Transfer method, transfer device, and program

Abstract

To select a suitable terminal device for a call transfer destination.SOLUTION: A destination of a specific terminal device to which a call made to a specific destination is to be transferred is selected from among multiple destinations of terminal devices, and a process is performed to transfer the call to the destination of the selected specific terminal device. At this time, the destination of the specific terminal device is selected on the basis of at least one of the low transfer cost for transferring the call to the transfer destination and the high line quality when the call is received at the transfer destination and a conversation is made.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to telephone communication technology, and particularly to a technology for automatically transferring calls.

Background Art

[0002] A technology is known for automatically transferring a call (for example, an inquiry call from a customer, etc.) made to a specific destination to a specific terminal device (for example, a telephone of a person in charge, etc.) (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art, a terminal device suitable for call transfer is not always selected.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In the present invention, the destination of a specific terminal device, which is the transfer destination of a call made to a specific destination, is selected from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices, and processing is performed to transfer the call to the selected destination of the specific terminal device. At this time, the destination of the specific terminal device is selected based on at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] As a result, a terminal device suitable for the call transfer destination can be selected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] In the first embodiment, a process is performed to select the destination of a specific terminal device, which is the transfer destination of a call made to a specific destination, from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices, and transfer the call to the selected destination of the specific terminal device. At this time, the destination of the specific terminal device that is the transfer destination is selected based on at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made. In this embodiment, a case will be described where a customer (caller, call originator) makes a call (makes a phone call) to a company's representative number (specific destination), and this call is transferred to a terminal device of a specific department or a terminal device of a person in charge. Here, the representative number is one phone number determined as a representative when there are two or more phone numbers (outside line numbers) for an organization such as a company or a department. Also, the person in charge is a person engaged in work that requires a telephone response to the customer for an incoming call to the representative number. For example, a salesperson, a person in charge of an inquiry window regarding a product, a technical person in charge of handling a failure, etc. However, these do not limit the present invention, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0009] <Telephone communication system 1> As illustrated in FIG. 1, the telephone communication system 1 of this embodiment includes terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M, terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N, representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K, and a transfer device 140, and these are connected to each other via a communication network 150 so as to be communicable. However, M is an integer of 1 or more, N is an integer of 2 or more, and K is an integer of 1 or more. The communication network 150 of this embodiment includes a public line network such as a single or multiple telephone line networks operated by a single or multiple line carriers, and may further include a local wireless line network (for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), local 5G, etc.) or a local wired line network.

[0010] <Terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M> The terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M of this embodiment are terminal devices used by customers. Hereinafter, each of the terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M will be expressed as terminal device 110-m. However, m satisfies m = 1, …, M. Also, the general term for the terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M is expressed as terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 in this example is, for example, a smartphone with a telephone function, a tablet terminal device, a wearable device, a PC (personal computer), a landline phone, etc.

[0011] <Terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N> The terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N of this embodiment are terminal devices used by the person in charge. The terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N may be terminal devices installed in the department to which the person in charge belongs, or may be terminal devices held or owned by the person in charge. The terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N of this embodiment shall include both of these terminal devices. However, this does not limit the present invention. Also, the telephone number of the terminal device installed in the department may also serve as the representative number. Hereinafter, each of the terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N will be expressed as terminal device 120-n. However, n satisfies n = 1, …, N. Also, the general term for the terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N is expressed as terminal device 120. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the terminal device 120-n of this embodiment has a communication processing unit 121-n, a display processing unit 122-n, an incoming call processing unit 123-n, a touch panel unit 124-n, and an update information providing unit 125-n. The terminal device 120 is, for example, a smartphone with a telephone function, a tablet terminal device, a wearable device, a PC, a landline phone, etc.

[0012] <Representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K> The representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K are terminal devices to which representative numbers are assigned. Hereinafter, each of the representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K is expressed as a representative device 130-k. However, k satisfies k = 1, …, K. Also, the collective name of the representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K is expressed as the representative device 130. The representative device 130 in this example is, for example, a smartphone equipped with a telephone function, a tablet terminal device, a wearable device, a PC, a landline phone, or the like.

[0013] <Transfer device 140> When the transfer device 140 is called from the terminal device 110 to a representative number (specific destination), the transfer device 140 selects a destination of a specific terminal device 120-n 1 (n 1 ∈ {1, …, N}) from among the destinations of the plurality of terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N, and performs a process for transferring a call to the phone number (destination of the selected specific terminal device) of the selected terminal device 120-n. 1 As illustrated in FIG. 3, the transfer device 140 of the present embodiment includes a transfer processing unit 141, a selection unit 142, a storage unit 143, and an update unit 144. The transfer device 140 in this example is, for example, a device configured by a predetermined program being read into a computer. The transfer device 140 may be an on-premises type device or a cloud type device.

[0014] <Preprocessing> In the present embodiment, in preprocessing, management information 1431, transfer control information 1432, customer information 1433, and call information 1434 are set in the storage unit 143 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3). Here, the contents of the management information 1431, the transfer control information 1432, and the customer information 1433 are stored at the preprocessing stage. On the other hand, the content of the call information 1434 is stored at a stage of subsequent processing. At least a part of the management information 1431, the transfer control information 1432, or the customer information 1433 may be updated according to subsequent processing.

[0015] <Management information 1431> The management information 1431 of this embodiment includes the attribute information necessary to select the destination of a specific terminal device 120, which is the transfer destination of a call made to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination), from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N. This attribute information represents the attributes of the representative terminal 130 and the terminal device 120, and includes information for specifying at least one of, for example, the low cost of transfer for transferring a call to the transfer destination, or the high line quality when answering a call at the transfer destination and making a call. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the management information 1431 of this embodiment has representative number management information 1431a, department number management information 1431b, and person-in-charge number management information 1431c.

[0016] The representative number management information 1431a of this embodiment includes the attribute information of the representative device 130. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the representative number management information 1431a of this embodiment includes an identifier (e.g., "representative number 1", etc.) representing each representative device 130-k, a telephone number (e.g., "0311111111", etc.) (specific destination) of each representative device 130-k, and a line carrier (e.g., "A", etc.) of the line (e.g., the line for the representative device 130-k to receive an incoming call, make an outgoing call, or transfer a call) used by each representative device 130-k. Here, the telephone number of each representative device 130-k and the line carrier of the line used by each representative device 130-k are information for specifying at least one of the low transfer cost for transferring a call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when receiving an incoming call and making a call at the transfer destination. For example, the transfer cost when transferring a call within the lines of the same line carrier or between the lines of affiliated line carriers is often lower than the transfer cost when transferring a call between the lines of non-affiliated line carriers. For example, the transfer cost may be free when transferring a call within the lines of the same line carrier or between the lines of affiliated line carriers. Therefore, the information on the line carrier and the information on the telephone number that can identify it can be said to be information for specifying the low transfer cost for transferring a call to the transfer destination. Also, for example, the line quality when transferring a call within the lines of the same line carrier or between the lines of affiliated line carriers may be higher than the line quality when transferring a call between the lines of non-affiliated line carriers. Therefore, the information on the line carrier and the information on the telephone number that can identify it may also be information for specifying the high line quality when receiving an incoming call and making a call at the transfer destination.

[0017] The department number management information 1431b of this embodiment includes the attribute information of the terminal device 120 installed in the department to which the person in charge belongs. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the department number management information 1431b of this embodiment includes an identifier representing the terminal device 120 installed in the department to which the person in charge belongs (for example, "head office fixed (extension 1)", etc.), the telephone number of the terminal device 120 installed in the department (for example, "0333333333", etc.) (specific destination or transfer destination), the line carrier of the line used by the terminal device 120 installed in the department (for example, the line for the terminal device 120 installed in the department to receive incoming calls, make outgoing calls, or transfer calls) (for example, "A", etc.), the communication environment of the terminal device 120 installed in the department (for example, "mobile phone", "landline phone", "IP phone (dedicated Wi-Fi)", "IP phone (public Wi-Fi)", etc.), the type of person in charge of the department (for example, "sales (VIP)", "charges", etc.), and the status of the terminal device 120 installed in the department (for example, "standby", "responding to customer b", etc.). The information is associated. For example, the initial value of the status is "standby". However, as described later, when each terminal device 120-n receives an incoming call, the update information providing unit 125-n performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, so that the "status" of the person in charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 5B) is updated to "responding to customer a", etc. After that, when the call ends, the update information providing unit 125-n performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, so that the "status" of the person in charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 5B) is updated to "standby". Also, for the reasons described above, the identifier representing the destination or transfer destination of the terminal device 120 in this example and the line carrier of the line used by the terminal device 120 are also information for specifying at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring a call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when receiving an incoming call at the transfer destination and making a call.

