Method for optimal utilization of an application-controlled queue for calls that is provided in a telecommunication system
View Patent ↗A method for optimum utilization of a queue for calls is provided in a telecommunication system and is controlled by an application, as well as an appropriate telecommunication system. Each call that is in the queue has a particular queue property and can be assigned to an agent, to a two-way announcement that is played by an announcement memory and that is capable of interaction with a call, or to remain in the queue. The method is distinguished in that a call assigned to a two-way announcement is allocated a parameter that causes the queue property of the call to be retained.
1. A method for utilizing a queue for calls, the queue being utilized by a telecommunication system, the telecommunication system being configured to connect at least one caller terminal to at least one agent terminal, the method comprising:
managing the queue so that a first call received by the telecommunication system is entered into the queue and has a first priority in the queue;
allocating a first parameter to the first call in the queue;
removing the first call from the queue for the first call to be connected with a two-way announcement;
managing the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first priority of the first call is maintained via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement, and
maintaining a total wait time count for the first call, the total wait time count identifying a total time period the first call has waited since the first call first entered the queue, the maintaining of the total wait time count for the first call being maintained such that the total wait time count for the first call continues without interruption via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the total time period the first call is determined to be waiting since first entering the queue includes an entirety of time in which the first call was removed from the queue and was assigned to the two-way announcement.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the managing of the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first priority of the first call in the queue is maintained via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement comprises:
increasing a priority of the first priority of the first call in the queue after at least one other higher priority call is removed from the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement; and
returning the first call to the queue after the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement and after the priority of the first priority is increased such that the first call has the first priority within the queue identified by the first parameter when the first call is returned to the queue.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
signaling to at least one agent terminal that the first call is in the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement via the allocated first parameter.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
maintaining properties of the first call in the queue in response to a component failure of a switching unit of the telecommunication system via the first parameter.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-way announcement is stored in non-transitory memory that is communicatably connected to the telecommunication system.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
returning the first call to the queue after the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first call has the first priority within the queue identified by the first parameter at a time the first call is returned to the queue; and
wherein the telecommunications system comprises a switching unit.
7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
switching the first call from the queue to the two-way announcement via the switching unit to remove the first call from the queue and to assign the first call to the two-way announcement after the first parameter is allocated to the first call.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications system comprises a switching unit communicatively connected to non-transitory memory, the two-way announcement stored in the non-transitory memory.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program product stored thereon, the program product defining a method that is performed by a telecommunication system that executes the program product, the method comprising:
managing a queue so that a first call received by the telecommunication system is entered into the queue and has a first priority in the queue;
allocating a first parameter to the first call in the queue;
removing the first call from the queue for the first call to be connected with a two-way announcement;
managing the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first priority of the first call is maintained in the queue via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement; and
signaling to at least one agent terminal that the first call is in the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement via the allocated first parameter.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the managing of the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first priority of the first call is maintained in the queue via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement comprises:
increasing a priority of the first priority of the first call in the queue after at least one other higher priority call is removed from the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement, and
continuing a total wait time count for the first call such that the total wait time count for the first call since the first call initially entered the queue continues without interruption via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the method also comprises:
maintaining properties of the first call in the queue in response to a component failure of a switching unit of the telecommunication system via the first parameter.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the method also comprises:
switching the first call from the queue to the two-way announcement to remove the first call from the queue and assign the first call to the two-way announcement after the first parameter is allocated to the first call; and
returning the first call to the queue after the first call was removed from the queue and assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first call has the first priority within the queue identified by the first parameter at a time the first call is returned to the queue.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the managing of the queue while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the first priority of the first call is maintained in the queue via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement comprises:
maintaining a total wait time count for the first call, the total wait time count identifying a total time period for the first call since the first call initially entered the queue, the maintaining of the total wait time count for the first call being maintained such that the total wait time count for the first call continues without interruption via the allocated first parameter while the first call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the total time period for the first call includes an entirety of time in which the first call was removed from the queue and was assigned to the two-way announcement.
14. A telecommunication system, comprising:
a switching unit configured to provide a queue for calls received by the switching unit, each of the calls in the queue having a queue property specific to that call that identifies a priority for that call in the queue, the switching unit configured to switch a call from the queue to a terminal of an agent;
a non-transitory memory connectable to the switching unit, the memory having at least one two-way announcement stored thereon that is configured to interact with a caller of a call in the queue;
the telecommunication system configured to allocate a parameter to a call of the queue assigned to the two-way announcement that causes the queue property of that call to be maintainable while that call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement; and
wherein the switching unit is configured to signal the call as being in the queue to the agent terminal while the call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement via use of the parameter.
15. The telecommunication system of claim 14 , wherein:
the queue property comprises a total wait time count identifying a total time period the call has waited since the call first entered the queue for the call since the call initially entered the queue, the total wait time count identifying a total time period that has passed since the call initially entered the queue; and
the parameter is configured such that the total wait time count for the call is maintainable by the telecommunication system such that the total wait time count for the call continues via the allocated parameter while the call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the total time period includes an entirety of time in which the call was removed from the queue and was assigned to the two-way announcement.
16. The telecommunication system of claim 15 , wherein the parameter is configured such that a priority of the call in the queue is increasable by the telecommunication system via the parameter while the call is removed from the queue and is assigned to the two-way announcement such that the priority of the call is the increased priority indicated by the parameter at a time the call is returned to the queue after the call is removed from the queue and was assigned to the two-way announcement.