Communication device, communication method, program, and call control device

Abstract

To make it possible to avoid the influence of network communication quality on a call even when the call is received.SOLUTION: A communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network includes: a first processing unit that executes a process to acquire first information regarding network communication quality with the call control device; a second processing unit that executes a process to display on a display unit based on the first information; and a third processing unit that executes a process to send second information indicating that an incoming call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user using the communication device inputs that the incoming call cannot be answered based on display contents of the display unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, a program, and a call control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, various platforms such as smartphones and personal computers are capable of executing a network test to measure network communication quality, which is the communication quality in a network, before making a video call. For this reason, when a network test is executed at the time of making a call, if it is determined that there is a problem with the network communication quality, the influence of the network communication quality on the call is avoided by, for example, switching from a wireless connection to a wired connection to improve the network communication quality or canceling the call. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Android&iOS&Windows&Mac”, [Online], June 22, 2022, “Tencent Cloud”, [Retrieved February 20, 2024], Internet<URL:https: / / www.tencentcloud.com / jp / document / product / 647 / 47865> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, while it is possible for the calling party to check the network communication quality at the time of making a call and avoid any impact on the call, it is not possible to check the network communication quality at the time of an incoming call, when it is not known when the called party will arrive, and avoid any impact on the call.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a communication device, a communication method, a program, and a call control device that can prevent the influence of network communication quality on a call even when an incoming call is received. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve such problems, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, and is equipped with a first processing unit that executes a process of obtaining first information regarding the network communication quality with the call control device, a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information, and a third processing unit that executes a process of sending second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the communication device inputs that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit.

[0007] In addition, a communication method of the present invention is a communication method for a communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, in which the communication device executes the steps of acquiring first information regarding the network communication quality between the communication device and the call control device, displaying the first information on a display unit based on the first information, and, when a user of the communication device inputs an indication that they cannot answer the incoming call based on the display content of the display unit, transmitting second information indicating that they cannot answer the incoming call to the call control device.

[0008] Furthermore, in the program of the present invention, a computer that communicates with a call control device via a network is made to function as a first processing unit that executes a process of acquiring first information regarding the network communication quality with the call control device, a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information, and a third processing unit that executes a process of sending second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the computer inputs an indication that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit.

[0009] In this way, the present invention allows the user to check the network communication quality from the display content on the display unit even when an incoming call is received, and if the user is unable to answer the call, a message to that effect is sent to the call control device to reject the call, thereby avoiding the impact of network communication quality on the call.

[0010] Furthermore, the call control device of the present invention is a call control device that forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, and is equipped with a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between each communication device, a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information, and a seventh processing unit that executes a process of sending incoming call information indicating that the incoming call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit.

[0011] Furthermore, in a communication method of the present invention, a call control device forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, wherein the call control device executes the steps of: acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between the call control device and each communication device; selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information; and transmitting incoming call information to the selected communication device indicating that the call has been received.

[0012] Furthermore, in the program of the present invention, a computer that forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices is made to function as a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between each communication device, a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information, and a seventh processing unit that executes a process of sending incoming call information indicating that the call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit.

[0013] In this way, in the present invention, for example, communication devices with poor network communication quality can be excluded from the call forwarding destinations, thereby preventing the influence of network communication quality on calls. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] Thus, the present invention can realize a communication device, a communication method, a program, and a call control device that can prevent the influence of network communication quality on a call even when a call is received. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a call center system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a call control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a softphone according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an incoming call popup screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in background color of an incoming call popup screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the softphone according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a call control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the call control device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] 1. First Embodiment [1-1. Call center system configuration] First, the configuration of a call center system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. The call center system 1 shown in Figure 1 is composed of a base 2 that accommodates outside lines, and bases 3 and 4 where telephone terminal devices (e.g., softphones) for operators are installed. In this embodiment, as an example, base 2 is, for example, the business office of a cloud service provider, base 3 is, for example, the office of an operator, and base 4 is, for example, the home of the operator. As another example, base 2, which is the business office, and base 3, which is also the office, are connected by a dedicated line Nt1, and base 2, which is the business office, and base 4, which is the home, are connected by the Internet Nt2.

[0018] 1 is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the base 2 that accommodates the outside line may be a data center, the base where the operator uses the telephone may be one of bases 3 and 4, or base 2, which is a business office, and base 4, which is a home, may be connected by a mobile line.

[0019] At base 2, which is the business premises of a cloud service provider, a network Nt3, such as a LAN (Local Area Network), is connected to a call control device 10 as a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), a line accommodating device 11 as a GW (Gateway) that relays between the network Nt3 and a public network Nt4, a router 12 that relays between the network Nt3 and a dedicated line Nt1, and a router 13 that relays between the network Nt3 and the Internet Nt2.

[0020] At this site 2, the call control device 10 is connected to a customer's telephone terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) 14 via a network Nt3, a line accommodating device 11, and a public network Nt4. The call control device 10 is also connected to softphones 20 (20A, 20B), which are telephone terminal devices for operators provided at site 3, via the network Nt3, a router 12, and a dedicated line Nt1. The call control device 10 is further connected to a softphone 20 (20C), which is a telephone terminal device for operators provided at site 4, via the network Nt3, a router 13, and the Internet Nt2.

[0021] At base 3, which is the operator's office, softphones 20 (20A, 20B), which are telephone terminal devices for the operator, and a router 21, which relays between the network Nt5 and a dedicated line Nt1, are connected by wire (or wireless) to a network Nt5 such as a LAN at base 3. At base 3, the softphones 20 (20A, 20B) are connected to a call control device 10 provided at base 2 via the network Nt5, the router 21, and the dedicated line Nt1.

