WO2002021858A1

WO2002021858A1 - Method for controlling calls and operations in a telephone service

Info

Publication number: WO2002021858A1
Application number: PCT/FI2001/000764
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lauri Isotalo
Original assignee: Elisa Communications Oyj
Priority date: 2000-09-05
Filing date: 2001-09-04
Publication date: 2002-03-14
Also published as: FI20001958A0; AU2001284078A1; FI20001958A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, with the aid of which a service provider can control calls coming to their service number in real time and interactively, thorugh the useer interface of their digital mobile station. Such a method is used for controlling calls connected to a telephone service and from selecting and/or controlling the operations, such as announcements, of the telephone service, in the case of calls that are already connected. The term connected calls also refers, for example, to calls that are waiting, queuing, or on hold. The invention is based on the sevice provider being provided with a user interface that is connected toa device controlling the service number system. With the aid of this interface, the service provider is able to obtain information relating to the service and/or control the settings and opeartions of the servicek number, and/or calls connected to the service. The information relating to the service can include information on the calls connected to the number, on the state of these calls, and/or on the callers.

Description

Method for Controlling Calls and Operations in a Telephone Service

The present invention relates to a method according to the preamble of Claim 1.

Methods of this kind are used for controlling calls connected to a telephone service and for selecting and or controlling the operations of the telephone service, such as announcements, in the case of calls that have already been connected. The term connected calls also refers to, for example, calls that are waiting, queued, or on hold.

According to the state of the art, a service provider can influence the structure, operation, billing, statistics collection, and reporting of its service number, through its telecommunications operator which uses an intelligent network system. An intelligent network system includes a telephone network, SSP centres controlling mainlines and SCP call control databases controlling the SSP centres. Service number services are implemented by programming the desired operations in a SCP call control database, from which the computer operating the database retrieves the algorithms to be run to implement each service. The content of the SCP call control database can be altered by means of special applications, which are only available to telephone service operators.

A service provider can usually only influence the control of a service number through its own telecommunications operator. Generally, this requires making contact with the operator's customer service and ordering an official change in control. Orders have usually a delivery time of about one week and normally an alteration charge according to the operator's price list is made for the order. More complicated changes in control can take up to several weeks and the work is often charged at an hourly rate.

The state of the art also includes so-called 'Follow Me' services, in which a service controller can use their own telephone to change the destination number, to which calls made to the service number are routed. The changes made to the destination number are recorded in the SCP call control database. In practice, this takes place by the service controller calling a specific telephone number, where they are identified with the aid of the subscriber number and a code number. After identification, they can give the new destination number for the service number, by keying in the new number. In addition, the state of the art includes methods, in which a service controller can alter the settings of their service number, with the aid of various user interfaces, for example, telephone voice frequency dialling, short messages of a mobile station, or the Internet. Such a method is disclosed, for example, in publication WO 99/60799.

Service number control alterations that are made through the service provider's operator take place rather inflexibly. The changes have a long delivery time and it is impossible to react in this way to control requirements that appear daily, hourly, or even at intervals on one minute. In practice, this has actually led to a situation, in which extremely complex congestion, percentage, overflow, and search chain controls are built into service numbers, in an attempt to ensure that at least some response location will be able to answer a service number call. However, even these complicated control parameters cannot always respond to control change requirements that arise with little warning.

Control services of the 'Follow Me' additional service type referred to above help the service controller to make relatively simple control changes. Thus, the service controller can change, for example, the destination number of the service number, or alter intelligent network logic parameters that can be controlled quite simply. In order for the control to be able to affect a call, a change in control, such as a change in the destination number, must be carried out before the call in question is connected to the service number. In an intelligent network, user identification and the activation of a control change in the intelligent network demand quite a long time, while it is very difficult to use this ordinary method to carry out even slightly more complicated changes in the control parameters.

A drawback of the state of the art is that it is impossible to control calls that have aheady started and to control or alter the operations and settings of the telephone service. Alterations made with the aid of methods according to the state of the art only affect calls that arrive after the alteration. In addition, with the aid of methods according to the state of the art it is impossible to effectively control the settings of the telephone service, in situations in which rapid and/or several sequential control operations are required. Such situations include congestion peaks, during which there are more calls than usual. The invention is intended to create an entirely new type of method for controlling a telephone service, the operations of a telephone service, and/or calls to a telephone service that have aheady been connected, by means of which a service controller can control the operations of a telephone service and calls connected to the telephone service.