[0018] The person-in-charge number management information 1431c of this embodiment includes the attribute information of the terminal device 120 held or owned by the person in charge. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the person-in-charge number management information 1431c of this embodiment includes an identifier (e.g., "Person in Charge α-1", etc.) representing the terminal device 120 (transfer destination) held or owned by the person in charge, the telephone number (e.g., "090...", etc.) (destination) of the terminal device 120 held or owned by the person in charge, the line carrier (e.g., "E", etc.) of the line (e.g., the line for the terminal device 120 installed in the department to receive calls, make calls, or transfer calls) used by the terminal device 120 held or owned by the person in charge, the communication environment (e.g., "mobile phone", "landline phone", "IP phone (dedicated Wi-Fi)", "IP phone (public Wi-Fi)", etc.) of the terminal device 120 held or owned by the person in charge, the type of responsibility of the person in charge (e.g., "sales (VIP)", "fault", etc.), the responsibility skill (e.g., "rich experience", "mid-experience", "beginner", etc.) representing the business ability of the person in charge, the business status (e.g., "at work", "at work (on the move)", "off work", etc.) of the person in charge, and the response status (e.g., "responding to customer a", "waiting", etc.) of the terminal device 120 held or owned by the person in charge. For example, the initial value of the business status of the person in charge is "off work", and the initial value of the response status is "waiting". However, as will be described later, the update information providing unit 125-n of each terminal device 120-n (FIG. 2) performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, so that the "business status" in the person-in-charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 6) is updated to "at work" or "at work (on the move)". The update process may be performed based on the position of the terminal device 120-n by the update information providing unit 125-n, or may be performed based on an input process from the outside. Also, when each terminal device 120-n receives an incoming call, the update information providing unit 125-n performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, so that the "response status" in the person-in-charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 6) is updated to "responding to customer a", etc. After that, when the call ends, the update information providing unit 125-n performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, so that the "response status" in the person-in-charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 6) is updated to "waiting".Also, due to the reasons described above, the phone number (destination) of the terminal device 120 in this example and the line carrier of the line used by the terminal device 120 are information for specifying at least one of the low transfer cost for transferring a call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when a call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made. Note that the line quality may also depend on the communication environment of the terminal device 120 (for example, "mobile phone", "landline phone", "IP phone (dedicated Wi-Fi)", "IP phone (public Wi-Fi)", etc.). Therefore, the communication environment of the terminal device 120 in this example can be said to be information for specifying the high line quality.

[0019] <Transfer control information 1432> The transfer control information 1432 of the present embodiment includes priority information necessary for selecting the destination of a specific terminal device 120-n, which is the transfer destination of a call originated to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination). 1 from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices 120-1,..., 120-N. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the transfer control information 1432 of the present embodiment has selection element priority information 1432a, transfer cost priority information 1432b, line quality priority information 1432c, business status priority information 1432d, and assigned skill priority information 1432e. The transfer control information 1432 may include other information.

[0020] The selection element priority information 1432a of this embodiment is information indicating how to select the call transfer destination (destination of a specific terminal device 120) considering a plurality of selection elements in what priority (priority order). The selection element priority information 1432a of this embodiment is, for example, information indicating whether to select the destination of a specific terminal device 120 by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality (cost priority mode), or whether to select the destination of a specific terminal device 120 by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost (quality priority mode). For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the selection element priority information 1432a of this embodiment includes selection elements such as the transfer cost for transferring a call to the transfer destination, the line quality when receiving a call at the transfer destination and making a call, the business status of the person in charge, the customer rank representing the rank of the calling customer, and the person-in-charge skill representing the business experience and ability of the person in charge, and the selection element priority (such as "1", "2", etc.) of each of the selection elements, which are information associated with each other. The smaller the numerical value of the selection element priority, the higher the priority. The selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8A is an example of the cost priority mode, indicating that the destination of a specific terminal device 120 is selected by prioritizing the low transfer cost (selection element priority "1") over the high line quality (selection element priority "2"). The selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8B is an example of the quality priority mode, indicating that the destination of a specific terminal device 120 is selected by prioritizing the high line quality (selection element priority "1") over the low transfer cost (selection element priority "2").

[0021] The transfer cost priority information 1432b of this embodiment represents a criterion for selecting a call transfer destination based on the transfer cost, and includes a transfer priority that is the priority of a combination (transfer form) of the line carrier of the transfer source line (for example, "A", "C", "D", etc.) and the line carrier of the transfer destination line (for example, "A", "B", "C"). The higher the transfer priority of this transfer form, the lower the transfer cost from the transfer source to the transfer destination. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, the transfer cost priority information 1432b of this embodiment includes transfer forms (for example, "A→A" representing a transfer from a transfer source using the line of line carrier A to a transfer destination using the line of line carrier A, "C→D,D→C" representing a transfer from a transfer source using the line of line carrier C to a transfer destination using the line of line carrier D, etc.), transfer rates (0 yen, 100 yen per call, etc.) representing the transfer costs for each of the transfer forms, and transfer priorities ("1", "2", etc.). The smaller the numerical value of this transfer priority, the higher the priority.

[0022] The line quality priority information 1432c of this embodiment represents a criterion for selecting a call transfer destination based on the line quality, and includes, for example, a transfer priority that is the priority of a combination of the transfer form and the communication environment of the terminal device 120 at the transfer destination. The higher the transfer priority, the higher the line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, the line quality priority information 1432c of this embodiment includes transfer forms (for example, "-" indicating no restriction on the transfer form, "A→A" representing a transfer from a transfer source using the line of line carrier A to a transfer destination using the line of line carrier A, "C→D" representing a transfer from a transfer source using the line of line carrier C to a transfer destination using the line of line carrier D, etc.), the communication environment of the terminal device 120 (for example, "fixed phone", "mobile phone", "IP phone (dedicated Wi-Fi)", etc.), line quality (for example, "1", "2", etc.), and transfer priority (for example, "1", "2", etc.). The smaller the numerical value of this line quality, the higher the line quality, and the smaller the numerical value of the transfer priority, the higher the priority.

[0023] The business situation priority information 1432d of this embodiment represents a criterion for selecting the destination of a specific terminal device 120 that is the call transfer destination based on the business situation, and includes the priority (transfer priority) of the business situation of the person in charge. The terminal device 120 of the person in charge in a business situation with a higher transfer priority is more suitable as the transfer destination. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10A, the business situation priority information 1432d of this embodiment is information in which the business situation of the person in charge (for example, "during business", "during business (on the move)", "outside of business", etc.) and the transfer priority (for example, "1", "2", etc.) are associated. The smaller the numerical value of this transfer priority, the higher the priority.

[0024] The person-in-charge skill priority information 1432e of this embodiment represents a criterion for selecting the call transfer destination based on the person-in-charge skill, and includes the priority (transfer priority) of the person-in-charge skill. The terminal device 120 of the person in charge with a higher transfer priority is more suitable as the transfer destination. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10B, the person-in-charge skill priority information 1432e of this embodiment is information in which the person-in-charge skill (for example, "rich experience", "gaining experience", "beginner", etc.) and the transfer priority (for example, "1", "2", etc.) are associated. The smaller the numerical value of this transfer priority, the higher the priority.

[0025] <Customer information 1433> The customer information 1433 of this embodiment includes customer information. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, the customer information 1433 of this embodiment is information in which the customer name (for example, "a", "b", etc.), the customer's phone number (for example, "090…", "046…", etc.), and the customer rank (for example, "VIP", "registered member", etc.) are associated. The customer information 1433 is set based on, for example, a customer list.

