Emergency Call Distribution Controller with Workstation State Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency call centers face challenges in efficiently managing a high volume of incoming calls due to limited technological resources, requiring improved call distribution and operator qualification-based routing to ensure accurate and timely emergency response.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for an emergency call center that includes a call controller receiving incoming calls and distributing them to a selected group of workstations based on operator qualifications, with the accepted call being removed from other workstations, utilizing an automatic call distribution engine and mid-call recovery controller to manage call routing and provide scalable and efficient support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single call center handles all incoming emergency calls, then call routing simplicity is maintained, but system reliability and response capability deteriorate under high call volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the call center into multiple independent workstations that can individually accept and handle emergency calls. Each workstation operates as an independent unit with its own operator, allowing the system to segment the call handling load across multiple operators rather than relying on a single centralized system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the state of workstations by transitioning them between pending and accepted states based on call arrival and operator availability. The call controller modifies the distribution list by removing workstations that have accepted calls, thereby dynamically adjusting system parameters to maintain optimal reliability under varying load conditions.
2Productivity
If multiple workstations are distributed to handle calls, then call handling capacity and reliability improve, but call distribution management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The workstations autonomously manage their own state by accepting or rejecting incoming calls based on operator availability and qualifications. The system performs self-organization where workstations automatically join or leave the active distribution list without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining high capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The call controller receives feedback from workstations about their availability and call acceptance status. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically update the distribution list and redirect calls to available operators, managing complexity through automated feedback loops rather than manual coordination.
3Reliability
If calls are distributed to a selected group of workstations, then operator qualification matching improves, but system response time may increase due to selection process
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-qualifies and pre-organizes workstations into groups based on operator qualifications before calls arrive. This preliminary classification allows the call controller to rapidly distribute calls to appropriate workstations without time-consuming selection processes during actual call handling, thus maintaining both qualification matching and response speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The workstation selection process is made dynamic and adaptive, allowing the call controller to real-time adjust the distribution list based on current call requirements and operator availability. This dynamic approach enables the system to quickly respond to calls by selecting from pre-qualified workstations while adapting to changing conditions, reducing overall distribution time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operation of an emergency call system includes: receiving an incoming call by a call controller; distributing a pending call request from the call controller to a selected group of workstations; and accepting the pending call request by one of the workstations including removing the pending call request from all others of the workstations in the selected group.