[0022] At base 4, which is the operator's home, for example, a wireless LAN router 22 that relays to the Internet Nt2 is provided, and a softphone 20 (20C), which is a telephone terminal device for the operator, is wirelessly connected (or wired) to the wireless LAN router 22. At this base 4, the softphone 20 (20C) is connected to the call control device 10 provided at base 2 via the wireless LAN router 22 and the Internet Nt2. The configuration of the call center system 1 is as described above.

[0023] [1-2. Configuration of call control device] Next, the configuration of the call control device 10 will be described. The call control device 10 is a device that controls external calls to and from the call center system 1 (i.e., calls between the customer's telephone terminal device 14 and the softphone 20), and has a communication unit 110, a call control unit 111, and a storage unit 112, as shown in the block diagram of Fig. 2. Although not shown in Fig. 2, the call control device 10 is a computer that has a CPU, memory, a storage device such as a hard disk, and a network interface, and functions as the call control device 10 (i.e., as the communication unit 110, call control unit 111, and storage unit 112 of the call control device 10) by the CPU loading and executing a program installed in the storage device.

[0024] The communication unit 110 establishes a communication connection to the network Nt3. The call control unit 111 controls external calls between the customer's telephone terminal device 14 and the softphone 20. Here, the call control unit 111 has a function of transferring a call received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 to the softphone 20 of an appropriate operator. Specifically, when the call control unit 111 receives an incoming call from the customer's telephone terminal device 14, it selects an appropriate operator based on, for example, the caller number, the called number, the skills and availability of each operator, and transmits incoming call information via the communication unit 110 to the softphone 20 used by that operator. This incoming call information includes, for example, a message that the call has been received and the caller number.

[0025] Thereafter, when the call control unit 111 receives incoming call response information indicating that the call will be answered from the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call information, it transfers the call received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 to the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call response information, and connects the customer's telephone terminal device 14 and the operator's softphone 20. This makes it possible to make a call between the customer's telephone terminal device 14 and the operator's softphone 20.

[0026] On the other hand, when the call control unit 111 receives incoming call rejection information indicating that the incoming call is rejected from the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call information, it selects an operator other than the operator of the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call rejection information, and sends the incoming call information to the softphone 20 of that operator via the communication unit 110.

[0027] The storage unit 112 stores various information (such as information related to operators) handled by the call control device 10. The configuration of the call control device 10 is as described above.

[0028] [1-3. Softphone configuration] Next, the configuration of the softphones 20 (20A to 20C) installed at the base 2 will be described. Since the softphones 20A to 20C have the same configuration, only the configuration of the softphone 20A will be described here. The softphone 20A is a telephone terminal device that allows an operator to receive calls from customers and perform customer service operations, and as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3, has a communication unit 120, an operation unit 121, a display unit 122, an audio input / output unit 123, a network communication quality measurement unit 124, a control unit 125, and a memory unit 126. Although omitted from Figure 3, softphone 20A is a computer having a CPU, memory, a storage device such as a hard disk, and a network interface, and functions as softphone 20 (i.e., as communication unit 120, operation unit 121, display unit 122, audio input / output unit 123, network communication quality measurement unit 124, control unit 125, and memory unit 126 of softphone 20A) by having the CPU load and execute the softphone program into memory.

[0029] The communication unit 120 establishes a communication connection to the network Nt5 and the wireless LAN router 22. The operation unit 121 inputs operations by an operator via, for example, a mouse or keyboard connected to a PC. The display unit 122 displays various information and screens on, for example, a monitor connected to the PC. The audio input / output unit 123 inputs and outputs audio via, for example, a headset connected to the PC. Specifically, the audio input / output unit 123 inputs speech by the operator as audio via the headset and outputs speech by the other party (i.e., the customer) as audio.

[0030] The network communication quality measurement unit 124 periodically (for example, every 5 seconds) measures the network communication quality between the softphone 20A and the call control device 10. Here, the network communication quality refers to the communication quality of the network, and in this embodiment, the network communication quality is measured as network delay and fluctuation.

[0031] Specifically, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 executes a Ping command, which is one of the network commands, to the call control device 10 to obtain a Ping value indicating the delay in the network between the softphone 20A and the call control device 10 and a Jitter value indicating the fluctuation.

[0032] The ping value indicates the time required for communication; the larger this value, the greater the delay, and the smaller this value, the smaller the delay. On the other hand, the jitter value indicates the fluctuation (shake) of the ping value; the larger this value, the greater the shake of the ping value, and the smaller this value, the smaller the shake of the ping value.

[0033] In this way, the network communication quality measuring unit 124 uses the Ping command to measure (acquire) the network delay (Ping value) and fluctuation (Jitter value).

[0034] Furthermore, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 uses a predetermined algorithm to calculate a score that serves as an index of the stability of the current network communication quality based on the acquired Ping value and Jitter value. This score is a numerical value that increases as the Ping value decreases and as the Jittet value decreases. In other words, the higher this score, the more stable and better the network communication quality is.

[0035] Furthermore, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 determines the current state of network communication quality (i.e., the degree of stability) based on the calculated score. Specifically, if the score is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 determines the current state of network communication quality as "good," if the score is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than a second threshold, it determines the state as "caution," and if the score is less than the second threshold, it determines the state as "poor."

