Patent ID: 7885400

Claim:
An Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) controller arranged to be coupled through at least one packet-based network to a plurality of remote telephone stations and one or more attendant telephone stations, the ACD controller comprising: call reception logic that controls the establishment of telephone sessions between the remote telephone stations and the one or more attendant telephone stations; wherein the call reception logic operates to: receive one or more data packets including call initiation signals from a particular one of the remote telephone stations, monitor if an attendant availability parameter is met; if the attendant availability parameter is not met, to send at least one data information message within one or more data packets to the particular remote telephone station via the at least one packet-based network; and, if the attendant availability parameter is met, to establish an audio channel between the particular remote telephone station and a particular one of the attendant telephone stations, wherein the data information message comprises an alert request option, monitor for receipt of one or more data packets including an alert request activation message from the particular remote telephone station in response to the alert request option; and, if the call reception logic receives the alert request activation message from the particular remote telephone station, to send an alert message within one or more data packets to the particular remote telephone station when the attendant availability parameter is met, and send an alert mode message within one or more data packets to the particular remote telephone station if the call reception logic receives the alert request activation message from the particular remote telephone station, the alert mode message enabling an alert mode icon to be displayed on the display of the particular remote telephone station, wherein the alert mode icon indicates to a user the remote telephone station is in alert mode and can proceed with normal operations.