[0026] <Call information 1434> The call information 1434 of the present embodiment includes call records with customers. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11B, the call information 1434 of the present embodiment is associated with the customer name of the calling customer (e.g., "a", "b", etc.), the transfer destination to which the call is transferred (e.g., "Person in Charge α-2", "Person in Charge β-2", etc.), the call start date and time (e.g., "2022 11 07 13:00", etc.), and a transfer necessity flag indicating whether re-transfer was necessary at the transfer destination as described later (e.g., "necessary", "unnecessary", etc.). The initial value of the call information 1434 is null. However, when each terminal device 120-n receives an incoming call or re-transfers as described later, the update information providing unit 125-n performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) performs an update process, whereby the call information 1434 is updated.

[0027] <Processing> Next, the processing of the present embodiment will be described. <Step S101> The customer uses any one of the terminal devices 110-m (FIG. 1) and makes a call (places a phone call) to any one of the representative devices 130 or the terminal device 120 installed in the department to which any one of the persons in charge belongs (specific destination) via the communication network 150. That is, a call is made from the terminal device 110-m to any one of the representative devices 130 or the terminal device 120. The call connection request is sent to the transfer device 140 via the communication network 150. The call connection request of the present embodiment includes, for example, information for specifying the line carrier of the line used by the called representative device 130 or terminal device 120 (transfer source). For example, the call connection request may include information representing the line carrier (e.g., "A", etc.) of the line used by the called representative device 130 or terminal device 120 (transfer source), or may include information representing the phone number (e.g., "0311111111", etc.) of the called representative device 130 or terminal device 120. Further, the call connection request may include information for specifying the calling customer or the terminal device 110-m. For example, the call connection request may include information representing the customer name (e.g., "a", etc.) or may include the phone number (e.g., "090…", etc.) of the terminal device 110-m.

[0028] <Step S102 (Selection Step)> The call connection request is input to the transfer processing unit 141 of the transfer device 140 (Fig. 3) and sent to the selection unit 142. The selection unit 142 uses the call connection request and the information stored in the storage unit 143 (Figs. 3, 4 to 11B) to select a specific terminal device 120-n that is the call transfer destination from among the telephone numbers (destinations) of the plurality of terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N. 1 At this time, the selection unit 142 selects the telephone number (destination) of the terminal device 120-n that is the transfer destination based on at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made. 1 The selection unit 142 may select the destination of a specific terminal device by prioritizing the low transfer fee over the high line quality, or may select the destination of a specific terminal device by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer fee. A specific example of this process will be described later.

[0029] <Step S103 (Transfer Processing Step)> The selection unit 142 sends transfer processing information for transferring the call to the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n that is the transfer destination to the transfer processing unit 141. The transfer processing information of the present embodiment includes information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n. The information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n may be the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n or information associated with this telephone number. Further, the transfer processing information of the present embodiment is information corresponding to the transfer fee for transferring the call to the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination), or the terminal device 120-n 1 The information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n may be the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n or information associated with this telephone number. Further, the transfer processing information of the present embodiment is information corresponding to the transfer fee for transferring the call to the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination), or the terminal device 120-n 1 The information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n may be the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n or information associated with this telephone number. Further, the transfer processing information of the present embodiment is information corresponding to the transfer fee for transferring the call to the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination), or the terminal device 120-n 1 The information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n may be the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n or information associated with this telephone number. Further, the transfer processing information of the present embodiment is information corresponding to the transfer fee for transferring the call to the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination), or the terminal device 120-n 1 The information for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n may be the telephone number of the terminal device 120-n or information associated with this telephone number. Further, the transfer processing information of the present embodiment is information corresponding to the transfer fee for transferring the call to the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination), or the terminal device 120-n 1 (transfer destination) or information corresponding to the line quality when the call is terminated at the terminal device 120-n (transfer destination) and a call is made. 1It includes at least one of information corresponding to the line quality when making a call to the (transfer destination) and establishing a call. The information corresponding to the transfer cost may be information representing the transfer cost (for example, transfer rates such as 0 yen or 100 yen per call), information for specifying the transfer cost (for example, transfer forms such as "A→A" or "C→D"), or other information (for example, a combination of the telephone numbers of the transfer source and the transfer destination). The information corresponding to the line quality may be information representing the line quality (for example, "1", "2", etc.), information for specifying the line quality (for example, transfer forms such as "A→A" or "C→D" and communication environments such as "mobile phone", "fixed phone", "IP phone (dedicated Wi-Fi)", "IP phone (public Wi-Fi)"), or other information. Furthermore, the transfer processing information may include customer information regarding the calling customer and the call history of that customer. The customer information may be information representing the customer name (for example, "a", etc.), information representing the telephone number of the terminal device 110-m (for example, "090…", etc.), information representing the customer rank (for example, "VIP", "purchased goods", "registered member", etc.), or other information. The call history may be information indicating whether there was a call history with the calling customer in the past, information representing the call start date and time, information indicating whether re-transfer was necessary in a past call, or other information. The transfer processing unit 141 to which the transfer processing information is sent performs processing for transferring a call to the telephone number (destination) of the specific terminal device 120-n selected in step S102. This processing may be processing in which the transfer processing unit 141 directly transfers a call connection request including the transfer processing information to the terminal device 120-n, or may be processing in which the transfer processing unit 141 requests an external device such as a PBX (private branch exchange) (not shown) to transfer this call connection request. By this processing, the call made to the representative device 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination) is transferred to the terminal device 120-n. 1 performs processing for transferring a call to the telephone number (destination) of the specific terminal device 120-n selected in step S102. This processing may be processing in which the transfer processing unit 141 directly transfers a call connection request including the transfer processing information to the terminal device 120-n 1 or may be processing in which the transfer processing unit 141 requests an external device such as a PBX (private branch exchange) (not shown) to transfer this call connection request. By this processing, the call made to the representative device 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination) is transferred to the terminal device 120-n 1 is transferred.

[0030] <Step S104> The transferred call connection request is received by the terminal device 120-n 1 at the communication processing unit 121-n in (Fig. 2) 1 . The communication processing unit 121-n 1 sends the transfer processing information of the call connection request to the display processing unit 122-n 1 . The display processing unit 122-n of the present embodiment 1 generates display information for displaying the display screen 1240-n related to the call connection request 1 on the touch panel unit 124-n 1 (display unit). The display screen 1240-n 1 includes, for example, information corresponding to the transfer cost for transferring a call from the representative device 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination) to the terminal device 120-n 1 , or information corresponding to the line quality when a call is received and a call is made at the terminal device 120-n 1 , and a transfer information area representing at least one of them, and an operation area for receiving an input for selecting whether to receive a call (answer the phone) at the terminal device 120-n 1 . The display screen 1240-n 1 may further include a call information area including customer information about the calling customer and the call history of the customer. The generated display information is sent to the touch panel unit 124-n 1 .

[0031] <Step S105> Based on the sent display information, the touch panel unit 124-n displays the display screen 1240-n 1 . The display screen 1240-n illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B 1 includes a transfer information area 1241-n 1 , a call information area 1242-n 1 , and an operation area 1243-n 1 . The transfer information area 1241-n illustrated in FIG. 14A 1 includes information corresponding to the transfer cost such as "transfer rate: 0 yen", "line operator A (transfer source)", and "line operator A (transfer destination)". On the other hand, the transfer information area 1241-n illustrated in FIG. 14B 1includes information corresponding to line quality such as "Line Quality: 1", "Line Operator A (sender)", and "Line Operator A (receiver)". The call information area 1242-n illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B 1 both include customer information such as "Customer Information VIP" and call history such as "Memo: Past Calls". The operation area 1243-n illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B 1 is the terminal device 120-n 1 is a button area displayed as "Receive OK" that accepts an input for selecting whether to ring the call on the terminal device 120-n

