Telephone Call Processing

Abstract

Method and system for processing a telephone call comprising initiating a telephone call. Taking a first action if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated. Taking a second action if the telephone call is answered after the call alert is initiated. Furthermore, a first action may be taken if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated or if the telephone call is answered within a time period following the call alert being initiated. The second action may be taken if the telephone call is answered after expiry of the time period following the call alert being initiated.

Claims

1. A method of processing a telephone call comprising the steps of: initiating a telephone call; taking a first action if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated; and taking a second action if the telephone call is answered after the call alert is initiated.

2. A method of processing a telephone call comprising the steps of: initiating a telephone call; taking a first action if the telephone call is answered within a time period following a call alert being initiated; and taking a second action if the telephone call is answered after expiry of the time period following the call alert being initiated.

3. A method of processing a telephone call comprising the steps of: initiating a telephone call; taking a first action if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated or if the telephone call is answered within a time period following the call alert being initiated; and taking a second action if the telephone call is answered after expiry of the time period following the call alert being initiated.

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first action is terminating the call and the second action is allowing the call to proceed.

5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first action is determining that the call has been answered by a non-human and the second action is determining that the call has been answered by a human.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-human is an answering machine, voicemail, digital assistant, artificial intelligence, a computer, machine, or an interactive voice response, IVR, processor.

7. The method according to any previous claim further comprising the step of receiving a signal indicating that the call alert has been sent.

8. The method according to any previous claim further comprising the steps of: receiving a signal indicating that the call has been set up; and receiving a signal indicating that the call is proceeding.

9. The method according to any previous claim, wherein the call alert is a ringing telephone or early media signalling.

10. The method according to any previous claim further comprising the steps of determining that the telephone call has been answered, and determining that the call alert is initiated, based on call progress signalling events.

11. The method according to any previous claim, wherein the first action is to allow the call to proceed provided one or more criteria are met.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria are any one or more of: determining that a previous telephone call to the same number or recipient was successful; determining that the telephone call is the first time that the telephone number or recipient has been called; determining that a previous telephone call to the same number or recipient exceeded a predetermined time; and/or determining that a previous telephone call to the same number or recipient was connected to an IVR processor.

13. The method according to any previous claim wherein the telephone call is initiated using voice over session initiation protocol, SIP, IP, VoIP, integrated services digital network, ISDN protocols, or primary rate interface, PRI.

14. A method of analysing telephone call data comprising the step of: determining from telephone call data that a telephone call was answered by a non-human if the telephone call data indicates that the telephone call was answered before a call alert was initiated.

15. A method of analysing telephone call data comprising the step of: determining from telephone call data that a telephone call was answered by a non-human if the telephone call data indicates that the telephone call was answered within a time period following a call alert being initiated.

16. A method of analysing telephone call data comprising the step of: determining from telephone call data that a telephone call was answered by a non-human if the telephone call was answered before a call alert was initiated or if the telephone call was answered within a time period following the call alert being initiated.

17. A system comprising a processor configured to: initiate a telephone call; take a first action if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated; and take a second action if the telephone call is answered after the call alert is initiated.

18. A system comprising a processor configured to: initiate a telephone call; take a first action if the telephone call is answered within a time period following a call alert being initiated; and take a second action if the telephone call is answered after expiry of the time period following the call alert being initiated.

19. A system comprising a processor configured to: initiate a telephone call; take a first action if the telephone call is answered before a call alert is initiated or if the telephone call is answered within a time period following the call alert being initiated; and take a second action if the telephone call is answered after expiry of the time period following the call alert being initiated.

20. The system according to any of claims 17 to 19 further comprising a telephone interface configured to initiate the telephone call.

21. A call centre comprising the system according to any of claims 17 to 20.

22. A computer program comprising program instructions that, when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform the method of any of claim 1 to 16 or 21.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying a computer program according to claim 22.

24. A computer programmed to perform the method of any of claim 1 to 16 or 21.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0070] The present invention may be put into practice in a number of ways and embodiments will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0071] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a call centre including automated calling equipment;

[0072] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a timeline of events occurring during a call;

[0073] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a method for processing a call using the call centre of FIG. 1, given by way of example only;

[0074] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the automated calling equipment of FIG. 1;

[0075] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a system for analysing telephone call data generated within the call centre of FIG. 1;

[0076] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method of processing a telephone call;

[0077] FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of an alternative method for processing a telephone call; and

[0078] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a further method for processing a telephone call given by way of example only.

[0079] It should be noted that the figures are illustrated for simplicity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Like features are provided with the same reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0080] In an embodiment, a call to a communications device over the public telephone network is established. A series of call progress signalling events may be employed by the network and attached communications devices to facilitate the proper handling of the call. Based on a temporal sequence analysis of network call progress signalling events, a determination can be made of whether the recipient is a live person or an answering machine (or other automated process).

[0081] When a call to a communications device over the public telephone network is setup, a series of call progress signalling events may be employed by the network and attached communications devices in accordance with standard call establishment protocols (including but not limited to those specified by the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) IETF RFC 3261 and Q931 ITU standards). The call progress signalling events can indicate availability or otherwise of network service facilities and the current state of a call as it traverses the network. The call progress signalling events can indicate if the call setup is proceeding; if early media such as audible network messages and in some cases audible ring back tone is available; if the recipient communications device has been alerted to the presence of an incoming call; if the call has been answered; and/or if the call has disconnected.

