A method for providing unequal allocation of rights among agents while operating according to fair principles, comprising assigning a hierarchal rank to each agent; providing a synthetic economic value to a first set of agents at the a high level of the hierarchy; allocating portions of the synthetic economic value by the first set of agents to a second set of agents at respectively different hierarchal rank than the first set of agents; and conducting an auction amongst agents using the synthetic economic value as the currency. A method for allocation among agents, comprising assigning a wealth generation function for generating future wealth to each of a plurality of agents, communicating subjective market information between agents, and transferring wealth generated by the secure wealth generation function between agents in consideration of a market transaction. The method may further comprise the step of transferring at least a portion of the wealth generation function between agents.

Multifactorial optimization system and method

A system and method for communicating in a communication network, comprising presenting a communication comprising data over a communications network to a router, said router being adapted to route the communication to one of a plurality of available network destinations; automatically executing a communication targeting algorithm in the router, based at least in part on the data, wherein the communication targeting algorithm operates to contextually jointly analyze a plurality of parameters extracted from the data and a plurality of contextual parameters, to determine an optimum target for the communication, wherein the optimum target varies in dependence on both the data and the context of the communication; and routing the communication in dependence on the algorithm execution.

Telephony control system with intelligent call routing

A call-management method and system for distributing calls to agents, wherein each agent has a profile, e.g., defining agent skills, efficiency, etc. The call center management system implements an algorithm for selecting an agent to receive a call to optimize caller utility, call center efficiency, and agent training. Therefore, the algorithm does not seek to necessarily route a call to the agent having the skill set most suited to the call; rather, the call may be routed to an agent who needs experience in the area of the call, and thus serves as a training exercise. Skilled agents may be made available to shadow the training agent when available.

Agent training sensitive call routing system

The charge and collect-call functions of a public telephone are arranged automatically by a microcomputer system preferably connected on customer premises between the phone terminal instrument and the local loop, wherein control of said instrument, network signaling and call placement voice prompting of the call parties, recognition of responses from the parties and the network, call detail records of numbers and timings, and data communications with other computers are accomplished by the microcompter system without requiring human operator assistance or the transmission of calls over excessive distances to reach such an operator.

Automated public phone control for charge and collect billing

A method for retrieving documents in a knowledge database is disclosed in which a natural language query question is mapped to a plurality of equivalent strings. Both relevancies in meaning and in wording pattern are taken into account in ranking the equivalent strings by introducing respective weight factors. A document coupled to the top ranked equivalent string is retrieved and displayed to the questioner.

Information retrieval method with natural language interface

A method and an apparatus are disclosed which provide for non-offensive termination of an outbound call which has been answered when an agent is not available to handle said outbound call. An outbound call is placed (10) and a determination is made (11) as to whether the call has been answered. If the call has been answered then a determination is made (12) as to whether the call was answered by a person or an answering machine. If the call was answered by a person then a determination is made as to whether an agent is available to handle said outbound call. If an agent is available then the agent is connected (13) to the outbound call. If an agent is not available then a termination message is played (15). If the call was answered by an answering machine then, depending upon a user-selected option (16), a termination message will be played (15) or an interactive session will be started (17). Also disclosed are a method and an apparatus for detecting an answering machine. The duration of a noise level signal is measured, the duration of a sound level signal is measured, and if the noise level signal is followed by a sound level signal, or if the sound level signal duration exceeds a predetermined duration, then the call is deemed to have been answered by an answering machine.

Method and apparatus for non-offensive termination of an outbound call and for detection of an answer of an outbound call by an answering machine

An improved combination of a hardware and digital signal processing filter for detecting pick-up of a telephone call, solely through audio information on the telephone line, is disclosed. The apparatus employs a high gain band pass filter (28) with no automatic gain control, the output of which goes to a window comparator (30). The output from the window comparator (31) goes to a digital high pass filter (32) and from there to an integrator 37 for providing a digital output signal (40) indicative of the presence or absence on the telephone line of a signal exceeding a predetermined magnitude within the filter pass band. The digital signal is then processed by an intelligent digital filter having a set of predetermined threshold values of durations for states of the digital output signal, by which determinations of pick-up are made. The digital filter is adaptive and learns the durations high and low states of the digital output signal as they occur, subsequently checking for deviations from previously learned valid values. The digital filter includes a digital phase lock loop which will lock onto a periodic but asymmetric pattern in the digital output signal and declare pick-up when lock is lost.

Apparatus for detecting pick-up at a remote telephone set

An improved combination of a hardware and digital signal processing filter for detecting pick-up of a telephone call, solely through audio information on the telephone line. The apparatus employs a high gain band pass filter (28) with no automatic gain control, the output of which goes to a window comparator (30). The output from the window comparator (31) goes to a digital high pass filter (32) and from there to an integrator 37 for providing a digital output signal (40) indicative of the presence or absence on the telephone line of a signal exceeding a predetermined magnitude within the filter pass band. The digital signal is then processed by an intelligent digital filter having a set of predetermined threshold values of durations for states of the digital output signal, by which determinations of pick-up are made. The digital filter is adaptive and learns the durations high and low states of the digital output signal as they occur, subsequently checking for deviations from previously learned valid values. The digital filter includes a digital phase lock loop which will lock into a periodic but asymmetric pattern in the digital output signal and declare pick-up when lock is lost.

Aleksander Szlam

Papers

Method and apparatus for non-offensive termination of an outbound call and for detection of an answer of an outbound call by an answering machine

Apparatus for detecting pick-up at a remote telephone set

Detecting signals within a passband on a telephone line

Non-offensive termination of a call detection of an answering machine