[0032] The operation area 1243-n 1 When an input operation (for example, a tap) is performed on the operation area 1243-n, the terminal device 120-n 1 is selected to ring the call. For example, when an input operation is performed on the operation area 1243-n 1 When an input operation is performed on the operation area 1243-n, the operation area 1243-n 1 sends information indicating that an input operation has been performed on the operation area 1243-n to the ring processing unit 123-n 1 The ring processing unit 123-n 1 gives an instruction to the communication processing unit 121-n 1 to ring in response to the call connection request. As a result, the communication processing unit 121-n 1 makes a response to ring, and the terminal device 110-m and the terminal device 120-n 1 are connected. At this time, the communication processing unit 121-n 1 identifies the information (for example, the electric field number of the terminal device 120-n 1 in the transfer processing information of the call connection request for specifying the destination of the terminal device 120-n 1 and sends the customer information to the update information providing unit -n 1 The update information providing unit -n 1 updates the terminal device 120-n based on this 1The person in charge using it (e.g., person in charge α-1) generates update information indicating that they are dealing with a customer (e.g., customer a). The update information is sent to the transfer device 140 via the communication network 150 and input to the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140. Based on the update information, the update unit 144 updates the corresponding status of the department number management information 1431b (Fig. 5B) or the person in charge number management information 1431c (Fig. 6) stored in the storage unit 143 (e.g., "Dealing with customer a", etc.). After that, when the call ends, the terminal device 120-n 1 (Fig. 2)'s update information providing unit 125-n 1 performs an update process, and accordingly, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (Fig. 3) performs an update process, so that the "corresponding status" of the department number management information 1431b (Fig. 5B) or the person in charge number management information 1431c (Fig. 6) is updated to "waiting", and the "customer name", "transfer destination", "phone number", and "call start date and time" of the call information 1434 (Fig. 11B) store the customer name, phone number, and call start date and time of the customer who made the call, respectively. Also, when the operation area 1243-n 1 receives an incoming call, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (Fig. 3) stores in the "transfer flag" of the call information 1434 (Fig. 11B) that the transfer was not required ("not required"). On the other hand, when the call is re-transferred as follows, the update unit 144 stores in the "transfer flag" of the call information 1434 that the transfer was required ("required").

[0033] On the other hand, 1 if no input operation is performed on the operation area 1243-n 1 the terminal device 120-n 1 will not receive an incoming call. For example, if no input operation is performed on the operation area 1243-n 1 for a predetermined period, it is assumed that the terminal device 120-n 1You may select to re-transfer the call. At this time, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) stores that transfer was necessary (Yes) in the "transfer flag" of the call information 1434 (FIG. 11B) (from step S102 to S105). However, at the time of re-transfer, in step S102, the terminal device 120 that has already been transferred is excluded, and a new terminal device 120-n 1 is selected by its telephone number. Alternatively, when it is selected that the terminal device 120-n 1 will not receive an incoming call, the voice message may be sent to the terminal device 110-m without performing re-transfer, or the voice message may be sent to the terminal device 110-m when it is not answered after being re-transferred a single time or multiple times.

[0034] <Specific Example of Step S102> A specific example of step S102 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. First, the selection unit 142 of the transfer device 140 (FIG. 3) initializes the index i to 1. Here, the index i represents the selection element priority of the selection element priority information 1432a (FIGS. 7, 8A, 8B) (step S1021). The selection unit 142 searches for the telephone number (destination) of a specific terminal device 120-n 1 that is the transfer destination based on the selection element with the selection element priority i (for example, transfer cost, line quality, etc.). A specific example of this process will be described later (step S1022).

[0035] Here, if no transfer destination corresponding to the selection element with the selection element priority i is extracted (step S1023), the selection unit 142 determines whether the index i is the maximum value i max . The maximum value i max is the maximum value of the selection element priority i (step S1024). Here, if the index i is not the maximum value i max , the selection unit 142 sets i + 1 as the new i (step S1025) and returns to the process of step S1022. That is, the selection unit 142 performs the search with a lower selection element priority by one.

[0036] On the other hand, when the index i is the maximum value i maxIf so (step S1024), the selection unit 142 ends the process on the grounds that there is no transfer destination that can be handled (step S1027). If a transfer destination that can be handled is extracted for the selection element with the selection element priority i in step S1023 (step S1023), the selection unit 142 1 ends the process of step S102 using the phone number of the extracted specific terminal device 120-n as the transfer destination (step S1026).

[0037] <Specific Example of Step S1022> Using FIG. 13, a specific example of step S1022 in FIG. 12 is shown. First, the selection unit 142 initializes the index j representing the transfer priority to 1 (step S1022a).

[0038] The selection unit 142 searches for a transfer destination corresponding to the transfer priority j for the selection element with the selection element priority i (step S1022b). A specific example of this process is shown below.

[0039] First, the selection unit 142 refers to the selection element priority information 1432a (FIGS. 8A and 8B) and selects the selection element corresponding to the index i (selection element priority i). For example, in the case of the selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8A (cost priority mode), when i = 1, the selection unit 142 selects "transfer cost" as the selection element, and when i = 2, it selects "line quality" as the selection element. For example, in the case of the selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8B (quality priority mode), when i = 1, the selection unit 142 selects "line quality" as the selection element, and when i = 2, it selects "transfer cost" as the selection element (step S1022ba).

[0040] Next, the selection unit 142 refers to the transfer cost priority information 1432b, line quality priority information 1432c, business situation priority information 1432d, or in-charge skill priority information 1432e, etc. (FIGS. 9A to 10B) corresponding to the selected selection element, and extracts the conditions for the transfer destination corresponding to the transfer priority j. For example, when the selected selection element is "transfer cost", the selection unit 142 refers to the transfer cost priority information 1432b (Fig. 9A), extracts the transfer forms corresponding to the transfer priority j (for example, when j = 1, the transfer forms "A→A" and "C→D, D→C"), and uses these as the conditions for the transfer destination. For example, when the selected selection element is "line quality", the selection unit 142 refers to the line quality priority information 1432c (Fig. 9B), extracts the combination of the transfer form and the communication environment corresponding to the transfer priority j (for example, when j = 1, the combination of the transfer form "-" and the communication environment "landline phone"), and uses this as the condition for the transfer destination. For example, when the selected selection element is "business situation", the selection unit 142 refers to the business situation priority information 1432d (Fig. 10A), extracts the business situation corresponding to the transfer priority j (for example, when j = 1, the business situation "during business"), and uses this as the condition for the transfer destination. For example, when the selected selection element is "assigned skill", the selection unit 142 refers to the assigned skill priority information 1432e (Fig. 10B), extracts the assigned skill corresponding to the transfer priority j (for example, when j = 1, the assigned skill "rich experience"), and uses this as the condition for the transfer destination (step S1022bb).

[0041] Next, the selection unit 142 refers to at least any one of the representative number management information 1431a, department number management information 1431b, and assigned number management information 1431c of the management information 1431 (Figs. 5A, 5B, 6), and extracts the phone number of the terminal device 120-n that meets the conditions selected in step S1022bb and is a transfer destination that can be corresponded to. 1 of the phone number.

[0042] For example, when the condition of the transfer destination is "transfer form" (for example, "A→A" and "C→D, D→C"), the selection unit 142 uses the call connection request, representative number management information 1431a, department number management information 1431b, assigned number management information 1431c, etc. (from Figs. 5A to 6), and extracts the phone number of the terminal device 120-n that has a transfer form (for example, "A→A" or "C→D, D→C") that meets the conditions of the transfer destination and the corresponding status is "idle" as the transfer destination. 1 of the phone number.

[0043] For example, when the conditions of the transfer destination are a combination of "transfer form" and "communication environment" (for example, the combination of transfer form "-" and communication environment "landline phone"), the selection unit 142 uses the call connection request, representative number management information 1431a, department number management information 1431b, and person-in-charge number management information 1431c, etc. (from FIG. 5A to FIG. 6), and selects a transfer form and communication environment (for example, transfer form "-" and communication environment "landline phone") that match the conditions of the transfer destination, and a terminal device 120-n whose corresponding status is "waiting" 1 and extracts the phone number as the transfer destination.

[0044] For example, when the condition of the transfer destination is "business status" (for example, "busy"), the selection unit 142 uses the person-in-charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 6), and selects a business status (for example, "busy") that matches the conditions of the transfer destination, and a terminal device 120-n whose corresponding status is "waiting" 1 and extracts the phone number as the transfer destination.