[0082] Answering machines (which in this description may be any automated process or call answering process) may be activated by recipient communications devices after a period of alerting has expired or if the communications device is otherwise immediately unavailable to process an incoming call. An answering machine activated due to a communications device being immediately unavailable will typically answer immediately after a call progress signalling event indicating that the call setup is proceeding or otherwise, or within a short period after one or more subsequent call progress signalling events indicating that the recipient communications device has been alerted to the presence of an incoming call.

[0083] The following describes a method of handling call progress signalling events that can determine whether the recipient is a live person or a machine.

[0084] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an example call centre operation 100 using an automated calling system 102 to establish calls 103 over the public telephone network 104 on behalf of live agents 101 to recipient communications devices 105.

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a timeline showing a temporal sequence of events associated with establishing a call over the public telephone network comprising call progress signalling events 203, 204, 205, time intervals 200, 201, 202 pertinent to the method and a configurable threshold 206 which defines the period within which an answered call can be determined to be connected to a machine.

[0086] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart the method to make a determination of whether a call has been answered by a live person or a machine.

[0087] FIG. 1 shows a simplified illustration of an example contact centre operation 100 and represents the business process of establishing calls 103 over the public network 104 to a recipient communications device 105 on behalf of live call centre agents 101. Amongst other processes, the contact centre operation 100 establishes calls resulting in a successful connection to either a live person or an answering machine. All other call outcomes are not relevant to this disclosure. The process is expanded specifically with regard to the pertinent call progress signalling events described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 represents the temporal sequence of events and time intervals inherent to the process while FIG. 3 defines the an example process flow.

[0088] 1. A call 103, 203, 300, is initiated by the automatic calling system 102 in accordance with the protocol employed by the local network service provider. A call progress signalling event 204, 301 is received indicating that the call setup is proceeding.

[0089] a. If a call progress signalling event is received indicating that the call has been answered 302 within the subsequent period 200 (i.e. before the call alert) then a determination is made that the call has been answered by a machine 303 or other non-human or process.

[0090] b. If a call progress signalling event is received indicating that the recipient communications device has been alerted to the presence of an incoming call; or that early media such as network messages or ring back tone is available 205, 304; within the subsequent period 200, then a timer 305 is started.

[0091] 2. If a call progress signalling event is received indicating that the call has been answered 306 within the subsequent period 201 defined by a configurable threshold 206 a determination is made 307 that the call has been answered by a machine 308.

[0092] 3. If a call progress signalling event is received indicating that the call has been answered 306 in the subsequent period 202 (i.e. after expiry of the time period) then a determination is made 307 that the call has been answered by a live person 309.

[0093] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the automated calling equipment of FIG. 1 shown in more detail. This automated calling equipment implements the various methods described throughout this disclosure.

[0094] A processor 300 carries out logic to implement the methods. Persistent storage or database 310 may be used to store processing instructions, computer programs, an operating system (e.g. Windows, Linux, OSX, UNIX, etc.), parameters (e.g. timing thresholds and other configurable variables) and historic data of previous telephone calls. The automated calling equipment 102 also contains memory 305 (e.g. RAM) and a telephone interface 315.

[0095] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a system 400 for processing telephone call data. Processor or server 410 runs a suitable operating system (e.g. Windows, UNIX, OSX, Linux or similar). Database 420 may be internal or external to the computer system 410 and stores the historic telephone call data. The telephone data is provided to the system 400 from the call centre operation 100 either directly or indirectly over a network or other suitable medium.

[0096] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method 500 for processing a telephone call. A call is initiated at step 510. At step 520, it is determined whether or not the telephone call was answered before the call alert. If it was answered beforehand, then a first action 530 is taken. If it was not answered beforehand, then a second action 540 is taken. The first action 530 may be for example to terminate the call or apply further tests and criteria. The second action 540 may be to allow the call to proceed.

[0097] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an alternative method 600 of processing a telephone call. Again, a telephone call is initiated at step 610. At step 620, it is determined whether or not the call was answered within a time period following the call alert. If the call is answered within this time period, then the first action 630 is taken. If the call was not answered within this time period (i.e. later) then the second action 640 is taken. Again, the first action 530 may be for example to terminate the call or apply further tests and criteria. The second action 540 may be to allow the call to proceed.

[0098] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a further method 700 for processing a telephone call. In essence, this method 700 is a combination of methods 500 and 600.

[0099] At step 710, the call is initiated. Step 720 is to determine whether or not the call was answered before the call alert. If yes, then the first action 730 is taken. If no then a further determination is made. This further determination is whether or not the call was answered within a time period following the call alert. If yes, then the first action 730 is taken and if no, then the second action 750 is taken. Again, the first action 530 may be for example to terminate the call or apply further tests and criteria. The second action 540 may be to allow the call to proceed.

[0100] As will be appreciated by the skilled person, details of the above embodiment may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

[0101] For example, the method is described as being carried out with a call centre but this may instead be carried out elsewhere (e.g. by domestic users). The telephone systems described are fixed line telephone systems. However, the system and method may also be implemented in a mobile or cellular environment.

[0102] Many combinations, modifications, or alterations to the features of the above embodiments will be readily apparent to the skilled person and are intended to form part of the invention. Any of the features described specifically relating to one embodiment or example may be used in any other embodiment by making the appropriate changes.