Abstract:
A method of and apparatus for qualifying telephone numbers for use by one or more telephone service representatives. The method includes the following steps. Supplying a telephone number database containing telephone numbers and validation criteria to a qualifying computer. Launching calls with the qualifying computer to the telephone numbers in the telephone number database. Selecting called telephone numbers that meet the validation criteria as qualified telephone numbers. Establishing a qualified number queue for containing qualified telephone numbers. Providing access to the qualifying computer by the telephone service representatives to permit them to request qualified telephone numbers from the qualified number queue. Passing at least one qualified telephone number from the qualified number queue to the requesting telephone service representative. Using the requesting telephone service representative to place a call to the qualified telephone numbers passed to the requesting telephone service representative from the qualified number queue. The apparatus includes sites that are geographically distributed where each site includes a telephone and a packet-switched access device. A telephone network and a packet switched network communicate with a call qualifying computer performing the method noted above.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of Provisional Appln. Ser. No. 60/081,804 filed Apr. 15, 1998. 
     This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/069,906, filed Apr. 30, 1998, entitled Device and Method for Generating a List of Qualified Call Recipients by Palacios et. al. and incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system for generating a list of qualified call recipients, and more particularly to one which electronically validates a supplied database of telephone numbers and distributes validated telephone numbers and the age of the validated numbers to telephone service representatives. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Telephones have become a basic method for communicating with people and for gaining entry into a person&#39;s domain. Telephones are used in businesses for marketing (telemarketing), verifying customer identity or requirements, distributing warnings or recalls, fund raising and many other purposes. Various tools and methods have been developed to make the use of the telephone more effective for businesses in these areas. Some of these tools and methods have integrated computers with the telephone system to improve the efficiency of telephone service representatives in placing and taking calls. 
     One of the tools in this area is the predictive dialer which uses a computer to launch more telephone calls than the telephone service representatives can handle because it is expected that a certain percentage of the calls will either be busy, not answer, or will be answered by a machine such as an answering machine, facsimile, computer, pager or other device. The calls that are answered by a human are automatically connected by the call launching computer to an available telephone service representative through a telephone switch. Predictive dialing increases the productivity of the telephone service representatives by not having them spend time calling numbers with no one at home or busy signals. However, there are several problems with predictive dialing including the high cost of a predictive dialing systems, the requirement that telephone service representatives be co-located or closely located with the predictive dialing system, and if an telephone service representative is not available when the person answers the predictive dialing system hangs up on the potential customer. For predictive dialing systems to be cost effective there must be a minimum number of telephone service representatives located at the same calling center with the predictive dialing system at the same time. As such, current predictive dialing devices are not cost-effective for use by small (e.g. less than 10) calling centers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of qualifying telephone numbers for use by one or more telephone service representatives including supplying a telephone number database containing telephone numbers and validation criteria to a qualifying computer. The computer launches calls to the telephone numbers in the telephone number database and selects called telephone numbers that meet the validation criteria as qualified telephone numbers. Validated numbers are placed on a qualified number queue used for holding the qualified telephone numbers. A telephone service representation accesses the qualifying computer to request qualified telephone numbers from the qualified number queue. At least one qualified telephone number from the qualified number queue is passed to the requesting telephone service representative along with the age of the validated number. Using the telephone number, the service representative places a call to the qualified telephone numbers. 
     The method can include the process of maintaining the size of the qualified number queue in a size range based on the number of available requesting telephone service representatives. The size range has an upper limit and a lower limit. The qualifying computer maintains the qualified number queue within the size range by ceasing to launch calls to the telephone numbers in the telephone number database when the number of qualified telephone numbers in the qualified number queue reaches the upper limit of the size range. The qualifying computer resuming to launch calls to the telephone numbers in the telephone number database when the number of qualified telephone numbers in the qualified number queue reaches the lower limit of the size range. 
     The method can include the step of using the qualifying computer to associate a time stamp with the qualified telephone number indicating the time when the qualified telephone number was selected. This supports the additional step of using the qualifying computer to compare the current time to the time when the qualified telephone number was selected to determine an elapsed time since the qualified telephone number was selected. Then the qualifying computer passes the qualified telephone number from the qualified number queue only if the elapsed time falls within a time range specified in the validation criteria. 
     The call qualification method can support multiple telephone number databases from a single client, or multiple clients with one or more telephone number databases. The call qualification method also supports one or more telephone service representatives working on one or more telephone number databases. A client manager can control the telephone number database to which a telephone service representative is assigned. 