[0045] For example, when the condition of the transfer destination is "person-in-charge skill" (for example, "rich experience"), the selection unit 142 uses the person-in-charge number management information 1431c (FIG. 6), and extracts the phone number of the terminal device 120-n that is used by a person-in-charge with a person-in-charge skill (for example, "rich experience") that matches the conditions of the transfer destination and whose corresponding status is "waiting" as the transfer destination (step S1022bc). 1

[0046] Here, when the transfer destination is not extracted in step S1022b (step S1022c), the selection unit 142 determines whether the index j is the maximum value j max(i) . The maximum value j max(i) is the maximum value of the transfer priority j for the selection element of the selection element priority i (step S1022d). Here, when the index j is not the maximum value j max(i) , the selection unit 142 sets j + 1 as the new j (step S1022e) and returns to the process of step S1022b. That is, the selection unit 142 performs the search with the transfer priority lowered by one. On the other hand, when the index j is the maximum value j max(i) ​If there is no corresponding transfer destination, the selection unit 142 ends the process of step S1022 on the grounds that there is no available transfer destination (step S1022g). On the other hand, if a transfer destination is extracted in step S1022b (step S1022c), the selection unit 142 determines the phone number of the extracted terminal device 120-n 1 as the transfer destination corresponding to the transfer system j, and ends the process of step S1022 (step S1022f).

[0047] <Features of this Embodiment> In this embodiment, the phone number (specific destination) of the terminal device 120-n 1 which is the transfer destination of a call incoming to the phone number (specific destination) of the representative device 130 or the terminal device 120 is selected from among the phone numbers (destinations of terminal devices) of a plurality of terminal devices 120-1,..., 120-N, and a process for transferring the call to the phone number (destination of a specific terminal device) of the selected terminal device 120-n 1 is performed. At this time, based on at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination and the high line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made, the phone number (destination of a specific terminal device) of the terminal device 120-n 1 which is the transfer destination is selected. Thereby, the transfer destination of the call can be selected in consideration of at least one of the transfer fee and the line quality.

[0048] At this time, the destination of the terminal device of the transfer destination (phone number of the terminal device 120-n 1 ) may be selected with priority given to the low cost of the transfer fee rather than the high line quality. Thereby, the transfer fee can be reduced. Or, the destination of the terminal device of the transfer destination (phone number of the terminal device 120-n 1 ) may be selected with priority given to the high line quality rather than the low cost of the transfer fee. Thereby, the customer satisfaction can be improved.

[0049] Also, in this embodiment, when a call incoming to the phone number (specific destination) of the representative device 130 or the terminal device 120 is transferred to the terminal device 120-n 1 , a call from the specific destination to the terminal device 120-n 1Information corresponding to the transfer cost for transfer, or the terminal device 120-n 1 Transfer information area 1241-n representing at least one of information corresponding to the line quality when making a call and conducting a call at the terminal device 120-n 1 and the terminal device 120-n 1 Operation area 1243-n for receiving an input for selecting whether to answer a call at the terminal device 120-n 1 and are displayed on the touch panel unit 124-n (display unit), and when it is selected to answer a call at the terminal device 120-n 1 processing for answering the call is performed. As a result, the person in charge can know the transfer cost and line quality before the call is answered, and can determine whether to answer the call based on this. For example, the person in charge can choose to answer the call himself when the transfer cost is low or the line quality is good, but not when it is not the case.

[0050] [Second Embodiment] The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, a cost priority mode for preferentially selecting a transfer destination (destination of a specific terminal device) based on the low transfer cost rather than the high line quality, and a quality priority mode for preferentially selecting a transfer destination based on the high line quality rather than the low transfer cost are switched. When switched to the cost priority mode, the transfer destination is preferentially selected based on the low transfer cost rather than the high line quality, and when switched to the quality priority mode, the transfer destination is preferentially selected based on the high line quality rather than the low transfer cost. Hereinafter, the description will be centered on the differences from the first embodiment, and for the matters already described, the same reference numerals will be used to simplify the description.

[0051] <Telephone Communication System 2> As illustrated in FIG. 1, the telephone communication system 2 of the present embodiment includes terminal devices 110-1,..., 110-M, terminal devices 120-1,..., 120-N, representative devices 130-1,..., 130-K, and a transfer device 240, and these are communicably connected to each other via a communication network 150. The difference between the telephone communication system 2 and the telephone communication system 1 is that the transfer device 140 is replaced by the transfer device 240.

[0052] <Transfer device 240> When the transfer device 240 is called from the terminal device 110 to the representative number (specific destination), the transfer device 240 selects, from the destinations of the plurality of terminal devices 120-1 to 120-N, the destination of a specific terminal device 120-n 1 (n 1 ∈ {1,..., N}) which is the transfer destination of the call, and performs a process for transferring the call to the telephone number (destination of the selected specific terminal device) of the selected terminal device 120-n 1 As illustrated in FIG. 3, the transfer device 240 of the present embodiment includes a transfer processing unit 141, a selection unit 142, a storage unit 143, an update unit 144, and a switching unit 245. The transfer device 240 in this example is a device configured by, for example, a predetermined program being loaded into a computer. The transfer device 240 may be an on-premises type device or a cloud type device.

[0053] <Preprocessing> The difference from the preprocessing of the first embodiment is that the transfer control information 1432 is replaced with the transfer control information 2432. The transfer control information 2432 of the present embodiment is a specific terminal device 120-n which is the transfer destination of a call made to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination) 1It includes priority information necessary to select a destination from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N. However, the transfer control information 2432 can be switched between a cost priority mode that preferentially selects a transfer destination (destination of a specific terminal device) based on the low cost of transfer rather than the high quality of the line, and a quality priority mode that preferentially selects a transfer destination based on the high quality of the line rather than the low cost of transfer. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the transfer control information 2432 of the present embodiment has selection element priority information 2432a, transfer cost priority information 1432b, line quality priority information 1432c, service status priority information 1432d, and person-in-charge skill priority information 1432e. The transfer control information 2432 may include other information. The selection element priority information 2432a of the present embodiment is information indicating how to select a call transfer destination (destination of a specific terminal device 120) by considering a plurality of selection elements in what priority (priority order). However, the selection element priority information 2432a of the present embodiment includes information in the case of preferentially selecting a destination of a specific terminal device 120 based on the low cost of transfer rather than the high quality of the line (in the case of the cost priority mode), and information in the case of preferentially selecting a destination of a specific terminal device 120 based on the high quality of the line rather than the low cost of transfer (in the case of the quality priority mode). For example, the selection element priority information 2432a includes selection element priority information 1432a in the cost priority mode as illustrated in FIG. 8A and selection element priority information 1432a in the quality priority mode as illustrated in FIG. 8B. The rest is the same as the preprocessing of the first embodiment.

[0054] <Processing> Next, the processing of the present embodiment will be described. <Step S201> Step S201 is the same as step S101 of the first embodiment except that the transfer device 140 is replaced by the transfer device 240.

[0055] <Step S202 (selection step)> The call connection request is input to the transfer processing unit 141 of the transfer device 240 (Fig. 3) and sent to the selection unit 142. The selection unit 142 uses the call connection request and the information stored in the storage unit 143 (Figs. 3 to 11B) to select the telephone number (destination) of a specific terminal device 120-n from among the telephone numbers (destinations) of the plurality of terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N, which is the call transfer destination. 1 However, in this embodiment, the switching unit 245 gives priority to the lower transfer cost over the higher line quality and selects the telephone number (destination) of the terminal device 120-n 1 in the cost priority mode, and gives priority to the higher line quality over the lower transfer cost and selects the telephone number (destination) of the terminal device 120-n 1 in the quality priority mode, and performs the switching between them.

[0056] For example, based on the attributes of the customer (subject) who has made a call to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination), the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost priority mode and the quality priority mode. That is, a lower transfer cost is beneficial to the operator of the transfer device 240. On the other hand, a higher line quality is beneficial to the customer side. Therefore, for example, in order to acquire new customers, the quality priority mode may be selected when the customer is a new customer, and the cost priority mode may be selected otherwise. For example, when the customer is a VIP, the quality priority mode may be selected, and the cost priority mode may be selected otherwise. For example, a call connection request (including information for identifying the calling customer or the terminal device 110-m) is input to the switching unit 245, and the switching unit 245 uses the call connection request and the customer information 1433 stored in the storage unit 143 to identify the customer's attributes, and may switch between the cost priority mode and the quality priority mode according to the attributes.

