ when the agent makes an outgoing call without logging off. During this time the agent is not available for 1~;CO;VI~g ;A~"~ e calls. In the initial state, the agent is logged in and available 10 (action block 401). The agent then initiates an outgoing call (action block 403). The HAS is signaled that an outgoing call is being placed to number X (acdon block 405). The HAS informs the ACD that the agent is busy on an outgoing caU
and the HAS inforrns the MIS of a caU to nurnber X (acdon block 407). Some dme later, the agent ~" Ic ~ - - ctc from the outgoing caU (acdon block 409) and the HAS is 15 ; A"f'~" " .~A by the work stadon of the ~' - . - - : (acdon block 411). The HAS
infomls the MIS and switch 1 that the agent is not available (acdon~block 413) and switch 1 marks the agent a~ k to process new caUs (acdon block 415).
Many agents have their own ~ e numbers by which they may be reached directly on incoming calls. If someone calls the i l~ e number of an idle 20 remote agent, the caUcan be a~cer: d and the HAS ~ r rmeA The HAS informs theMIS for record ~ ~3CS~ which informs the switch to make the agent busy. When that call is disconnected, the HAS is infomled, and the HAS informs the MIS; theMIS records the disconnect and informs the switch, which makes the agent available for ACD caUs. The agent can also have call waidng for outside (non-ACD calls) on25 hold. The HAS is informed of these events and informs the MIS which makes a record. The agent sta~us remains busy in the ACD switch in these cases.
FIG. S iUustrates the process of logging off. The agent inidates the logoff (action block 501). The worl~ stadon nodfies the HAS via the data link of the logoffrequest (acdon bloclc S03). The HAS p.~oi~s logoff transacdon tlu~ugh the 30 MIS and ACD (acdon block 505). The ACD marks the agent logged off (action block 507), and the HAS disconnects its data link from the agent (acdon block 509).

Claims (10)

1. A method of providing Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) service from an agent not connected to the ACD system, comprising:
responsive to a receipt of a call by said ACD system, establishing an audio connection from said incoming ACD call to an agent station for said agent via a public switched telephone network;
establishing a data connection from the agent station to a Home Agent Server (HAS) unit for communicating agent status to said ACD system; and upon approval of agent status, connecting the agent station to a serving host computer for enabling transfer of application data to the agent station via the Home Agent Server.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing agent status data to a Management Information System (MIS) from said HAS.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
logging on from said agent station to said HAS;
and responsive to successful processing of a logon from said agent station, said HAS unit informing said ACD system that said agent is logged on.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining availability status for agents of said ACD including said agent station;
wherein the step of establishing an audio connection is performed responsive to receipt of a call by said ACD system and responsive to said agent station being available in a record of status of agents of said ACD system.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising said agent station making an outgoing call;
said agent station informing said HAS unit that an outgoing call is being made;

and said HAS unit informing said ACD system that said agent station is not available for ACD calls.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising responsive to receipt of a signal indicating that said agent station is busy said HAS unit informing the ACD
system that said agent station is unavailable.
7. Apparatus for serving agents of an automatic call distributor (ACD), comprising:
a host computer for supplying application data;
an agent station connected to receive messages from an ACD, and the agent station further connected for transmitting and receiving data messages;
means responsive to a receipt of an agent availability message from said agent station for informing said ACD of availability of said agent station for serving calls; and means for communicating data from the host computer to the agent station and to the ACD.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
means responsive to a receipt of a log on message from said agent station for informing said ACD that said agent station is logged on.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
means responsive to a receipt of a message from said agent station indicating that said agent station has initiated an outgoing call for informing said ACD of unavailability of said agent station.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
means responsive to a receipt of a call event message from said station for notifying a management information system (MIS) of said call event for said station.
CA002114272A 1993-04-30 1994-01-26 Work at home acd agent network Expired - Lifetime CA2114272C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/056,232 US5392345A (en) 1993-04-30 1993-04-30 Work at home ACD agent network
US056,232 1993-04-30

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2114272A1 CA2114272A1 (en) 1994-10-31
CA2114272C true CA2114272C (en) 1997-12-30

Family

ID=22003062

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002114272A Expired - Lifetime CA2114272C (en) 1993-04-30 1994-01-26 Work at home acd agent network

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US5392345A (en)
EP (1) EP0622938B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2947709B2 (en)
KR (1) KR100310545B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1100882A (en)
AT (1) ATE202249T1 (en)
AU (1) AU662466B2 (en)
CA (1) CA2114272C (en)
DE (1) DE69427424T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2158879T3 (en)
TW (1) TW218944B (en)

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EP0622938A3 (en) 1995-03-08
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KR940025229A (en) 1994-11-19
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ATE202249T1 (en) 2001-06-15
US5392345A (en) 1995-02-21
EP0622938A2 (en) 1994-11-02
AU5936294A (en) 1994-11-03
EP0622938B1 (en) 2001-06-13
DE69427424T2 (en) 2002-05-16
JP2947709B2 (en) 1999-09-13
ES2158879T3 (en) 2001-09-16
JPH06334748A (en) 1994-12-02
CA2114272A1 (en) 1994-10-31
AU662466B2 (en) 1995-08-31
KR100310545B1 (en) 2001-12-15

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