At&t Bell Laboratories

Bell Telephone Laboratories

Douglas C Dowden

Diane E Herr

Richard W Hemmeter

Richard J Piereth

Chander S Sehgal

Samuel M Salchenberger

Mahendra K Verma

Robert Petrelli

William K McCormick

Meyer J Zola

Johnny Collins

Michael Hirsh Cooper

Raymond J Gill

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for automatically processing operator assistance calls. A caller is connected to an automated operator position. The automated position has speech recognition facilities to replace those of an operator, has announcement capabilities to replace those of an operator, and has control apparatus for transmitting and receiving the same set of messages transmitted and received by an operator position. Advantageously, the operator assistance switch has the same interface to an automated position as to an operator position and interacts with the two identically. Since the capabilities of the automated position are limited by its program, the automated position switches a call to an automated position when a situation occurs for which it has not been programmed. Advantageously, a switch need not be specially programmed to communicate with an automated position. Advantageously, new operator assistance services can be provided automatically without rewriting the complex control software of the switch. The invention further relates to the use of automated operator positions for providing spontaneous voice message service wherein a caller converts a call to a message call if the called party does not answer or is busy, and to a method of recognizing a voice specified destination and establishing a call to that destination.

Automation of telephone operator assistance calls

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for automatically processing operator assistance calls. A caller is connected to an automated operator position. The automated position has speech recognition facilities to replace those of an operator, has announcement capabilities to replace those of an operator, and has control apparatus for transmitting and receiving the same set of messages transmitted and received by an operator position. Advantageously, the operator assistance switch has the same interface to an automated position as to an operator position and interacts with the two identically. Since the capabilities of the automated position are limited by its program, the automated position switches a call to an automated position when a situation occurs for which it has not been programmed. Advantageously, a switch need not be specially programmed to communicate with an automated position. Advantageously, new operator assistance services can be provided automatically without rewriting the complex control software of the switch.

An operator or agent position, for use by a telephone assistance operator or an agent of a business, communicates with the circuit and packet switching network of a telecommunication switching system using an Integrated Devices Digital Network (ISDN) B-channel and D-channel. The switching network is connected to customers, positions, data communication paths to data bases, and a data path to control processor of the system. The B-channel is connected through a circuit switching network to a customer. The D-channel is connected through a packet switching network to the control processor and to data bases. Advantageously, the positions can be located remotely from the switching network because only a single integrated facility is required to transmit the integrated voice and data signal between a position and the network. Advantageously, a variety of data bases can be rapidly and efficiently accessed by a position.

Operator communication arrangements for operator assistance systems

An arrangement and method for providing operator services to a plurality of subscribers wherein each subscriber is associated with one of a plurality of service acceptability times is disclosed. Service requests from the subscribers are stored when they are received by the arrangement and served in a predetermined order. Also, a record is maintained of the number of subscribers served. The time that each service request is held in the store waiting for service is then computed and compared with the service acceptability time associated with the service request and a count is maintained of the total number of requests that are not served within their associated service acceptability times. When the number of service requests not served within their associated service acceptability time exceeds a predetermined relationship to the total number of subscribers served, the number of service requests stored in the system is reduced. This reduction is implemented by inhibiting the storage of new requests and/or by initiating more rapid service of the requests to the system.

Operator service position system

Growing community of inventors

Naperville, IL, United States of America

Douglas C Dowden