The invention is based on the service controller being provided with an user interface, which is connected to a device controlling the service number system. This user interface allows the service controller to obtain information relating to the service and/or control the settings and operations of, and/or the calls connected to the telephone service. The information relating to the service can include information on the calls connected to the number, on the state of these calls, and/or on their callers.

Through the user interface, the service controller can be shown information on the calls connected to the service number, including waiting calls. This information can include the A subscriber information of the calls and information concerning the numbers to which the calls have been made. In addition, the information can include the more important information of the calls, such as classifications of the callers, i.e. whether the caller is, for example, a new customer, an old customer, a previous customer, or a regular customer.

With the aid of the user interface, the service controller can control the operations of the service number, for example, so that a particular waiting call is connected to a notification device, which gives the caller a voice announcement and, if necessary, receives a number combination keyed in by the caller.

More specifically, the method according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing portion of Claim 1.

Considerable advantages are gained with the aid of the invention.

The invention allows the service controller to manage simultaneously several incoming calls to service numbers. In the following, an example is used to highlight its advantages, by way of illustration. In the example, the user interface referred to above is implemented in such a way that the service controller can use a mobile station supporting WAP technology to obtain information relating to the service, and control the service and calls connected to it.

The service provider, which has a microcomputer business, may have, for example, three service numbers:

- a free ordering service number (a 0800 number) - a help-desk number subject to the charge of a local call, for customers who purchased their computer less than three months ago (a 01080 number)

- a help-desk number subject to an additional charge, for customers who purchased their computer three months ago or more (a 0600 number).

With the aid of the invention, the service controller can see, with the aid of the user' interface of their WAP mobile station, which of the three service numbers the customer has called when a call is received. Thus, when they answer the telephone, they can easily start the telephone conversion to suit the kind of service number call concerned.

The invention also permits callers to be identified before a call is connected to ring at the subscription of the service controller. On the basis of the so-called A subscriber identity of the caller, the service controller can decide whether they wish to answer the call at the subscription in question or not. The service controller can make this decision without the caller noticing it. If the service controller does not wish to answer the call, they can route the call to a notification device, which makes an announcement stating that the service is not available at that moment. On the basis of the A subscriber identity, the service controller can also decide to accept calls coming from a certain geographical area. Similarly, they can decide to exploit information as to whether the call is coming from abroad or not. In addition, if in connection with the initial greeting of the service number, for example, the caller is requested for their customer number or some corresponding identity data, the service controller can decide even before the call is connected, whether more or less than three months have passed since the purchase of the computer. On the other hand, they can give regular customers a password, which, when keyed in, connects regular customers to a help-desk number at the price of a local call from any subscription at all, even though more than three months have passed since the purchase of the computer.

With the aid of the method according to the invention, the service controller can also select incoming calls in real time. For example, during congestion peaks the service controller can still offer help-desk services to regular customers, but put calls from other callers into a queue. During the sales season before Christmas, the service controller can, there again, favour callers who have called the business' s ordering service number and give regular customers an opportunity to wait in a queue for a line to become free, but give all other callers a congestion announcement.

The invention also gives the service controller flexible possibilities to utilize various kinds of voice menus and announcements in the service event. With the aid of a WAP- based user interface, the service controller can give callers announcements according to the service event and see the keys used by a caller, on a portable terminal equipped with a graphical user interface. The service controller can carry on the equivalent of a dialogue with the caller with the aid of their WAP connection, without the caller noticing this. Because the user interface is fast and interactive, the service controller can control calls coming to the service numbers very effectively and can easily connect even large numbers of calls to the destination numbers they wish in a short time.

One advantage of the invention is also the possibilities that it provides from routing a call in real time to a desired, suitable destination number. For example, during meal and coffee breaks, the service controller can route calls coming to the service number to their own mobile station or their secretary. If, on the other hand, it is better that the call in question is not answered at all, they can route the caller to an announcement that they regard as suitable, or even to a voice mailbox. On the other hand, according to different persons' working shifts, the service controller can quickly decide which of their employees would be best to answer a call made to a specific service number.

In the following, the invention is examined with the aid of an example and with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the example, the following internationally recognized abbreviations are used: MSC Mobile Switching Centre

SCP Service Control Point SSP Service Switching Point .

NLR Visiting Location Register

BSS Base Station System

IP Intelligent Peripheral

LE Local Exchange SMS Short Message Service

DB Database

DTMF Dual Tone Multi Frequency VoIP Voice over IP

Figure 1 shows one intelligent network system, in which the method according to the invention is applied.

