Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The present invention is a novel technique in the automatic control of the size of a network of remote attendants in accordance with varying incoming call traffic patterns. The remote attendants are on the public switched telephone network. The system routes incoming calls via outgoing lines to the attendants. The remote attendants can receive a 'stream' of incoming calls within one outgoing call to an attendant. The remote attendants are kept on-line, that is, 'off-hook' as long as the amount of waiting time between incoming calls does not exceed a maximum waiting interval set by the supervisor. When the attendant has to wait for the next incoming call for longer than a maximum waiting interval set by a supervisor, then the attendant can be automatically disconnected from the system. As call traffic increases, the system can automatically redial the remote attendant to be re-networked so as to receive another 'stream' of incoming calls. This technique for automatically controlling the on-line status of the remote attendant in response to incoming call traffic is called 'Dynamic Call Streaming'. Dynamic Call Streaming reduces toll charges by adding or dropping the remote attendant on or off the network as needed while maintaining a high level of service.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim