Method and apparatus for the efficient utilization of trunk bandwidth in a global enterprise
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to the operation of interconnected switches or call centers. In particular, the present invention allows communication bandwidth to be conserved, by providing audible feedback from a switch that is relatively local to a caller, even though a call center that is remote to the caller has accepted responsibility for routing the call to an agent. In addition, the present invention simplifies the administration of audible feedback by allowing such feedback to be provided from a centralized or common location. The present invention allows for the reliable operation of call center arrangements, without requiring that communication channels interconnecting switches or call centers that are grossly oversized in proportion to the data required to be carried in association with conversations between callers and agents. In addition, the present invention allows for call center processing features to be fully functional on a receiving switch, while audible feedback is provided to a caller on hold from a sending switch.
1. A method for servicing calls to call centers, comprising:
establishing a communication link between a caller and a first call center;
transferring responsibility for establishing a communication link between said caller and an agent to a second call center, wherein said step of transferring responsibility for establishing a communication link between said caller and an agent to a second call center comprises placing call comprising said communication link between said caller and said agent in an agent queue in said second call center;
establishing a communication link between said caller and said second call center; and
after said step of transferring responsibility, providing data to said caller from said first call center.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing said caller on hold, wherein said step of providing data to said caller from said first call center occurs at least in part while said caller is on hold.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said communication link established between said caller and said second call center is made through said first call center.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said caller and said first call center are located in at least one of a like geographical region and country, and wherein said caller and said second call center are located in at least one of different geographical regions and countries.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring responsibility for establishing a communication link between said caller and an agent to a third call center;
continuing to provide data to said caller from said first call center;
establishing a communication link between said caller and said third call center.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said communication link between said caller and said third call center is made through said first call center.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said communication link between said caller and said third call center is made through said first and second call centers.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said communication link between said caller and said second call center comprises a connection utilizing a packet data protocol.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein data corresponding to said data provided to said caller from said first call center is not stored in a said second call center.
10. A system for routing requests for information, comprising:
a first switch, comprising;
a processor;
at least a first network connection, capable of interconnecting said first switch to a first communication device;
information storage, wherein stored general information is provided to said first communication device;
a second switch, comprising;
a processor;
a second network connection;
at least a first information source;
a first network interconnecting said first and second switches, wherein stored general information is provided to said first communication device by said first switch until said at least a first information source is available to provide information to said first communication device, and wherein said stored general information continues to be provided to said first communication device by said first switch after a call associated with said first communication device has been placed in a queue on said second switch but before said first information source is available.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said second switch comprises a plurality of information sources, and wherein stored general information is provided to said first communication device until a one of said plurality of information sources is interconnected to said first communication device.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said first communication device is interconnected to a first available one of said plurality of information sources.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein said first switch is interconnected to a public switched telephony network.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein said first network comprises a packet data network.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein said first switch is geographically distant from said second switch.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of information sources comprises a plurality of call center agents.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein said stored general information is provided to said first communication device even in the absence of a request for said stored information.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said stored general information comprises music.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of information sources are capable of responding to enquiries from said first communication device.
20. The system of claim 10 , wherein said first communication device comprises at least one of a telephone, a computer terminal, a television, a video telephone, and a handheld communication device.
21. A method for routing requests for information, comprising:
receiving at a first switch a request for information from a communication device;
passing said request for information to a second switch;
placing said request for information in a service queue on said second switch;
after said placing said request for information in a service queue on said second switch, providing stored general information to said communication device from said first switch;
removing said request for information from said service queue; and
interconnecting said communication device to an information source.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said information source is associated with said second switch.
23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
determining a service queue wait time on said second switch;
in response to a service queue wait time on said second switch that exceeds a predetermined amount, passing said request for information to a third switch; and
placing said request for information in a service queue on said third switch.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said information source is associated with said third switch.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein said information source provides information to said communication device in response to a request for said information.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein said first and second switches comprise at least one of switches and servers.
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein said general information comprises at least one of music and announcements.