[0057] For example, based on the location of the customer (the subject) who made a call to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination), the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode. That is, the communication environment may vary depending on the location of the customer who made the call. For example, the communication environment when the customer makes a call from a mobile phone may be worse than when the customer makes a call from a landline. In such a case, the quality - priority mode may be selected, and in other cases, the cost - priority mode may be selected. Also, even when making a call with the same mobile phone, the voice quality when the customer makes a call in an area where a high - speed communication network can be used (for example, a 5G communication coverage area) may be higher than when making a call in an area where a high - speed communication network cannot be used (for example, a 4G communication coverage area). Therefore, when the customer makes a call in an area where a high - speed communication network cannot be used, the quality - priority mode may be selected, and when the customer makes a call in an area where a high - speed communication network can be used, the cost - priority mode may be selected. For example, a call connection request (including information on the location of the terminal device 110 - m) is input to the switching unit 245, and the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode according to the information on the location of the terminal device 110 - m.

[0058] For example, based on the time when a call is made to the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination), the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode. For example, in an area where there is a bias in the number of people making calls on mobile phones depending on the time of day, the voice quality during the time of day when the number of people making calls on mobile phones is large may be lower than during the time of day when the number of people making calls is small. Therefore, when a call is made during the time of day when the number of people making calls on mobile phones is large, the quality - priority mode may be selected, and when a call is made during other times of day, the cost - priority mode may be selected. For example, the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode according to the current time.

[0059] For example, the switching unit 245 may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode according to the dissatisfaction level inferred from the call status of the customer (the subject) who called the representative terminal 130 or the terminal device 120 (specific destination). For example, a customer with a high number of calls per unit time is likely to be making calls because of some dissatisfaction regarding telephone response, products, etc. Therefore, for example, when a call is made from a customer whose number of calls per unit time exceeds a threshold (when it is inferred that the dissatisfaction level of the customer is high), the quality - priority mode may be selected, and in other cases, the cost - priority mode may be selected. Alternatively, when a call is made from a customer whose number of calls per unit time from a predetermined period before to the present exceeds a threshold (when it is inferred that the dissatisfaction level of the customer is high), the quality - priority mode may be selected, and in other cases, the cost - priority mode may be selected. For example, a call connection request (including information for identifying the calling customer and the terminal device 110 - m) is input to the switching unit 245, and the switching unit 245 calculates the number of calls per unit time of the customer represented by this call connection request using the call connection request and the call information (FIG. 5B) stored in the storage unit 143, and accordingly, may switch between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode.

[0060] Information indicating that the switching unit 245 has switched to the cost - priority mode or information indicating that the switching unit 245 has switched to the quality - priority mode is sent to the selection unit 142. When switched to the cost - priority mode, the selection unit 142 gives priority to the low transfer cost over the high line quality and selects the telephone number (destination) of the terminal device 120 - n 1 (specific terminal device). When switched to the quality - priority mode, the selection unit 142 gives priority to the high line quality over the low transfer cost and selects the telephone number (destination) of the terminal device 120 - n 1 (specific terminal device). For example, the selection unit 142 uses the selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8A in the cost - priority mode and uses the selection element priority information 1432a in FIG. 8B in the quality - priority mode. The rest is the same as step S102 of the first embodiment.

[0061] <Step S103 (Transfer processing step), S104, S105> It is the same as the first embodiment.

[0062] <Features of this embodiment> In this embodiment, a cost - priority mode is switched with a quality - priority mode. In the cost - priority mode, the destination of a specific terminal device is selected by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality. In the quality - priority mode, the destination of a specific terminal device is selected by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost. When switched to the cost - priority mode, the telephone number (destination of the specific terminal device) of terminal device 120 - n 1 is selected by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality. When switched to the quality - priority mode, the telephone number (destination of the specific terminal device) of terminal device 120 - n 1 is selected by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost. For example, switching between the cost - priority mode and the quality - priority mode is performed according to at least any one of the attributes of the customer (subject) who called the representative terminal 130 or terminal device 120 (specific destination), the location of the customer (subject), the time when the specific destination was called, or the degree of dissatisfaction inferred from the calling status of the customer (subject). Thereby, the search criterion for the transfer destination can be changed according to the situation, and customer satisfaction and transfer cost reduction can be optimized.

[0063] [Third Embodiment] The third embodiment is a modification of the first and second embodiments. In the third embodiment, in the terminal device to which a call is transferred, in addition to selecting whether to answer the call, an input is received to select whether to re - transfer the call to another terminal device. When it is selected to re - transfer the call to another terminal device, a process for re - transferring the call is performed. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the first and second embodiments, and for the matters already described, the same reference numerals will be used to simplify the description.

[0064] <Telephone communication system 3> As illustrated in FIG. 1, the telephone communication system 3 of the present embodiment includes terminal devices 110-1, …, 110-M, terminal devices 320-1, …, 320-N, representative devices 130-1, …, 130-K, and transfer devices 140 or 240, and these are communicably connected to each other via a communication network 150. The difference between the telephone communication system 3 and the telephone communication systems 1 and 2 is that the terminal devices 120-1, …, 120-N are replaced by the terminal devices 320-1, …, 320-N.

[0065] <Terminal devices 320-1, …, 320-N> As illustrated in FIG. 2, the terminal device 320-n of the present embodiment includes a communication processing unit 121-n, a display processing unit 322-n, an incoming call processing unit 123-n, a touch panel unit 324-n, an update information providing unit 125-n, and a re-transfer processing unit 326-n. Hereinafter, each of the terminal devices 320-1, …, 320-N is expressed as the terminal device 320-n. However, n satisfies n = 1, …, N. Also, the general term for the terminal devices 320-1, …, 320-N is expressed as the terminal device 320. The terminal device 320 is, for example, a smartphone equipped with a telephone function, a tablet terminal device, a wearable device, a PC, a landline phone, or the like.

[0066] <Preprocessing> It is the same as the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0067] <Processing> Next, the processing of the present embodiment will be described. First, the processing of steps S101 and S102 of the first embodiment or steps S201 and S202 of the second embodiment is performed, and then the processing of step S103 is performed. However, the terminal device 120 is replaced by the terminal device 320.

[0068] <Step S304> The call connection request transferred by the processing of step S103 is input to the communication processing unit 121-n of the terminal device 320-n 1 (FIG. 2) 1 (where n 1 ∈ {1, …, N}). The communication processing unit 121-n1 sends the transfer processing information of the call connection request to the display processing unit 322-n 1 in this embodiment. The display processing unit 322-n 1 generates display information for displaying a display screen 3240-n related to the call connection request 1 on the touch panel unit 324-n 1 (display unit). The display screen 3240-n 1 in this embodiment includes, for example, information corresponding to the transfer cost for transferring a call from the representative device 130 or the terminal device 320 (specific destination) to the terminal device 320-n 1 , or information corresponding to the line quality when receiving a call and making a call at the terminal device 320-n 1 , in at least one of the transfer information areas representing the above, and an operation area for receiving an input for selecting whether to receive a call (answer the phone) at the terminal device 320-n 1 and whether to re-transfer the call to another terminal device 320. The operation area of the display screen 3240-n 1 may further be an area for receiving an input for selecting to which terminal device 320 (re-transfer destination) to re-transfer the call. For example, the operation area may be an area for receiving an input for selecting another terminal device 320 (re-transfer destination) to re-transfer from the candidates of the call re-transfer destination. The display screen 3240-n 1 may further include a re-transfer information area representing at least one of information corresponding to the transfer cost for re-transferring the call to another terminal device 320 (re-transfer destination), or information corresponding to the line quality when receiving a call and making a call at another terminal device 320 (re-transfer destination). The display screen 3240-n 1 may include a call information area including customer information about the calling customer and the call history of the customer. The generated display information is sent to the touch panel unit 324-n 1 .

[0069] <Step S305> Based on the sent display information, the touch panel unit 324-n 1 displays the display screen 3240-n 1 . The following exemplifies the display screen 3240-n

[0070] The display screen 3240-n illustrated in FIG. 15A 1 includes a transfer information area 1241-n 1 and a call information area 1242-n 1 and an operation area 1243-n 1 , 3244-n 1 The difference from the display screen 1240-n illustrated in FIG. 14A 1 is that the display screen 3240-n illustrated in FIG. 15A 1 further displays an operation area 3244-n 1 In this example, the operation area 3244-n 1 is a button area displayed as "Transfer" for receiving an input for selecting whether to re-transfer the call to another terminal device 320.