     Preferably, the telephone number database and the validation criteria are communicated over the Internet or by other means. The call qualification system waits until one or more telephone service representatives for the client are logged onto the call qualification system locally, remotely, or over the Internet. The call qualification system then begins launching calls to telephone numbers in the client supplied database. The system analyzes each call to determine the status which could include: busy signal, ringing signal, intercept signal, no answer, modem, fax machine, answering machine, or human. The qualified telephone numbers that meet the client-specified validation criteria, are placed in a qualified call queue for communication to logged-on telephone service representatives. The telephone numbers that are not validated are flagged as to their status and placed back in the telephone number database to be retried. Telephone service representatives logged into the call qualification system request qualified telephone numbers individually or in groups from the call qualification system. 
     One advantage of the call qualification system and method is that it automatically pre-validates the telephone numbers according to a client selected validation criteria before they are sent to the telephone service representatives. This greatly reduces the time spent by the telephone service representatives in unproductive activities, such as encountering unwanted telephone status, such as a busy signal or no answer. The result is an increase in the productivity of the telephone service representatives. 
     Another advantage of the call qualification system is its ability to provide coordinated support to a plurality of telephone service representatives who are distributed at a plurality of locations remote from the qualifying computer. Use of remote logons and the Internet allows the source of the client database, the call qualification system and each of the telephone service representatives to be at different, distributed locations. Each telephone service representative location with computer or Internet access can retrieve telephone numbers from the qualified call queue. This eliminates the need for centralized phone banks at which multiple telephone service representatives must be co-located to have access to validated telephone numbers. This allows telephone service representatives to work from home or other convenient location, eliminating travel time and costs for the telephone service representative and the cost of dedicated phone banks for the client. 
     Still another advantage of the call qualification system is its ability to support many clients simultaneously. Without the need for co-located telephone service representatives and dedicated telephone lines, the call qualification system can be monitoring and filling the qualified call queues for several clients at the same time without affecting the activities of the telephone service representatives. This allows the call qualification system to work closer to full capacity without demanding that all the capacity come from just one or a small number of clients. 
     Yet another advantage of the call qualification system and method is added time flexibility. Telephone service representatives can log into the call qualification system at their convenience from any location with a telephone and direct or Internet access to the call qualification system because unlike a predictive dialing system that requires a telephone representative to be present to receive a call being handed off by the predictive dialer, the present invention permits a call to be made over a wider range of times. 
     Also, when compared to known predictive dialing systems, the call qualification system of the present invention is more cost effective when used with smaller groups of telephone service representatives working for a single client due to its ability to service many clients simultaneously. The flexibility in calling location, time schedule, and servicing of multiple clients enables persons to serve efficiently as telephone service representatives using the call qualification system, who might not otherwise be able to work as telephone service representatives or otherwise to participate effectively. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the description that follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the drawings in connection with the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram of the data connections of the call qualification system for a single client; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram of the data connections of the call qualification system for two clients. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to FIG. 1, the interconnections used in the call qualification system  10  are shown. Telephone service representatives  12  are each connected to a local telephone central office  22  and an Internet service provider  32 . The Internet service provider  32  provides the telephone service representatives  12  with access to the Internet  34 . The local telephone central office  22  provides the telephone service representatives  12  with access to a public switched telephone network  24 . A qualifying computer  42 , which contains the software for the call qualification system  10  and which can be recorded in a computer readable storage medium, such as a disk, is also connected to the Internet  34  and the public switched telephone network  24 . The qualifying computer  42  stores a client supplied telephone number database  102  and validation criteria  104  and during operation populates a qualified number queue  106 . 
     The telephone service representatives  12  can be located at the same location using the same local telephone central office  22  and single or multiple Internet service providers  32 . Alternatively, the telephone service representatives  12  can be distributed at various locations using single or multiple local telephone central offices  22  and single or multiple Internet service providers  32 . The only requirement is that each telephone service representative  12  has access to both a local telephone central office  22  and an Internet service provider  32 . This embodiment shows telephone service representative  12  gaining access to the qualifying computer  42  through the Internet  34 , however this access could be provided by any other computer communication method, e.g. modem, local area network and other methods. 
     A client for whom the telephone service representatives  12  are making calls would have previously supplied the telephone number database  102  and the validation criteria  104 . If the client fails to provide validation criteria  104  or provides only partial validation criteria, then the missing values can be supplied by the call qualification system from default values. The telephone number database  102  can be supplied with additional client data for each telephone number including: customer identifier, name, address, age, previous purchases, previous donations, or any other information that the client considers relevant to the customer telephone number and wants the telephone service representative  12  to be made aware of when making the call. This additional data would remain associated with the telephone number and when a qualified telephone number is passed to a telephone service representative  12  from the qualified number queue  106  this information would also be passed to the telephone service representative  12 . The validation criteria  104 , supplied by the client, includes the status required for a telephone number before it is transferred to the qualified number queue  106  to be made available to the telephone service representatives  12 . Typically, the validation criteria  104  supplied by the client will instruct that the telephone number be answered by a human being. 
