Outbound Call Filtering and Dynamic Speed Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In outbound call processing systems, a significant waste of time occurs when called users who are not interested in the purpose of the call disconnect, leading to inefficiency for attendants.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that detect whether a called user is an actual person after going off-hook, play outbound call information to them, and disconnect the call if they decide not to interact, while adjusting call speed based on parameters like available trunks, attendants, and processing capabilities to optimize call handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the outbound call system forwards all calls to attendants without filtering, then all called users can potentially interact with attendants, but attendants waste time on users not interested in the call purpose

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattendant work efficiencyVSAvoidattendant time wasted on uninterested users
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary filtering by playing outbound call information to called users before connecting them to attendants. This preliminary action allows users to self-select based on their interest in the call purpose, ensuring that only interested users reach the attendant, thereby eliminating wasted attendant time on uninterested users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The outbound call information serves as an intermediary mechanism between the called user and the attendant. By introducing this intermediate filtering step, the system enables users to indicate their interest level before being connected to an attendant, effectively separating interested from uninterested users without requiring direct attendant intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If the system increases the number of outbound calls to maximize coverage, then more potential customers are reached, but the system may overload available trunks and attendants

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of outbound callsVSAvoidsystem stability under load
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors key parameters including the number of available trunks, number of signed-in attendants, current call status (not off-hook, queued, under conversation), and processing durations. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of outbound call speed to maintain system stability while maximizing call volume within available capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The outbound call speed is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically adjusts the calling speed based on real-time system conditions, increasing calls when capacity is available and reducing calls when trunks or attendants are overloaded, thereby maintaining reliability while optimizing throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the system calculates outbound call speed based on current parameters only, then the calculation is simple and fast, but it does not account for the processing capability required by existing calls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalculation complexityVSAvoidoutbound call processing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system expands the set of parameters used in speed calculation from simple current state parameters to include processing capability parameters. Specifically, it incorporates the capability required by non-off-hook calls (multiplying number of such calls by actual person off-hook ratio and average processing duration), capability required by queued calls, and capability required by calls under conversation, thereby achieving accurate productivity optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary calculations to determine the processing capability required by existing calls before calculating the remaining processing capability available for new outbound calls. This preliminary action ensures that the outbound call speed calculation accounts for all existing system loads, improving accuracy without significantly increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2312819B1A method, apparatus and system for processing outbound calls
Publication Date: 2013.09.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2312819B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2312819B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2312819B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method, an apparatus, and a system for processing outbound calls are disclosed. The method includes: receiving feedback information from a called user after the called user goes off-hook; detecting whether the called user that goes off-hook is an actual person according to the feedback information; if so, playing outbound call information that carries a purpose of the outbound call to the actual person called user; and detecting whether the actual person called user decides to interact with an attendant according to the outbound call information; otherwise, disconnecting the call. The actual person called users not interested in the purpose of the outbound call can be filtered out, and the work efficiency of the attendant is improved.