[0071] When an input operation (for example, a tap) is performed on the operation area 1243-n 1 it is selected to ring the call on the terminal device 120-n 1 This process is the same as that in the first embodiment. On the other hand, when an input operation (for example, a tap) is performed on the operation area 3244-n 1 a process for re-transferring the call to another terminal device 320-n 1 without ringing the call on the terminal device 320-n 1 is executed. For example, the process may be returned to step S102, and another terminal device 320-n 1 may be selected and the call may be re-transferred (from steps S102 to S104, S105). However, at the time of re-transfer, in step S102, the already transferred terminal device 120 is excluded and a new telephone number of the terminal device 320-n 1 is selected.

[0072] When an input operation is performed on the operation area 3244-n 1 an operation area 3245-n for receiving an input for selecting to which terminal device 320 (re-transfer destination) the call is to be re-transferred 1 , 3245-n 1 may be displayed. In the example of FIG. 15B, the operation area 3245-n which is a button area displayed as "Transmittable Y" 1and an operation area 3246-n which is a button area displayed as "Transmittable Z" 1 are displayed. In this example, when an input operation is performed on the operation area 3245-n 1 , processing for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is performed, and the call is re-transferred to this re-transfer destination. On the other hand, when an input operation is performed on the operation area 3246-n 1 , processing for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Z (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is performed, and the call is re-transferred to this re-transfer destination. At this time, the update unit 144 of the transfer device 140 (Fig. 3) stores that transfer was necessary ( "Required") in the "Transfer Flag" of the call information 1434 (Fig. 11B).

[0073] Also, as in the display screens 3240-n 1 illustrated in Figs. 16A and 16B, instead of the transfer information area 1241-n 1 , a transfer information area 3241-n in which not only characters but also visual information such as colors and patterns changes according to the transfer cost (transfer rate) may be displayed 1 . For example, when the transfer cost is 0 yen, the transfer information area 3241-n 1 is displayed in a normal color (for example, light blue), and when the transfer cost is charged, the transfer information area 3241-n 1 may be displayed in a color different from normal (for example, red). Thereby, the person in charge can recognize at a glance whether the transfer cost is high, and can immediately determine whether to answer the call or re-transfer it.

[0074] Also, as in the display screens 3240-n 1 illustrated in Figs. 17A and 17B, instead of the transfer information area 1241-n 1 , a transfer information area 3241-n in which not only characters but also visual information such as colors and patterns changes according to the line quality may be displayed 1 . For example, when the line quality is 1 (when the line quality is good), the transfer information area 3241-n 1is displayed in a normal color (e.g., light blue), and when the line quality is 4 (when the line quality is poor), the transfer information area 3241-n 1 may be displayed in a color different from the normal one (e.g., red). Thereby, the person in charge can immediately recognize whether the line quality is high when receiving a call, and can immediately determine whether to answer the call or re-transfer it.

[0075] Also, as shown in the display screens 3240-n illustrated in FIGS. 18A and 18B 1 a re-transfer information area 3247-n representing information corresponding to the transfer cost for re-transferring a call to a re-transfer destination may be further displayed. As illustrated in FIG. 18A, in this example, the operation area 3245-n 1 is not re-transferred only by performing an input operation once. By this input operation, the visual information such as the color and pattern of the operation area 3245-n 1 changes, and in the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 a transfer cost (e.g., "transfer rate: 0 yen") for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is displayed. In this state, when an input operation is further performed on the operation area 3245-n 1 , a process for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is performed, and the call is re-transferred to this re-transfer destination. As illustrated in FIG. 18B, in this example, the operation area 3246-n 1 is not re-transferred only by performing an input operation once. By this input operation, the visual information such as the color and pattern of the operation area 3246-n 1 changes, and in the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 a transfer cost (e.g., "transfer rate: 120 yen per time") for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Z (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is displayed. In this state, when an input operation is further performed on the operation area 3246-n 1 a transfer cost (e.g., "transfer rate: 120 yen per time") for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Z (another terminal device 320-n 1 ), a process for re-transferring a call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Z (another terminal device 320-n 1Processing for re-transferring the call to the re-transfer destination is performed, and the call is re-transferred to this re-transfer destination. Note that according to the transfer cost, the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 The visual information such as the color and pattern of may change. For example, when the transfer cost is 0 yen, the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 is displayed in the normal color (for example, light blue), and when the transfer cost is charged, the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 may be displayed in a color different from the normal (for example, red). Thereby, the person in charge can recognize at a glance whether the transfer cost is high, and can immediately determine whether to re-transfer the call.

[0076] Also, as in the display screens 3240-n illustrated in FIGS. 19A and 19B 1 The re-transfer information area 3247-n representing information corresponding to the line quality when answering a call and making a call at the re-transfer destination may be further displayed. As illustrated in FIG. 19A, in this example, the re-transfer is not started only by performing an input operation once in the operation area 3245-n 1 By this input operation, the visual information such as the color and pattern of the operation area 3245-n 1 changes, and in the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 the line quality (for example, "line quality: 1") when answering a call and making a call at a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is displayed. In this state, when an input operation is further performed in the operation area 3245-n 1 processing for re-transferring the call to a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is performed, and the call is re-transferred to this re-transfer destination. As illustrated in FIG. 19B, in this example, the re-transfer is not started only by performing an input operation once in the operation area 3246-n 1 By this input operation, the visual information such as the color and pattern of the operation area 3246-n 1 changes, and in the re-transfer information area 3247-n 1 the line quality (for example, "line quality: 1") when answering a call and making a call at a specific re-transfer destination represented by Y (another terminal device 320-n 1 is displayed. In this state, when an input operation is further performed in the operation area 3246-n 1When making a call and establishing a connection to conduct a call, the line quality (e.g., "Line Quality: 3") is displayed. In this state, when further input operations are performed on the operation area 3246-n 1 a process for retransferring the call to a specific retransfer destination represented by Z (to another terminal device 320-n 1 ) is carried out, and the call is retransferred to this retransfer destination. For example, when the line quality is 1 (when the line quality is good), the retransfer information area 3247-n 1 is displayed in the normal color (e.g., light blue), and when the line quality is 3 (when the line quality is bad), the retransfer information area 3247-n 1 may be displayed in a color different from the normal one (e.g., red). Thereby, the person in charge can immediately recognize whether the line quality at the retransfer destination is high and can immediately determine whether to retransfer the call.

[0077] Other information may be added to the display screen 3240-n 1 For example, on the display screen 3240-n 1 both information corresponding to the transfer cost for transferring a call from a specific destination to the terminal device 320-n 1 and information corresponding to the line quality when making a call and establishing a connection to conduct a call on the terminal device 320-n 1 may be displayed. For example, on the display screen 3240-n 1 both information corresponding to the transfer cost for retransferring a call to the retransfer destination or information corresponding to the line quality when making a call and establishing a connection to conduct a call at the retransfer destination may be displayed.

[0078] <Features of this Embodiment> In this embodiment, on the touch panel portion 324-n 1 of the terminal device 320-n 1 which is the transfer destination of the call (display unit), a display screen 3240-n 1 including an operation area 3246-n 1 for receiving an input for selecting whether to retransfer the call to another terminal device is displayed. And in the operation area 3246-n 1When it is selected to retransfer a call to another terminal device by an input operation, a process for retransferring the call is performed. As a result, the retransfer of the call can be immediately executed.

[0079] In the present embodiment, an operation area 3245-n for receiving an input for selecting whether to retransfer a call to a retransfer destination 1 , 3246-n 1 and a retransfer information area 3247-n representing at least one of information corresponding to the transfer cost for retransferring the call to the retransfer destination or information corresponding to the line quality when the call is terminated at the retransfer destination and a call is made 1 are displayed on the touch panel unit 324-n 1 (display unit). When it is selected to retransfer a call to a specific retransfer destination by an input operation of the operation area 3245-n 1 , 3246-n 1 , a process for retransferring the call to this specific retransfer destination is performed, and the call is retransferred to this retransfer destination. As a result, it is possible to determine whether to retransfer the call to the retransfer destination in consideration of the transfer cost and line quality when the call is retransferred to the retransfer destination.