     The qualifying computer  42  can determine many telephone statuses, including: busy signal, ringing signal, intercept signal, no answer, modem, fax machine, answering machine, or human. In order to determine the statuses, the qualifying computer  42  has procedures which test the signal being produced by the called telephone number (e.g. busy signal, human voice) to determine whether the signal produced meets the client&#39;s desired validation criteria (e.g. a human voice) or is otherwise an undesired signal (e.g. a busy signal). In order to determine the difference between these types of signals, the applicant&#39;s have found that digital signal processing boards D/240SC-T1 and D/480SC-2T1, which are commercially available from Dialogic Corporation, 515 Route Ten, Parsippany, N.J., work well. 
     The qualified number queue  106  stores telephone numbers from the telephone number database  102  that have met the status of the validation criteria  104  and are ready to be passed to telephone service representatives  12  as qualified telephone numbers. The queue  106  can also store the time at which a telephone number was validated, from which the age of the validated telephone number can be calculated. 
     The flow of information through the call qualification system  10  shown in FIG. 1 would be as follows. A client supplies the telephone number database  102  and the client-desired validation criteria  104  prior to the telephone service representatives  12  logging onto the call qualification system  10 . The qualifying computer  42  can be notified that telephone service representatives  12  will be logging on at a particular time and to have the qualified number queue  106  ready. Alternatively, the populating of the qualified number queue  106  can begin when the telephone service representatives  12  begin logging on. The qualifying computer  42  computes a desired size range for the qualified number queue  106  based on the number of active telephone service representatives  12 , and preferably the average call duration being experienced. The function relating qualified number queue  106  size to number of active telephone service representatives  12  can be supplied by the client as part of the validation criteria  104  or computed by a default function resident on the qualifying computer  42 . The size of the qualified number queue (and hence the average residence time of a qualified telephone number on the qualified number queue) is managed to keep qualified numbers from becoming stale, having their status change, between validation by the qualifying computer  42  and a call being placed by the telephone service representative  12 . 
     The qualifying computer  42  launches calls through the public switched telephone network  24  to the numbers in the telephone number database  102 . The qualifying computer  42  determines the status of the telephone number and takes the appropriate action. The client, as part of the validation criteria  104 , can specify the action it wants the qualifying computer  42  to take for each status detected. For example, if a human answers the client-desired validation criteria can specify that the computer hang up, and then transfer the number, along with the time of the validation, to the qualified number queue  106  as a qualified number to be called by a telephone service representative  12 . Alternatively, if a busy signal or fax machine is encountered the client-desired validation criteria  104  can specify that the particular number be maintained in the telephone number database  102  for later retry. Similarly, if an answering machine is encountered, the telephone number can be returned to the telephone number database  102  for later retry, or as an alternative, the client supplied validation criteria  104  can specify that a message be left on the answering machine and the particular number can be flagged as one wherein a message was left, although no known contact was made, so that if the call is not returned, the number can be retried at a later time. Further, if a number is no longer in use, then it can be flagged as inoperative and not retried. 
     The action to be taken for each status can be specified by the client or a default action will be taken. The telephone number is flagged as to its status and acted upon according to the instructions in the validation criteria  104 ; if appropriate the telephone number is transferred to the qualified number queue  106 . When the qualified number queue  106  reaches the upper limit of the desired size range, the qualifying computer  42  ceases to launch calls to additional numbers in the telephone number database  102 . The qualifying computer  42  will resume launching calls to numbers in the telephone number database  102  when the qualified number queue  106  reaches the lower limit of the desired size range. 
     The telephone service representatives  12  logs onto the qualifying computer  42  through an Internet service provider  32  and the Internet  34  The qualifying computer  42  verifies the telephone service representative&#39;s user identification and security information and the client for whom the telephone service representative  12  is to make calls. 
     After successfully logging on, the telephone service representative  12  requests one or more qualified telephone numbers from the qualified number queue  106 . The number of qualified telephone numbers that can be passed from the qualified number queue  106  to the telephone service representatives  12  at one time can be specified by the client as part of the validation criteria  104 . The qualifying computer  42  passes telephone numbers from the qualified number queue  106  along with any associated data over the Internet  34  to the requesting telephone service representative  12 . The computer  42  can also determine the age of the validated call, preferably in minutes, from the time of validation which can also be stored in the queue  106 . This information can also be passed to the service representative  12  over the network connection. The telephone service representative  12  will make calls to the received qualified numbers through the local telephone central office  22  and the public switched telephone network  24 . When the telephone service representative  12  has acted upon all of the received qualified numbers then the telephone service representative  12  will request more qualified numbers from the qualified number queue  106  on the qualifying computer  42  through the Internet service provider  32  and the Internet  34 . The qualifying computer  42  tracks the number of telephone service representatives  12  calling for the client, and the telephone service representatives  12  inform the system when they plan to stop calling or take breaks, so that the qualifying computer  42  can determine the desired range for the number of telephone numbers to have in the qualified number queue  106 . 