The system shown in Figure 1 includes the telephone subscription A used by the caller, an LE local exchange B of the telephone network, an SSP centre C, an SCP call control database D, a database E, a gateway server F, an SMS short message centre G, an MSC mobile centre H, a BSS base station system I connected to the MSC mobile centre H, a mobile station J supporting WAP technology and in the possession of the service provider, and an IP device K.

When applying the invention for controlling calls coming to a service number and for controlling the operations of the telephone service, the following takes place:

1) A customer calls the service number of the service provider from a telephone device A.

2) The call connects through the LE local exchange B to a suitable SSP centre C.

3) The SSP centre C detects that an intelligent network service is required in the case of the incoming call and transfers the processing of the call to the intelligent network's SCP call control database D (so-called 'triggering').

4) The SCP call control database D detects that the call has been made to a service number, control of calls coming to which is the responsibility of the service provider itself. The SCP call control database D sends information on the call coming to the service number to the database E. This information includes at least the service number that the caller has originally dialled. The caller's A subscriber identity too can be transferred along with the said information, if it is available from the incoming signalling and its transmission is permitted in the case of the service number in question.

This information can also include other information.

5a, 5b) The SCP call control database D gives the SSP centre C a command to connect the call to a suitable IP device K.

6) The SCP call control database D requests the IP device to give the service number in question a specified notification and, if necessary, to transmit back the DTMF signals dialled by the caller. In practice, the caller may then be given: a simple basic announcement (e.g., a greeting specific to the service provider or service number), - an announcement, to which a response is requested in the form of keying in (e.g., an identity code or customer number), or a voice menu, to which a response is requested in the form of keying in (the caller selects, for example, the service they wish, from the voice menu).

7) The SCP call control database D transmits information on the possible key selection to the database E.

8) The database E forms a WML-based information totality from the information it receives from the SCP call control database D and sends it to the gateway sever F.

9) The gateway server F sends the information entity to the SMS short message centre G, with the aid of one or several short messages. 10) The SMS short message centre G forwards an SMS short message or messages to the MSC mobile centre H, in the area of which the terminal of the service controller is.

11 and 12) From the MSC mobile centre H, the SMS short message or messages are forwarded through the BSS base station system I to the terminal J of the service provider. The mobile station of the service controller supports WAP technology, so the WML information totality is displayed graphically on the screen of the terminal. The service controller can then, for example:

- check whether the identity code or customer number given by the caller is permitted (or even automatically compare it with the database in their terminal)

- ascertain to which of the service provider's service number the caller has called ascertain from which telephone number or from which area the call has been made (on the basis of the A subscriber identity) ascertain in which of the alternatives in the voice menu the caller is interested.

13) The service controller is now able to use their WAP-based user interface to control the call made to the service number in various ways. For instance, they can: route the call to the destination number that they wish give a command to make a new voice announcement to the customer and after that to connect the call to the destination number that they wish give a command to make a new voice announcement to the customer and after that to break off the call

- route the caller to a 'queue', in which case the caller will hear the queuing tone, or queuing announcement or music selected by the service controller - release a 'queuing' caller, either by routing the call to a suitable destination number or by breaking off the call give a command to present a new voice announcement or voice menu to the customer give a command to present a new voice announcement, in which the customer is requested to respond by keying in (e.g., an identity code or customer number).

The service controller sends a command with the aid of the graphical WAP user interface from their terminal J. The terminal send the commands with the aid of one or several SMS short messages. 14) The service controller's control commands are forwarded from the terminal J through the BSS base station system I to the MSC mobile centre H, in WML form with the aid of one or several short messages.

15) The SMS short messages sent by the service controller, which include commands, are transmitted from the MSC mobile centre H to the SMS short message centre G.

16) The SMS short messages containing the service controller's commands are transmitted from the SMS short message centre G to the gateway server F.

17) The SMS short messages containing the service controller's commands are transmitted from the gateway server F to the database E.

18) The database E interprets the commands coming from the service controller by means of the SMS short messages, converts them into an suitable form, and transmits the commands to the SCP call control database D.