[0080] [Hardware and Program] Each device in each embodiment is configured by a general-purpose or dedicated computer including a processor (hardware processor) such as a CPU (central processing unit) and a memory such as a RAM (random-access memory) and a ROM (read-only memory) executing a predetermined program. That is, each device in each embodiment may have a processing circuitry configured to implement respective parts it has. This computer may include one processor and memory, or may include a plurality of processors and memory. This program may be installed in the computer or may be recorded in a ROM or the like in advance. Also, part or all of the processing units may be configured using an electronic circuit that realizes a processing function independently, rather than an electronic circuit that realizes a functional configuration by reading a program like a CPU. Also, the electronic circuit constituting one device may include a plurality of CPUs.

[0081] The above-described program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media are non-transitory recording media. Examples of such recording media are magnetic recording devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, semiconductor memories, and the like.

[0082] The distribution of these programs can be carried out, for example, by selling, transferring, lending, etc. portable recording media such as DVDs and CD-ROMs on which the programs are recorded. Further, the program can be stored in a server computer or a storage device on the cloud, and the program can be distributed by transferring the program to other computers via a network. As described above, a computer that executes such a program first stores, for example, the program recorded on the portable recording media or the transferred program in its own storage device once. Then, when executing the process, the computer reads the program stored in its own storage device and executes the process according to the read program. Also, as another execution form of this program, it is also possible that the computer directly reads the program from the portable recording media and executes the process according to the program. Further, each time the program is transferred to this computer, it is also possible to sequentially execute the process according to the received program. Also, without transferring the program to this computer, the above-described process may be executed by a so-called ASP (Application Service Provider) type service that realizes the processing function only by the execution instruction and result acquisition. Note that the program in this embodiment includes information for use in processing by an electronic computer that conforms to the program (data, etc. that do not directly instruct the computer but have the property of defining the processing of the computer).

[0083] In addition, at least a part of the processing content of any device may be realized by other hardware.

[0084] [Other Variations] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, different transfer control information 1432, 2432 may be set according to the organization to which the person in charge belongs.

[0085] In addition, if the transfer destination is selected based on at least one of the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination or the high line quality when the call is terminated at the transfer destination and a call is made, there is no limitation on the selection method. For example, the transfer destination may be selected based only on the transfer fee, or may be selected based only on the line quality, or may be selected based on both the transfer fee and the line quality. In addition, the transfer destination may be selected by comprehensively evaluating a plurality of selection elements including the transfer fee and the line quality. For example, the transfer destination may be selected based on the comprehensive score of the selection elements including the score representing the low cost of the transfer fee and the score representing the high line quality. For example, the transfer destination may be selected in descending order of the total score of the score representing the low cost of the transfer fee (for example, the higher the score, the lower the transfer fee) and the score representing the high line quality (for example, the higher the score, the higher the line quality), or the transfer destination whose total score exceeds the threshold may be selected. For example, the transfer destination may be selected based on the weighted sum of the score representing the low cost of the transfer fee and the score representing the high line quality. For example, the transfer destination may be selected in descending order of the weighted sum, or the transfer destination whose weighted sum exceeds the threshold may be selected. At this time, the weights may be changed according to the customer. For example, when the customer is a new customer or a VIP, the weight of the score representing the high line quality may be made larger than the score representing the low cost of the transfer fee, and in other cases, the weight of the score representing the high line quality may be made smaller than the score representing the low cost of the transfer fee. Further, the management information 1431, the transfer control information 1432, 2432, the customer information 1433, and the call information 1434 may not be stored in the storage unit 143 of the transfer devices 140, 240, but may be stored in other devices connectable to the communication network 150. Further, these information may be distributed and arranged in a plurality of devices. That is, as long as the selection unit 142, the switching unit 245, and the update unit 144 can access them, the management information 1431, the transfer control information 1432, 2432, the customer information 1433, and the call information 1434 may be stored anywhere.

[0086] In the embodiment, a transfer information area, an operation area, a call information area, and a re-transfer information area are displayed on the touch panel unit of the terminal device. However, the transfer information area, the operation area, the call information area, and the re-transfer information area may be displayed on a display (display unit) outside the re-transfer information area.

[0087] In addition, the above-described various processes are not only executed in time series according to the description, but may also be executed in parallel or individually according to the processing ability of the device that executes the processes or as required. Needless to say, appropriate changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention described in the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0088] 1 to 3 Telephone communication system 110, 120, 320 Terminal device 140, 240 Transfer device 122, 322 Display processing unit 124, 324 Touch panel unit 142 Selection unit 245 Switching unit 326 Re-transfer processing unit 1240, 3240 Display screen 1241, 3241 Transfer information area 1242 Call information area 1243, 3244, 3245, 3246 Operation area 3247 Re-transfer information area

Claims

1. A transfer method by a transfer device, comprising: a selection step of selecting, from among the destinations of a plurality of departments or persons in charge, the destination of a specific department or person in charge which is the transfer destination of a call called to a specific destination; a transfer process step of performing a process for transferring the call to the destination of the specific terminal device selected in the selection step; a switching step of switching between a cost priority mode of preferentially selecting the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge based on the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination rather than the high quality of the line when the call is terminated and a call is made at the transfer destination, and a quality priority mode of preferentially selecting the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge based on the high quality of the line rather than the low cost of the transfer fee; and wherein the selection step selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by giving priority to the low cost of the transfer fee rather than the high quality of the line when switched to the cost priority mode, and selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by giving priority to the high quality of the line rather than the low cost of the transfer fee when switched to the quality priority mode.

2. The transfer method according to Claim 1, wherein the switching step switches between the cost priority mode and the quality priority mode according to at least one of the location of the entity that called the specific destination, the time when the specific destination was called, or the number of calls per unit time of the entity.

3. A transfer method by a transfer device, comprising: a selection step of selecting, from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices, the destination of a specific terminal device which is the transfer destination of a call called to a specific destination; a transfer process step of performing a process for transferring the call to the destination of the specific terminal device selected in the selection step; a switching step of switching between a cost priority mode of preferentially selecting the destination of the specific terminal device based on the low cost of the transfer fee for transferring the call to the transfer destination rather than the high quality of the line when the call is terminated and a call is made at the transfer destination, and a quality priority mode of preferentially selecting the destination of the specific terminal device based on the high quality of the line rather than the low cost of the transfer fee, according to at least one of the location of the entity that called the specific destination, the time when the specific destination was called, or the number of calls per unit time of the entity; and The selection step is a transfer method of selecting the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality when switched to the cost priority mode, and selecting the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost when switched to the quality priority mode.

4. A selection unit that selects the destination of a terminal device of a specific department or person in charge, which is the transfer destination of a call incoming to a specific destination, from among the destinations of terminal devices of a plurality of departments or persons in charge; A transfer processing unit that performs processing for transferring the call to the destination of the specific terminal device selected by the selection unit; A cost priority mode that selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by prioritizing the low transfer cost for transferring the call to the transfer destination over the high line quality when making a call at the transfer destination and conducting a call, and a quality priority mode that selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost, and a switching unit that performs switching between them; comprising The selection unit selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality when switched to the cost priority mode, and selects the destination of the terminal device of the specific department or person in charge by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost when switched to the quality priority mode. A transfer device.

5. A selection unit that selects the destination of a specific terminal device, which is the transfer destination of a call incoming to a specific destination, from among the destinations of a plurality of terminal devices; A transfer processing unit that performs processing for transferring the call to the destination of the specific terminal device selected by the selection unit; Depending on at least any one of the location of the subject who made the call to the specific destination, the time when the call was made to the specific destination, or the number of calls made by the subject per unit time, a cost priority mode that selects the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the low transfer cost for transferring the call to the transfer destination over the high line quality when making a call at the transfer destination and conducting a call, and a quality priority mode that selects the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost, and a switching unit that performs switching between them; comprising The selection unit is a transfer device that, when switched to the cost priority mode, selects the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the low transfer cost over the high line quality, and when switched to the quality priority mode, selects the destination of the specific terminal device by prioritizing the high line quality over the low transfer cost.

6. A program for causing a computer to execute the transfer method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

Images