CA2239038C

CA2239038C - Application call routing

Info

Publication number: CA2239038C
Application number: CA002239038A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Harold Sit; Tony Niro
Original assignee: Mitel Networks Corp
Current assignee: Mitel Networks Corp
Priority date: 1997-06-06
Filing date: 1998-05-29
Publication date: 2006-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2018-05-29
Also published as: GB2326057A; DE19825073A1; GB2326057B; GB9811268D0; CA2239038A1

Abstract

A method of processing calls in a communication system comprising storing, in a memory associated with a server to which telephone sets are connected and which server can send and receive messages to and from logical devices, telephone directory numbers associated with the telephone sets and further telephone directory number associated with a logical address of a logical device, comprising receiving an incoming call to the further directory number, looking up the logical address, sending a message to the logical device related to receipt of the incoming call and controlling further progress of the call by the logical device.

Description

APPLICATION CALL ROUTING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to communication systems such as telephone systems, and in particular to a method of processing an incoming call.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Integration of communications and the general purpose computer provides increased flexibility to the telephone user, allowing enhanced services to be provided to the user. An integrated system which provides computer-telephone integration (CTI) is described in U.S. patent number 5,657,446 granted August 12, 1997 entitled LOCAL AREA COMMUNICATIONS
SERVER SYSTEM.
CTI systems allow computer software to be used, to provide services to devices used by the user, such as monitoring and/or control of telephone sets, facsimile machines, trunks, etc. However, CTI systems and PABXs do not allow incoming calls to access a device which is not associated with a telephone line, but which otherwise can make or answer telephone calls, such as dual tone multifrequency (dtmf) generators, text to speech converters, automatic voice generators, other voice response processors, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method of processing calls in a communication system which utilizes a directory number as an address to a CTI software program which can deal with a call. As a result, an incoming call can be routed to the CTI software program instead of a real device, and the CTI software program can control devices such as an automatic voice generator, etc., and perform functions such as electing to answer the call, cause the call to be disconnected, or transfer the call to another device or another CTI software program.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method of processing calls in a communication system is comprised of storing, in a memory associated with a server to which telephone sets are connected and which server can send and receive messages to and from logical devices, telephone directory numbers associated with the telephone sets and a further telephone directory number associated with a logical address of a logical device, comprising receiving and incoming call to the further directory number, looking up the logical address, sending a message to the logical device related to receipt of the incoming call and controlling further progress of the call by the logical device.
The present invention seeks to provide a method of processing incoming calls in a telephone communication system having a server connected to a public switched telephone network, and to which telephone sets are connected each telephone set having a computer work station associated therewith, each workstation having a workstation memory, a memory associated with the server, the server being adapted to send and receive messages to and from a computer-telephony integration (CTI) program resident in said workstation memory, said method comprising: storing in said server memory telephone directory numbers associated with the telephone sets and a further telephone directory number associated with a logical address of said CTI program, said server receiving an incoming call to said further directory number, looking up said logical address of said CTI program,

2 sending a first message to the CTI program related to receipt of the incoming call and controlling further progress of the incoming call by said CTI program and said CTI program responding to said first message by sending a second message to the server to connect a voice response unit to a line carrying the incoming call.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained by considering the detailed description below, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system on which the present invention can be implemented, Figures 2A and 2B when placed together as shown in figure 2C form a flow chart of an embodiment of the invention, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of a representative service script and software agent.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The invention can be implemented in a system such as described in the aforenoted U.S. patent number 5,657,446 granted August 12, 1997 entitled LOCAL AREA
COMMUNICATIONS SERVER SYSTEM. Pertinent portions of the architecture of the system described in that patent application are reproduced in Figure 1. It should also 2a be noted that the system can be implemented using the invention described in U.S. patent number 5,802,396 granted September 1, 1998, entitled ADAPTIVE
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
With reference to Figure 1, a communications server 1 is connected to a local area network (LAN) 3, to which a computer 5, having a memory 7, is connected.
Server based applications are stored in a memory 9.
Telephone sets 11 are also connected to the server 1.
The server is also connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) via trunks 13. A device such as a voice response unit 15 is connected to the server.
In normal operation, when an incoming call is received (e.g. from the PSTN), the server receives the called number from the trunk 13, determines that the call is for telephone set 11, and causes telephone set il to ring. The telephone set answers the call in a normal manner.
The server also has record that computer 5 is associated with telephone set 11, and sends a.message to the computer which invokes a CTI computer software program stored in memory 7. Typically, this can cause the CTI program to place an icon representative of a telephone ringing on the display of the computer. When the user answers the telephone set, the server may send a status message to the CTI program, which causes the a CTI program to change the displayed icon, and offer the user various options, such as call transfer, etc.
If the call is not answered, the server may cause the voice response unit such as a voice mail system to record a message from the caller, and then send the computer a message which causes the CTI program