[0036] Here, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "good," this means that when a voice call is made between the operator's softphone 20A and the customer's telephone terminal device 14, there is almost no possibility that the network communication quality between the softphone 20A and the call control device 10 will affect the voice call. In this case, the influence refers to audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnection, etc. In other words, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "good," this means that the network communication quality is stable and there is almost no possibility that audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnection, etc. will occur, and voice calls can be made without any problems between the operator's softphone 20A and the customer's telephone terminal device 14.

[0037] In other words, the first threshold, which is the criterion for determining whether the network communication quality is good, is set based on a score calculated in a situation where there are no actual audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnections, etc. On the other hand, the second threshold, which is the criterion for determining whether the network communication quality is bad, is set based on a score calculated in a situation where there are actual audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnections, etc.

[0038] Furthermore, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "Caution," this means that there is a possibility that the network communication quality will affect the voice call when the voice call is made between the operator's softphone 20A and the customer's telephone terminal device 14. In other words, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "Caution," this means that the network communication quality is slightly unstable and there is a possibility that audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnections, etc. will occur, and that although the voice call can be made between the customer and the operator, caution is required.

[0039] Furthermore, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "poor," this means that there is a high possibility that the network communication quality will affect the voice call when the voice call is made between the operator's softphone 20A and the customer's telephone terminal device 14. In other words, if the network communication quality status is determined to be "poor," this means that there is a high possibility that the network communication quality will be unstable, causing audio dropouts, one-way audio, call disconnections, etc., and that it will be difficult to make a voice call between the customer and the operator.

[0040] In this way, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 determines the current state of network communication quality, and stores the result of this determination as network communication quality information, for example, in the storage unit 126. In this way, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 uses the Ping command to measure the Ping value and Jitter value that indicate network communication quality, and acquires network communication quality information that indicates the current state of network communication quality (i.e., the degree of stability, which is one of "good," "caution," or "poor") based on these measurement results.

[0041] Since the network communication quality is constantly changing, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 periodically measures the Ping value and Jitter value related to the network communication quality to determine the state of the network communication quality, and stores the latest network communication quality information in the storage unit 126. In addition to the latest network communication quality information, past network communication quality information may also be stored in the storage unit 126 as history.

[0042] Incidentally, network communication quality deteriorates due to network congestion, delays, packet loss, fluctuations, etc. Furthermore, causes of network congestion, delays, packet loss, fluctuations, etc. include burst traffic caused by operating system (OS) updates and computer viruses, and other radio waves that affect wireless LANs (such as microwave ovens).

[0043] The control unit 125 controls each unit to make a voice call using the softphone 20A. Specifically, when the control unit 125 receives incoming call information from the call control device 10 via the communication unit 120, the control unit 125 accordingly displays an incoming call pop-up screen on the display unit 122 as an incoming call screen indicating that an incoming call has been received. Fig. 4 shows an example of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc that is displayed at this time.

[0044] The incoming call pop-up screen Sc has a rectangular display frame Fr, on the inside of which the caller number Tn (i.e., the telephone number of the customer who called), an answer button Bt1, and a reject button Bt2 are arranged.

[0045] The caller number Tn is information obtained from the incoming call information received from the call control device 10. The answer button Bt1 is a button that an operator presses when answering an incoming call, and the reject button Bt2 is a button that an operator presses when rejecting an incoming call.

[0046] Furthermore, the background color of the inside of the display frame Fr of this incoming call pop-up screen Sc is displayed in a color that corresponds to the current network communication quality status indicated by the network communication quality information stored in the storage unit 126. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(A), if the current network communication quality status is "good," the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is displayed in, for example, blue. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(B), if the current network communication quality status is "caution," the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is displayed in, for example, yellow. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(C), if the current network communication quality status is "poor," the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is displayed in, for example, red.

[0047] By viewing this incoming call pop-up screen Sc, the operator can learn that an incoming call has arrived from caller number Tn and the current state of network communication quality. If the current state of network communication quality is "good" (i.e., the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is blue), the operator presses the answer button Bt1 to answer the incoming call. At this time, when the control unit 125 recognizes that the answer button Bt1 has been pressed, it transmits incoming call answer information indicating that the incoming call from caller number Tn will be answered to the call control device 10. This initiates a voice call between the operator's softphone 20 and the customer's telephone terminal device 14.

[0048] Furthermore, if the current network communication quality status is "Caution" or "Poor" (i.e., the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is yellow or red), the operator presses the reject button Bt2 to reject the incoming call. At this time, when the control unit 125 recognizes that the reject button Bt2 has been pressed, it transmits to the call control device 10 incoming call rejection information indicating that the incoming call from the caller number Tn is rejected. As a result, the incoming call from the caller number Tn is forwarded to the softphone 20 of another operator.

[0049] Furthermore, even if the current network communication quality status is "Caution" (i.e., the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc is yellow) or "Poor" (i.e., the background color is red), the operator may press the answer button Bt1 to answer the incoming call, after understanding that the network communication quality may affect voice calls.

[0050] 3, storage unit 126 stores various information such as network communication quality information handled by softphone 20 A. Softphone 20 A is configured as described above.

[0051] [1-4. Softphone Operation] Next, the operation of the softphones 20 (20A to 20C) will be described. Since the operations of the softphones 20A to 20C are basically the same, the operation of the softphone 20A will be described here. Also, here, as the operation of the softphone 20A, the operation when displaying the incoming call popup screen Sc will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0052] In step SP1 shown in Figure 6, the control unit 125 of the softphone 20A executes a Ping command to the call control device 10 using the network communication quality measurement unit 124 to obtain a Ping value and a Jitter value, determines the current network communication quality status based on these, and stores the determination result in the memory unit 126 as network communication quality information.