19) (Not shown in the figure.) On the basis of the commands, the SCP call control database D connects the call to the IP device K and/or requests the IP device K to make a new announcement and possibly collect the key selection made by the caller, or alternatively requests the SSP centre C to route the call to the correct destination number at the desired charge. If the service controller's command requires a voice announcement to be made to the customer, the following takes place: the SCP call control database D connects the call to the IP device K and commands the IP device K to make a new announcement and, if necessary, to collect the key selection made by the caller. (This takes place in a manner corresponding to operations 5a and 5b and 6.) The SCP call control database D also transmits information on the possible key selections to the database E. (This takes place in a manner corresponding to operation 7.) The database E then sends the updated information to the service controller's terminal J, so that the service controller is informed on the real time call situation through the graphical user interface. (This takes place in a manner corresponding to operations 8 - 12.) 20 and 21) If the service controller's command requires the call in question to be connected to some number, the following takes place: the SCP call control database D orders the SSP centre C to route the call in question to the destination number according to the command while charging for the call at the desired rate. Possible additional charging can be implemented with the aid of so-called tickets.

22) The success or failure of the connection in stages 20 and 21 can additionally be reported separately to the SCP call control database D, from which the information is updated to the database E and through it to the terminal of the service controller, as WML form data. (Data transmission to the service controller takes place in a manner corresponding to operations 8 - 12.)

23) Information on the termination of the call in question can also be sent to the SCP call control database D, from which the information is updated in turn in the database E and through it to the terminal of the service controller, in WML form. (Data transmission to the service controller takes place in a manner corresponding to operations 8 - 12.) Thus, the service controller can be informed of matters such as the duration and price of the call.

In the embodiment of the invention described above, the service provider need not route incoming calls personally, instead they employ one or several telephone operators, i.e. service controllers, who seek suitable free customer service resources and route the call to the appropriate telephone subscription.

Embodiments of the invention, differing from those disclosed above, can also be contemplated.

The invention can be applied in such a way that data transmission between the database E and the terminal J of the service controller takes place with the aid of a data call or some other telecommunications connection.

The invention can be applied in such a way that the service controller controls the telephone service and/or calls coming to the telephone service with the aid of some other terminal that a mobile station. For example, a (laptop) computer can be used as the terminal. The user interface information can then be transmitted, for example, in HTML form.

The invention can also be applied to be used for purposes other than service number services. The method can be used, for example, for controlling the services of a company.

The invention can also be applied in such a way that the terminal J, such as a WAP or

GSM terminal, is connected to some form of call pilot automation. In that case, the operations of the calls and/or the telephone service are controlled by the action of the call pilot automation, which is connected with the aid of the terminal to an apparatus, for example, the database E, relating to the telephone service. By means of such an embodiment, the computer system controlling the switchboard of a ticket service, for example, could control incoming calls and the voice announcements made to callers, for example, through a WAP-based interface.

One variation is the connection of an Internet gateway to the database E, in which case the service controller can control service number calls and operations by means of any computer connected to the Internet. In that case, for example, the WAP terminal J would be replaced with a computer or another terminal, which is connected to the database E through the Internet. The database E can also be connected to other telecommunications networks, in which case the service controller can control service number calls and operations by means of a terminals connected to this network.

If the caller calls from a telephone or mobile station, the network identifier or network address of which is not a telephone number, the invention can be applied in such a way that the network identifier or address in question, instead of the telephone number, can be transmitted to the service controller.

The invention can also be applied in such a way that the caller calls from a terminal device other than a telephone. In that case, the information relating to the call can include the network identifier or address of the terminal, from which the call comes. Thus, the call can be, for example, an Internet call or a VoIP call.

The invention also includes an embodiment, in which information on the starting time, waiting time, and/or duration of the calls in transmitted to the service provider, hi that case, the service provider is better able to monitor the customer service speed and efficiency of its calls and control the calls in such a way that the waiting times do not become stretched out unnecessarily.

With the aid of the invention, it is possible to control not only calls and announcements, but also other operations.

The invention can also be applied in such a way that the caller responds to the announcements made by the announcement device (K) by speech or a tone, which the announcement device recognizes and/or interprets. After the recognition or interpretation, the information received is transmitted to the database (E) and from there possibly to the terminal (J) of the service controller.

The invention can also be applied in such a way that data can be transmitted during the call to the terminal (A) of the caller, which is, for example, a WAP terminal. In that case, announcements similar to the voice announcements referred to in the example, and which appear as text and/or images on the screen of the caller's terminal, can be displayed to the customer. In these announcements, it is possible to present questions to the caller, which the caller can answer, for example, by selecting an alternative displayed in the graphical user interface of their terminal. When the caller responds with the aid of the graphical user interface of their terminal, the caller's termmal sends the data to the maintainer of the intelligent network of the service number. By means of announcements, it is also possible to inform the caller, for example, of the estimated waiting time.