3 to place a "message waiting" icon or message on the display of the computer.
In all cases, however, the CTI program responds to messages from the server which result from calls to a specific hardware device specified by the called number.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the CTI software itself is assigned a specific telephone directory number. This allows an incoming call to access the CTI software by directory to number. In this manner, for example, a completely automated call process can be implemented, to a logical, rather than to a physical device such as a telephone, telephone answering machine, facsimile machine, etc.
To implement the above, the memory 9 of the server has a database which, in addition to retaining the directory numbers of physical devices, also retains the directory numbers of logical devices such as the CTI
software. Access to the CTI software device can be obtained by translation to a logical address via a 2o logical number tree database lookup or via an index database lookup. In any of the above ways, or by in other ways setting a monitor 17 on the directory number 19 of the logical device in the database 21, the CTI
software program is made able to receive events messages relating to the call status of the called telephone number.
With reference to Figures 2A and 2B, when a call arrives at the server from the PSTN, the server looks up the directory number in its database. If the called number is for a local line, the server connects the call to a local telephone set or other physical device as described earlier.

4 However, if the called number is the directory number of the CTI software program, from the located directory number, the server obtains the logical address 23 of the CTI software program stored in conjunction with, or otherwise accessible from (e. g. via pointer) the directory number. The server then sends a message to the CTI program (e. g. stored in memory 7 of computer

5) informing it of the call. The CTI program at the local address is accessed and begins operating.
Depending on a status which may have been set by a user or by an installer, the CTI program can send a reply message to the server to disconnect the call.
Alternatively the CTI program can answer the call, performing a CTI service or commanding the server to perform a voice response processing function regarding the incoming call. It could alternatively send a message to the server or to another device or to another CTI program, transferring the call to the other device, CTI program or to the server for further processing.
The voice response processing can for example include such functions as tone detection, tone generation, dtmf detection, dtmf generation, voice file transmission, voice recording, receiving or sending of facsimile messages, perform text to speech or speech to text transmission and/or recording, etc.
For example, an incoming call to a CTI program can cause the call to be routed to any of plural CTI
programs stored in memory 7 of computer 5, each of which can function as an order taking agent for respective different products. The CTI program, once invoked by the server sending an incoming call message to the CTI
program logical address corresponding to the called directory number, can send a message to the server to connect a voice synthesizer to the line or trunk from which the incoming call was received, and via messages sent to the server, cause the voice synthesizer to name the company, give a greeting, and ask the caller details of the call, such as the caller's name, address, identity of product to be ordered (which can be tailored due to the unique directory number called), etc. It can send messages to the server to connect a voice to data converter, a dtmf receiver, etc. to the line, and to translate the spoken messages from the caller and/or dialed digits corresponding to instructions provided by the caller to data, and to transmit the data to the CTI
program. The CTI program can then record the data and via further processing, prepare an order detail to either an automated warehouse or to a human order-taker.
It may be seen that the provision of a directory number for a logical device, as distinct from a physical device, can provide automated services in a highly efficient manner.
2o Figure 3 illustrates the creation of a service using a software agent for a system as described in U.S. patent 5,802,396 entitled ADAPTIVE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM. A service is prepared as a sequence comprised of plural basic service tasks 27. This is compiled into 25 a script 29, which is downloaded into a functional group agent 30. The script is invoked by a trigger at the script process input 31, which trigger is obtained when a goal represented by the service is requested by the agent-based communication system.
The basic services can be for example the steps noted above with regard to Figures 2A and 2B, and can include other steps such as printing orders or other

6 subject matter on a printer, operating an alarm or notification signal (such as ringing a bell or sending a message to a device or other system once there has been a certain number of orders received, or if stock is low, etc.).
The trigger can be the aforenoted monitor on the directory number of the logical device, such as the CTI
software.
The result is that a telephone directory number, which previously could only invoke physical devices such as telephone lines or hunt groups of telephone lines, can now invoke a service. The service can be created by the end user, using many different telephony and non-telephony basic services.
A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternative structures and embodiments or variations of the above. All those which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto are considered to be part of the present invention.

7

Claims

We claim:

1. A method of processing incoming calls in a telephone communication system having a server connected to a public switched telephone network, and to which telephone sets are connected each telephone set having a computer work station associated therewith, each workstation having a workstation memory, a memory associated with the server, the server being adapted to send and receive messages to and from a computer-telephony integration (GTI) program resident in said workstation memory, said method comprising: storing in said server memory telephone directory numbers associated with the telephone sets and a further telephone directory number associated with a logical address of said CTI program, said server receiving an incoming call to said further directory number, looking up said logical address of said CTI program, sending a first message to the CTI program related to receipt of the incoming call and controlling further progress of the incoming call by said CTI
program and said CTI program responding to said first message by sending a second message to the server to Connect a voice response unit to a line carrying the incoming call.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 including the voice response unit performing at least one of: tone detection, tone generation, applying a voice file to said line, recording said voice file from said line, receiving a facsimile message from said line, transmitting said facsimile message via said line, performing a text to speech translation of text data received from said line or stored in memory accessible by the server, and voice to data translation of voice signals received from said line and storing said translation.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 including the further step of the CTI program responding to said first message by transferring response to the incoming call to said telephone set, to a further CTI program or to the server.