[0053] In the next step SP2, the control unit 125 determines whether or not incoming call information has been received from the call control device 10 via the communication unit 120. If incoming call information has not been received, the control unit 125 obtains a negative result in step SP2 and returns to step SP1. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 125 executes a Ping command again using the network communication quality measurement unit 124 to obtain a Ping value and a Jitter value, determines the current state of network communication quality based on these, and stores the determination result in the storage unit 126 as network communication quality information.

[0054] On the other hand, if the incoming call information has been received, the control unit 125 obtains a positive result in step SP2 and proceeds to step SP3. In step SP3, the control unit 125 displays an incoming call pop-up screen Sc on the display unit 122 based on the received incoming call information and the network communication quality information read from the storage unit 126.

[0055] In the next step SP4, the control unit 125 waits for a button operation on the incoming call popup screen Sc. Here, when the response button Bt1 is pressed via the operation unit 121, the control unit 125 proceeds from step SP4 to step SP5 and transmits incoming call response information to the call control device 10 via the communication unit 120.

[0056] On the other hand, if the reject button Bt2 is pressed via the operation unit 121, the control unit 125 proceeds from step SP4 to step SP6, and transmits incoming call rejection information to the call control device 10 via the communication unit 120. The operation of the softphone 20A is as described above.

[0057] [1-5. Summary and Effects] As explained above, in the first embodiment, a softphone 20, which is an example of a communication device and computer that communicates with the call control device 10 via a network, is provided with a network communication quality measurement unit 124, which is an example of a first processing unit that executes a process of acquiring network communication quality information, which is an example of first information related to network communication quality.

[0058] Furthermore, the softphone 20 is provided with a control unit 125 which is an example of a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on the display unit 122 based on network communication quality information (i.e., a process of displaying the incoming call pop-up screen Sc), and which is an example of a third processing unit that executes a process of sending incoming call rejection information, which is an example of second information indicating that the incoming call cannot be answered, to the call control device 10 when an operator, who is an example of a user using the softphone 20, inputs that the incoming call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit 122 (i.e., the incoming call pop-up screen Sc).

[0059] As described above, in the first embodiment, the softphone 20 changes the display mode of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc, which is an example of an incoming call screen, based on network communication quality information related to network communication quality. As an example, when the communication unit 120, which is an example of a fourth processing unit, receives incoming call information from the call control device 10, the control unit 125 of the softphone 20 changes the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc according to the current network communication quality status (degree of stability) indicated by the network communication quality information.

[0060] This allows the operator to check the current (i.e., at the time of incoming call) network communication quality status from the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc, and if the network communication quality status is "poor" (background color is red), for example, the operator can reject the incoming call by inputting into the softphone 20 that he / she cannot answer the call (i.e., pressing the reject button Bt2).

[0061] Thus, in the first embodiment, if the network communication quality is "poor" (red background color) at the time of an incoming call, the operator rejects the call and has another operator answer the call, thereby avoiding the impact of network communication quality on the call and preventing inconvenience to the customer who is the other party. In this case, the operator can take measures to improve the network communication quality, for example, by switching from wireless LAN to wired LAN after rejecting the call.

[0062] On the other hand, if the network communication quality status is "good" (background color is blue) at the time of the incoming call, the operator inputs into the softphone 20 that he or she is available to answer the incoming call (i.e., presses the answer button Bt1). In response, the control unit 125 of the softphone 20 can answer the incoming call by sending incoming call answer information, which is an example of third information indicating that he or she is available to answer the incoming call, to the call control device 10. In this way, if the network communication quality status is "good" (background color is blue) at the time of the incoming call, the operator can talk to the customer with peace of mind.

[0063] For example, if the network communication quality status is "Caution" (background color is yellow) and an operator has to answer an incoming call (for example, if the caller ID indicates that the call is for them), the operator can talk to the customer while being aware that the network communication quality may be affecting the call. Therefore, even if an impact actually occurs, the operator can calmly deal with the situation (for example, by informing the customer that the call will be disconnected and then called back).

[0064] In the first embodiment, the softphone 20 is used as an example of a communication device and a computer, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 is used as an example of the first processing unit, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the control unit 125 is used as an example of the second processing unit and the third processing unit, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the communication unit 120 is used as an example of the fourth processing unit, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the operator is used as an example of a user, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, network communication quality information is used as an example of the first information, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, call rejection information is used as an example of the second information, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, call response information is used as an example of the third information, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the incoming call screen is used as an example of an incoming call pop-up screen Sc, but this is not limited thereto.

[0065] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the network communication quality between the softphone 20 is measured on the call control device 10 side, not on the softphone 20 side. Therefore, here, we will mainly explain the configuration and operation of the call control device 10, which is different from the first embodiment. Note that, to distinguish it from the first embodiment, the call control device 10 of the second embodiment will be referred to as a call control device 10x.

[0066] [2-1. Configuration of call control device] The configuration of the call control device 10x will be described using the block diagram shown in Fig. 7. Note that the configuration of the call center system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] 7, the call control device 10x has a configuration in which a network communication quality measurement unit 113 is added to the call control device 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 will be mainly described here.

[0068] The network communication quality measurement unit 113 functions in substantially the same manner as the network communication quality measurement unit 124 of the softphone 20. That is, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 measures the network communication quality between the call control device 10 and each softphone 20 (20A to 20C) periodically (for example, every 5 seconds).