     The qualifying computer  42  maintains a client report which lists the status of each telephone number in the telephone number database  102  and the action taken for that telephone number. A client manager  44  can view the client report either locally or remotely while the qualifying computer  42  and telephone service representatives  12  are actively processing the associated telephone number database  102  or the client manager  44  can view the report after processing has ceased on the associated telephone number database  102 . The client manager  44  can communicate with the qualifying computer  42  through the Internet, modem, local area network or other computer-to-computer communication technique. FIG. 1 shows the client manager  44  connected to the qualifying computer through the Internet service provider  32  and Internet  34 . 
     The client manager  44  can update the validation criteria  104  or override a telephone number status in the telephone number database  102 . If a particular client has more than one telephone number database  102 , each having an associated validation criteria  104  and qualified number queue  106 , the client manager  44  can reassign one or more telephone service representatives  12  currently working on one telephone number database to another telephone number database. The reassignment of the telephone service representative  12  will take place at the telephone service representative&#39;s next request of qualified telephone numbers from the qualified number queue  106 . The qualifying computer  42  will also send client supplied information to the reassigned telephone service representative  12  informing the telephone service representative  12  of the reassignment and the appropriate actions to be taken for the new numbers from the new qualified number queue  106 . 
     FIG. 2 shows the call qualification system to support multiple clients. Client A has multiple telephone service representatives  12  either co-located or dispersed, each of client A&#39;s telephone service representatives  12  having access to a local telephone central office  22  and an Internet service provider  32 . Client B also has multiple telephone service representatives  12 ′ either co-located or dispersed. Each of client B&#39;s telephone service representatives  12 ′ also have access to a local telephone central office  22  and an Internet service provider  32 . The local telephone central offices  22  and the Internet service providers  32  can be the same or different for each of the telephone service representatives  12 ,  12 ′ of clients A and B. The flow of data is the same as described in FIG. 1 except that the qualifying computer  42  independently stores and processes a client telephone number database  102 ,  102 ′ and client validation criteria  104 ,  104 ′ for each of client A and client B, respectively. During operation the qualifying computer  42  will populate the client A qualified number database  106  with telephone numbers from the client A telephone number database  102  according to the parameters in the client A validation criteria  104 . Additionally, the qualifying computer  42  will independently populate the client B qualified number database  106  with telephone numbers from the client B telephone number database  102  according to the parameters in the client B validation criteria  104 . Client A has a client manager  44  and client B has a client manager  44 ′. Each client can have one or more telephone number databases  102  and for each telephone number database there will be an associated validation criteria  104  and a qualified number queue  106 . 
     The validation criteria  104  can also include a time window specifying a minimum and maximum elapsed time between when a telephone number in the qualified number queue  106  was validated and when it is passed to a telephone service representative  12 . The minimum elapsed time parameter prevents the telephone service representative  12  from calling a telephone number too soon after the qualifying computer  42  made the validation call, to reduce the likelihood that the call recipient will associate the telephone service representative&#39;s call with the qualifying computer validation call. The maximum elapsed time parameter prevents the telephone service representative  12  from calling telephone numbers too long after the qualifying computer  42  made the validation call. As will be appreciated, the passage of an extended time between a qualifying (validation call and a telephone service representative&#39;s call) increases the probability that the status of the telephone number has changed to an unwanted status. Before the qualifying computer  42  passes a telephone number from the qualified number queue  106  to a requesting telephone service representative  12 , it will compare a time stamp placed on the qualified telephone number when it was validated against the current time to calculate the elapsed time. If the elapsed time since validation falls within the allowable time window then the number from the qualified numbers queue  106  will be passed to the requesting telephone service representative  12 . Otherwise, the telephone number will lose its “qualified” status and will be removed from the qualified numbers queue  106  and be returned to the telephone number database  102 . When so returned, the particular number can be re-validated if so desired. 
     The features and actions discussed herein are described in greater detail in the C++ source code of the Appendix. These processes can be stored on a recording medium such as a floppy disk, a CD ROM, or transmitted over a network such as the Internet. 
     It will be understood that various modifications can be made to the apparatus disclosed in this application without changing the scope of the invention.