Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.

Siemens Communications, Inc.

Rolm Corporation

Unify, Inc.

Gregory P Dumas

Mark Skrzynski

Mark M Perkins

Charles M White

Philip H Sutterlin

Harald Neubauer

A system for automated handling of call interactions includes an automated interrogation device, typically having interactive voice response (IVR) capability, with local memory for storing subset records. Each subset record corresponds to a master record that is remotely stored. The subset record contains sufficient information to allow a calling party to complete an identification process and to at least initiate an intended operation. For example, in a banking environment, the locally stored information may include customer names, account identifications, account balances, dates, and other information that is commonly requested by bank customers. In response to an incoming call, IVR queries are directed to the calling party and the appropriate subset record is accessed. Preferably, the subset record is retrieved to temporary storage, such as random access memory. Thus, there are temporarily three storages of record material specific to the calling party. Information within the subset record is readily accessible without an on-line connection to the remote storage of the corresponding master record. However, data exchanges are frequently implemented in order to match information in the subset records with information in the master records.

Redundant database storage of selected record information for an automated interrogation device

A gateway (,) is provided including a telephony interface (,), a network interface (,), and a digital signal processor (DSP) (,) for encoding the incoming telephony channels. The telephony interface (,) is configured to separate an incoming data stream into separate channels. The telephony interface (,) is further configured to control operation of a plurality of clocks for synchronizing the transfer of the channels to the encoding DSP, thereby minimizing multiplexing delay. According to another embodiment, the incoming channels are separately initialized by a controller,at a predetermined delay.

B-channel synchronization for G 723 1 vocoding

Method for multiplexing inbound and outbound calls from a call center to improve the efficiency of call center agents since an idle agent can sometimes place an outbound call rather than wait for another inbound call. A parameter k is used to have an ACD agent place an outbound call instead of waiting to receive an inbound call. Specifically, if more than k agents in an inbound/outbound ACD call group are idle, and no calls are in the inbound call queue, then, in accordance with the present invention, callback or outbound calls are assigned to idle ACD agents until k agents are idle. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, callback calls will be assigned to an ACD agent before outbound calls. Note that, in accordance with the present invention, at any instant, at most k agents will be idle, because as soon as k+1 agents are idle, an agent will be assigned to a callback or to an outbound call.

Call sharing for inbound and outbound call center agents

A pair of integrated circuits are described which provide a digital link between a branch exchange and a voice and data channel using an ordinary twisted pair. The downlink circuit permits coupling to a serial asynchronous port of different protocol than that used over the link and for instance, this port may be coupled to a keyboard, display or data terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Gregory P Dumas