[0069] Specifically, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 executes a Ping command to each softphone 20 (20A to 20C) to obtain a Ping value indicating the network delay between the call control device 10 and each softphone 20 (20A to 20C) and a Jitter value indicating the fluctuation.

[0070] Furthermore, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 uses a predetermined algorithm based on the Ping value and Jitter value obtained for each softphone 20 to calculate a score that serves as an indicator of the stability of the current network communication quality for each softphone 20, and determines the current network communication quality status (i.e., the degree of stability) for each softphone 20 based on the score.

[0071] Then, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 stores the current network communication quality status determined for each softphone 20 as network communication quality information for each softphone 20, for example, in the storage unit 112. In this case, only the latest network communication quality information may be stored in the storage unit 112, or not only the latest network communication quality information but also past network communication quality information may be left in the storage unit 112 as history.

[0072] As in the first embodiment, the call control unit 111 is configured to forward calls received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 to the appropriate operator's softphone 20, but at this time, for example, softphones 20 whose network communication quality information is "Caution" or "Poor" (or may be "Poor" only) are excluded from the forwarding destination (i.e., forwarding target).

[0073] This prevents situations where operators answer calls from customers even when the network communication quality is unstable and there is a possibility of audio dropouts, one-way audio, or call disconnections.

[0074] Furthermore, when the call control unit 111 transmits incoming call information to the operator's softphone 20, it adds to the incoming call information the fact that the call has been received, the caller number, and also the network communication quality information of the softphone 20. The configuration of the call control device 10x is as described above.

[0075] On the other hand, the configuration of the softphone 20 is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the network communication quality measurement unit 124 acquires network communication quality information from incoming call information received from the call control device 10 via the communication unit 120, and when the control unit 125 displays the incoming call pop-up screen Sc (see Figure 4) on the display unit 122, it displays the background color in a color corresponding to the current network communication quality status indicated by the network communication quality information acquired by the network communication quality measurement unit 124.

[0076] In the second embodiment, softphones 20 whose network communication quality is not "good" are excluded from the call forwarding destinations, and therefore the incoming call pop-up screen Sc displayed on the softphone 20 side will be displayed with a blue background.

[0077] [2-2. Operation of call control device] Next, the operation of the call control device 10x will be described. Here, as the operation of the call control device 10x, the operation at the time of an incoming call will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0078] In step SP11 shown in Figure 8, the call control unit 111 of the call control device 10x executes a Ping command to each softphone 20 (20A to 20C) using the network communication quality measurement unit 113 to obtain a Ping value and a Jitter value, and based on these, determines the current network communication quality status between the call control device 10 and each softphone 20, and stores the determination result in the memory unit 112 as network communication quality information.

[0079] In the next step SP12, the call control unit 111 determines whether or not an incoming call has been received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 via the communication unit 110. If an incoming call has not been received, the call control unit 111 obtains a negative result in step SP12 and returns to step SP11. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the call control unit 111 executes a Ping command again via the network communication quality measurement unit 113 to obtain a Ping value and a Jitter value, determines the current state of network communication quality based on these, and stores the determination result in the storage unit 112 as network communication quality information.

[0080] On the other hand, if an incoming call is received, the call control unit 111 obtains a positive result in step SP12 and proceeds to step SP13. In step SP13, the call control unit 111 excludes softphones 20 whose network communication quality information is "Caution" or "Poor" (or may be "Poor" only) (i.e., softphones 20 whose network communication quality is not stable) from the forwarding destinations.

[0081] In the next step SP14, the call control unit 111 selects an appropriate operator from among the operators using softphones 20 that are not excluded from the forwarding destination, and transmits incoming call information to the softphone 20 of that operator via the communication unit 110. In other words, the call control unit 111 selects one of the softphones 20 that are not excluded, and transmits the incoming call information to that softphone 20.

[0082] In the next step SP15, the call control unit 111 waits for information to be sent from the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call information. If incoming call response information is received from the softphone 20, the call control unit 111 proceeds from step SP15 to step SP16, and transfers the call received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 to the softphone 20 that sent the incoming call response information, thereby connecting the customer's telephone terminal device 14 and the operator's softphone 20 for a call.

[0083] On the other hand, if the call control unit 111 receives the call rejection information from the softphone 20, the call control unit 111 returns from step SP15 to step SP14, selects an appropriate operator from the other operators, and transmits the call reception information to the softphone 20 of the appropriate operator via the communication unit 110. The operation of the call control device 10x is as described above.

[0084] [2-3. Summary and Effects] As described above, in the second embodiment, the call control device 10, which is an example of a call control device and computer that forwards an incoming call to one of multiple softphones 20, is provided with a network communication quality measurement unit 113, which is an example of a fifth processing unit that executes a process to obtain network communication quality information, which is an example of fourth information regarding the network communication quality between each softphone 20.

[0085] Furthermore, the call control device 10 is provided with a call control unit 111, which is an example of a sixth processing unit that performs a process of selecting a softphone 20 to which an incoming call will be forwarded based on network communication quality information, and is also an example of a seventh processing unit that performs a process of sending incoming call information to the selected softphone 20 indicating that the incoming call has been received.

[0086] In this way, in the second embodiment, for example, softphones 20 whose network communication quality is not "good" (i.e., whose network communication quality is unstable) can be excluded from the call forwarding destination, and calls received from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 can be forwarded to softphones 20 whose network communication quality is "good" (i.e., whose network communication quality is stable).This makes it possible to avoid the impact of network communication quality on calls, and achieves the same effects as in the first embodiment.