The term terminal refers to a device, by means of which data received from a data, data communications, or telecommunications network, or from a connection device can, in one way or another, be exploited and/or by means of which data can be sent to a data, data communications, or telecommunications network, either directly, or with the aid of a connection device. Terminals are, for example, mobile stations (such as mobile stations supporting GSM, UMTS, WAP, and/or GPRS technology), computers, embedded systems, and a telephone. A modem is an example of a connection device.

The term call refers to a telecomn unications connection, by means of which speech and/or data can be transmitted.

A subscription is an abstract concept, which refers to a terminal, an agreement, a telecommunications connection, a system, an apparatus, or a combination of these, on the basis of which, and/or with the aid of which the possessor or user can have a call or data communications connection with some other entity.

The term service provider refers to a company, association, or natural person, which provides a service, particularly a call-centre type of service, over a telephone network.

The term service controller refers to a natural person employed by a service provider, who participates in the control of calls coming to a telephone service.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method for controlling a telephone service with the aid of an intelhgent telephone network, in the case of current calls, in which method

- a call (1) is received from a caller,

- information relating to the received call and/or the caller is collected in a database (E),

- the information collected is sent (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) to the terminal (J) of a service controller, and

- the call received is served according to the definitions given by the service controller,

characterized in that, during the call:

- a command is received (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) from the terminal (J) of the service controller

- to route the received call to a specific telephone number or subscription, and/or

- to give the caller a specific voice announcement,

- the received command is implemented

- by connecting the call to the desired number or subscription (21), and/or

- by giving the call a desired voice announcement (5b).

2. A method according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least some of the call connection are formed with the aid of a VoIP connection, or an Internet connection.

3. A method according to either Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the caller is served by connecting (5b) the caller's call to an announcement device (K) and/or by giving the caller a voice announcement and/or a data-form announcement.

4. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that information, for example, in the form of a key selection, speech, tone, or data, is received from the caller, for example, in response to the voice announcement or data-form announcement.

5. A method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the key selection is recognized with the aid of a device supporting DTMF technology.

6. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the caller is identified, for example, in connection with the reception of the call, on the basis of an A subscriber number, a code, a password, a key selection, information provided by the caller, some other information, or a combination of these.

7. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the terminal (J) of the service provider or a representative of the service provider is a mobile station, a mobile station supporting WAP technology, a computer, or an embedded system.

8. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the information relating to the call and/or the caller includes

- information as to the subscription or network address, such as a telephone number or network identifier, from which the call has been made,

- information as to the service and/or network address, such as a network identifier or telephone number, to which the call has been made, that is, for example, which network address the caller has selected when calling,

- information as to the time of day at which the call has commenced and/or how long the call has lasted or waited,

- information on the caller's name, customer identifier, and/or customer classification, - information as to the country or geographical area from which the call has originated, and/or

- information on how much the call will cost the caller.

9. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 8, characterized in that information on the calls connected to the service controller's number, the telephone service, or subscription and on their state is sent (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) to the terminal (J) of the service controller.

10. A method according to Claim 9, characterized in that the states of the calls include information, for example, as to

- whether the call is connected to some number,

- which number the call is connected,

- which announcement or which announcements have been given to the caller,

- what information has been received from the caller, and/or

- what key selection or what key selections the caller has made, for example, in connection with some announcement being given.

11. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 10, characterized in that data transmission between the database (E) and the terminal (J) of the service controller is carried out using SMS short messages, a data call, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) messages, or a TCP IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) connection.

12. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 11, characterized in that the information collected is sent to the termmal (J) of the service controller in WML (Wireless Markup Language), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), and/or Java form.

13. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 12, characterized in that the terminal (J) of the service controller, or a device that is connected to this terminal (J), automatically controls calls connected to the service controller's number, the telephone service or subscription, and/or the operations relating to the serving or processing of these calls.

14. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 12, characterized in that the call is controlled and/or served on the basis of commands given by the service controller during the call.

15. A method according to Claim 14, characterized in that the service controller gives commands manually with the aid of the user interface, such as a WAP interface, of their terminal (J), for example, in such a way that the service controller selects some alternative from a graphical menu of the interface with the aid of the keys of the terminal.

16. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 15, characterized in that the information collected during the call is compared, for example, for the identification of the caller, with the information in the database, which information has been collected before the call was made.

17. A method according to any of Claims 1 - 16, characterized in that information on the caller is transmitted to the service controller, which information has been collected before the call was made.