Patent ID: 6222918
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A telephone call distribution facility for giving the users of sets and/or terminals in a telecommunications network access to at least one service provided by means of at least one agent, said facility including at least one call-director receiving telephone calls for accessing a service, at least one group of processing agents, and at least one transit unit for calls received via a call-director and waiting for processing by an agent, the facility comprising:""primary distribution"" first means for selecting a transit unit for a call reaching a call-director, the selection being made as a function of a minimum cost obtained by comparing costs established on the basis of indications characteristic of the present situations of each of the transit units capable at that time of being put into communication with said call-director;""downstream secondary distribution"" second means for selecting a processing group for a call that has reached a transit unit that was previously empty of calls; the selection being as a function of a minimum cost obtained by comparing costs established on the basis of indications characteristic of the present situations of each of the processing groups capable at that time of being put into communication with said transit unit;""upstream secondary distribution"" third means for selecting a transit unit for processing a call waiting in said unit as soon as an agent becomes available for processing, selection being as a function of a maximum cost obtained by comparing costs established on the basis of indications characteristic of the situations present in each of the transit units capable at that time of being put into communication with the processing group of which the available agent forms a part; and""tertiary distribution"" fourth means for selecting an available agent in a processing group to take account of a call coming from a transit unit, on the basis of indications characteristic of the situation present in the processing group with which said transit unit has been put into communication.