[0087] In addition, in the second embodiment, the call control device 10x measures the Ping value and Jitter value, which indicate the network communication quality, for each softphone 20, so that the call control device 10x can centrally manage the network communication quality status for each softphone 20. This makes it easier to find, for example, networks that are prone to unstable network communication quality or softphones 20 with low uptime, and enables measures to be taken quickly.

[0088] Furthermore, by using the Ping command on the call control device 10x side to measure the Ping value and Jitter value, it is possible, for example, to stagger the time at which the Ping command is executed for each softphone 20, thereby avoiding a situation in which Ping commands are executed in large numbers at the same time.

[0089] In the second embodiment, the call control device and the computer are exemplified as the call control device 10, but are not limited to this. Furthermore, the fifth processing unit is exemplified as the network communication quality measurement unit 113, but are not limited to this. Furthermore, the sixth processing unit and the seventh processing unit are exemplified as the call control unit 111, but are not limited to this. Furthermore, the fourth information is exemplified as the network communication quality information, but are not limited to this.

[0090] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. This third embodiment is a combination of the first and second embodiments, and differs from the first and second embodiments in some aspects of operation. Here, the third embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the differences from the first and second embodiments.

[0091] Specifically, in this third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the network communication quality measurement unit 113 of the call control device 10x periodically measures the network communication quality between the call control device 10x and each softphone 20. Then, when the call control device 10x receives an incoming call from a customer's telephone terminal device 14, the call control unit 111 selects an appropriate operator and transmits incoming call information to the softphone 20 of that operator. At this time, in the third embodiment, the call control unit 111 does not perform processing to exclude softphones 20 whose network communication quality is not "good" from the forwarding destinations.

[0092] On the other hand, in the softphone 20, as in the second embodiment, when incoming call information is received from the call control device 10x, the control unit 125 displays the incoming call pop-up screen Sc on the display unit 122. At this time, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 acquires network communication quality information from the incoming call information, and the control unit 125 displays the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc in a color according to the current network communication quality status indicated by the network communication quality information acquired by the network communication quality measurement unit 124. In the third embodiment, softphones 20 with network communication quality that is not "good" are also included as call forwarding destinations, and therefore the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc displayed on the softphone 20 side is not limited to blue, and may be displayed in yellow or red.

[0093] Here, in the softphone 20, as in the first embodiment, when the control unit 125 recognizes that the response button Bt1 on the incoming call popup screen Sc has been pressed, it transmits incoming call response information to the call control device 10. This initiates a voice call between the operator's softphone 20 and the customer's telephone terminal device 14.

[0094] On the other hand, when the control unit 125 recognizes that the reject button Bt2 on the incoming call popup screen Sc has been pressed, it transmits incoming call rejection information to the call control device 10. As a result, the incoming call from the customer's telephone terminal device 14 is transferred to the softphone 20 of another operator.

[0095] In this way, in the third embodiment, the call control device 10x measures the network communication quality for each softphone 20, but does not perform processing to exclude the softphone 20 from the forwarding destination depending on the network communication quality status (degree of stability).Instead, the softphone 20 changes the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc depending on the network communication quality status, allowing the operator to check the current network communication quality status and decide for themselves whether to answer the incoming call.

[0096] In this way, in the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the call control device 10x can centrally manage the status of network communication quality for each softphone 20, making it easier to identify, for example, networks that are prone to poor network communication quality or softphones 20 with low availability, and to take measures quickly.

[0097] Furthermore, by using the Ping command on the call control device 10x side to measure the Ping value and Jitter value, it is possible, for example, to stagger the time at which the Ping command is executed for each softphone 20, thereby avoiding a situation in which Ping commands are executed in large numbers at the same time.

[0098] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, if the network communication quality is "poor" (red background color) at the time of an incoming call, the operator will reject the call and have another operator answer the call, thereby avoiding the impact of network communication quality on the call so as not to inconvenience the customer on the other end of the call.

[0099] For example, if the network communication quality status is "Caution" (background color is yellow) and an operator has to answer an incoming call (for example, if the caller ID indicates that the call is for them), the operator can talk to the customer while being aware that the network communication quality may be affecting the call. Therefore, even if an impact actually occurs, the operator can calmly deal with the situation (for example, by informing the customer that the call will be disconnected and then called back).

[0100] 4. Other Embodiments [4-1. Other embodiment 1] In the first embodiment described above, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 of the softphone 20 acquires a Ping value indicating delay and a Jitter value indicating fluctuation as information relating to network communication quality, and determines the current state of network communication quality based on these.

[0101] Alternatively, information other than the Ping value and the Jitter value (such as packet loss) may be obtained using a Ping command or the like as information regarding network communication quality, and the current state of network communication quality may be determined based on the obtained information.

[0102] In this way, the information relating to network communication quality is not limited to the Ping value or Jitter value, but other information (packet loss, etc.) may be acquired, and the current state of network communication quality may be determined based on one or more pieces of acquired information. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0103] In the first embodiment described above, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 of the softphone 20 determines the current state of network communication quality from three levels: "good," "caution," and "poor" based on the acquired Ping value and Jitter value. However, the network communication quality may be determined from two levels: "good" and "poor," or may be determined in four or more levels. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0104] [4-2. Other embodiment 2] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the background color of the incoming call pop-up screen Sc displayed on the display unit 122 of the softphone 20 when a call comes in is changed depending on the network communication quality between the call control device 10 and the softphone 20, allowing the operator to check the current network communication quality status when a call comes in.

[0105] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, information regarding the current network communication quality may be separately displayed on the incoming call popup screen Sc. For example, the incoming call popup screen Sc may display words such as "Good," "Caution," or "Poor" indicating the current state of network communication quality, or may display an icon of a color corresponding to the current state of network communication quality. Furthermore, the incoming call popup screen Sc may display a ping value or a jitter value. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0106] Furthermore, without being limited to this, information relating to the current network communication quality (text, icons, ping value, jitter value, etc.) may be displayed on a screen other than the incoming call popup screen Sc (for example, an incoming call standby screen). If the information relating to the current network communication quality is displayed on a screen other than the incoming call popup screen Sc, the operator will be able to check the current state of the network communication quality even when not receiving an incoming call. The same applies to the second and the embodiments of FIG. 3.

[0107] [4-3. Other embodiment 3] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the network communication quality measurement unit 124 of the softphone 20 calculates a score that serves as an index of the current network communication quality based on the acquired Ping value and Jitter value. The network communication quality measurement unit 124 then classifies the calculated score into three cases: when the score is equal to or greater than a first threshold, when the score is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than a second threshold, and when the score is less than the second threshold. If the calculated score is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the current network communication quality status (i.e., the stability) is determined to be "good." If the calculated score is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than the second threshold, the status is determined to be "caution." If the calculated score is less than the second threshold, the status is determined to be "poor." Here, the first threshold and the second threshold may be set to the same value or different values ​​for each of the softphones 20A to 20C.

[0108] For example, the softphone 20C is connected to the call control device 10 via the Internet Nt2, and therefore is expected to experience a greater change in network communication quality than when connected to the call control device 10 via the dedicated line Nt1.

[0109] Therefore, the first threshold value (or the first threshold value and the second threshold value, respectively) set for softphone 20C is set to a value greater than the first threshold value (or the first threshold value and the second threshold value, respectively) set for softphones 20A and 20B. In this way, softphone 20C will not be judged to have a "good" network communication quality status unless it has a higher score than softphones 20A and 20B.

[0110] In this way, the criteria for determining the state of network communication quality may be changed depending on the type of network (dedicated line Nt1 or Internet Nt2) between the call control device 10 and the softphone 20 (specifically, the criteria for softphone 20C may be made stricter than the criteria for softphones 20A and 20B), thereby more reliably avoiding the influence of network communication quality on calls. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0111] [4-4. Other embodiment 4] Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is applied to a call center system 1 in which the call control device 10 and the softphone 20 are communicatively connected via a dedicated line Nt1 or the Internet Nt2, but is not limited to this and may also be applied to, for example, a call center system in which the call control device 10 and the softphone 20 are connected to a network such as an in-house LAN.

[0112] [4-5. Other embodiment 5] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to a call center system 1 in which an operator responds to customers using a telephone, but it is not limited to this and may also be applied to a customer response system in which an operator responds to customers using a video call, etc.

[0113] [4-6. Other Embodiment 6] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the call control device 10 having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 7 was used, but any device having a configuration equivalent to that may be used, such as a device in which each part is realized by software, a device in which each part is realized by hardware, or a device in which each part is realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0114] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, a softphone 20 having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 was used, but any device having a configuration equivalent to that may be used, such as a device in which each part is realized by software, a device in which each part is realized by hardware, or a device in which each part is realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0115] [4-7. Other Embodiments 7] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments in which some or all of the above-described embodiments are combined in any manner, or embodiments in which only some of the embodiments are extracted.

[0116] [5. Notes] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiment.

[0117] In order to solve such problems, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, and is equipped with a first processing unit that executes a process of obtaining first information regarding the network communication quality with the call control device, a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information, and a third processing unit that executes a process of sending second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the communication device inputs that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit.

[0118] In addition, in the present invention, the third processing unit executes a process of transmitting third information indicating that the incoming call can be answered to the call control device when a user of the communication device inputs an indication that the incoming call can be answered based on the display content of the display unit.

[0119] Furthermore, in the present invention, the call control device further includes a fourth processing unit that executes a process of receiving incoming call information from the call control device indicating that the call control device has received an incoming call, and the second processing unit executes a process of displaying an incoming call screen on the display unit when the fourth processing unit receives the incoming call information from the call control device, and changes the display format of the incoming call screen based on the first information.

[0120] Furthermore, in the present invention, the incoming call screen is provided with an answer button for inputting that the incoming call can be answered and a reject button for inputting that the incoming call is rejected, and the third processing unit, when the reject button is operated, executes a process of sending the second information indicating that the incoming call cannot be answered to the call control device, and when the answer button is operated, executes a process of sending the third information indicating that the incoming call can be answered to the call control device.

[0121] Furthermore, in the present invention, the second processing unit changes the background color of the incoming call screen based on the first information.

[0122] Furthermore, in the present invention, the first processing unit measures the network communication quality with the call control device by executing a predetermined network command, and acquires the first information from the result of the measurement.

[0123] Furthermore, in the present invention, the first processing unit measures the network communication quality between the call control device, determines the stability of the network communication quality based on the measurement result, and acquires the determination result as the first information.

[0124] Furthermore, in the present invention, the criteria for determining the stability of the network communication quality differ depending on the type of network between the call control device and the call control apparatus.

[0125] Furthermore, in the present invention, the call control device measures the network communication quality between the call control device and the communication device by executing a predetermined network command, and acquires the first information from the results of the measurement, and the first processing unit acquires the first information from the call control device.

[0126] Furthermore, in a communication method of the present invention, a communication method is provided for a communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, wherein the communication device executes the steps of acquiring first information regarding the network communication quality between the communication device and the call control device, displaying the first information on a display unit based on the first information, and, when a user of the communication device inputs an indication that they are unable to answer an incoming call based on the display content of the display unit, transmitting second information indicating that they are unable to answer the incoming call to the call control device.

[0127] Furthermore, in the program of the present invention, a computer that communicates with a call control device via a network is made to function as a first processing unit that executes a process of acquiring first information regarding the network communication quality with the call control device, a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information, and a third processing unit that executes a process of sending second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the computer inputs an indication that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit.

[0128] Furthermore, the call control device of the present invention is a call control device that forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, and is equipped with a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between each communication device, a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information, and a seventh processing unit that executes a process of sending incoming call information indicating that the incoming call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit.

[0129] Furthermore, in a communication method of the present invention, a call control device forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, wherein the call control device executes the steps of: acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between the call control device and each communication device; selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information; and transmitting incoming call information to the selected communication device indicating that the call has been received.

[0130] Furthermore, in the program of the present invention, a computer that forwards an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices is made to function as a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding the network communication quality between each communication device, a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which the incoming call will be forwarded based on the fourth information, and a seventh processing unit that executes a process of sending incoming call information indicating that the call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit.

[0131] Thus, the present invention can realize a communication device, a communication method, a program, and a call control device that can prevent the influence of network communication quality on a call even when a call is received. [Industrial Applicability]

[0132] The present invention can be widely used in network systems such as call center systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1...call center system, 10, 10x...call control device, 14...telephone terminal device, 20...softphone, 110, 120...communication unit, 111...call control unit, 112...memory unit, 113, 124...network communication quality measurement unit, 121...operation unit, 122...display unit, 125...control unit, Bt1...answer button, Bt2...reject button, Nt1...dedicated line, Nt2...Internet, Nt3, Nt5...network, Nt4...public network, Sc...incoming call pop-up screen.

Claims

1. A communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, a first processing unit that executes a process of acquiring first information regarding network communication quality between the call control device and the first processing unit; a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information; a third processing unit that executes processing to transmit second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the communication device inputs information indicating that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit; Equipped with A communication device comprising:

2. The third processing unit is When a user of the communication device inputs that the user can answer the incoming call based on the display content of the display unit, a process is executed to transmit third information indicating that the user can answer the incoming call to the call control device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1.

3. a fourth processing unit that executes a process of receiving, from the call control device, incoming call information indicating that the call control device has received an incoming call; The second processing unit is When the fourth processing unit receives the incoming call information from the call control device, the fourth processing unit executes a process of displaying an incoming call screen on the display unit, and changes the display form of the incoming call screen based on the first information.

3. The communication device according to claim 2.

4. The incoming call screen has an answer button for inputting that you can answer the incoming call and a reject button for inputting that you reject the incoming call, The third processing unit is When the reject button is operated, a process is executed to transmit the second information indicating that the incoming call cannot be answered to the call control device, and when the answer button is operated, a process is executed to transmit the third information indicating that the incoming call can be answered to the call control device.

4. The communication device according to claim 3.

5. The second processing unit is Changing the background color of the incoming call screen based on the first information 5. The communication device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The first processing unit A predetermined network command is executed to measure the quality of network communication with the call control device, and the first information is obtained from the result of the measurement.

2. The communication device according to claim 1.

7. The first processing unit measuring a network communication quality between the call control device and the call control apparatus, determining a stability level of the network communication quality based on the measurement result, and acquiring the determination result as the first information; 7. The communication device according to claim 6.

8. The criteria for determining the stability of the network communication quality differ depending on the type of network between the call control device and the call control device.

8. The communication device according to claim 7,

9. The call control device a predetermined network command is executed to measure the network communication quality with the communication device, and the first information is obtained from the measurement result; The first processing unit The first information is acquired from the call control device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1.

10. A communication method for a communication device that communicates with a call control device via a network, The communication device acquiring first information regarding network communication quality between the call control device and the call control device; a step of displaying on a display unit based on the first information; a step of transmitting second information indicating that the user of the communication device cannot answer the incoming call to the call control device when the user inputs information indicating that the user cannot answer the incoming call based on the display content of the display unit; Run A communication method comprising:

11. A computer that communicates with a call control device via a network, a first processing unit that executes a process of acquiring first information regarding network communication quality between the call control device and the first processing unit; a second processing unit that executes a process of displaying on a display unit based on the first information; a third processing unit that executes a process of transmitting second information indicating that the call cannot be answered to the call control device when a user of the computer inputs information indicating that the call cannot be answered based on the display content of the display unit; A program to make it function.

12. A call control device that transfers an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding network communication quality between the communication device and each of the communication devices; a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which an incoming call is to be transferred based on the fourth information; a seventh processing unit that executes a process of transmitting incoming call information indicating that an incoming call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit; Equipped with A call control device characterized by:

13. A communication method for a call control device that transfers an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, comprising: The call control device acquiring fourth information regarding network communication quality between the communication devices; selecting a communication device to which the incoming call is to be forwarded based on the fourth information; sending, to the selected communication device, incoming call information indicating that the call has been received; Run A communication method comprising:

14. A computer for forwarding an incoming call to one of a plurality of communication devices, a fifth processing unit that executes a process of acquiring fourth information regarding network communication quality between the communication device and each of the communication devices; a sixth processing unit that executes a process of selecting a communication device to which an incoming call is to be transferred based on the fourth information; a seventh processing unit that executes a process of transmitting incoming call information indicating that an incoming call has been received to the communication device selected by the sixth processing unit; A program to make it function.

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