|
Automating Operator Duties
TELEPHONE SWITCHING SYSTEM INCLUDING TOLL SERVICE DESK:
Canadian Patent #946499 (Issued Apr. 30, 1974)
Canadian Patent Office (external link)
Inventors: HALBEDEL, DON E. , BAGWELL, BENJAMIN J. , LONG, JOSEPH H., SCHWEITZER, CAMERON C. , CALLENDER, JACK E. , LISSAKERS, ERIK A. , HORNING, JAMES L.
NORTH ELECTRIC COMPANY (Now Nortel)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Description of the Prior Art
In earlier telephone systems, manual boards equipped with plugs and jacks were provided for use by attendant operators in the establishment of connections between subscribers of the exchange. Switching equipment was developed which permitted subscribers to dial local calls without operator assistance, while yet permitting access to an operator for the purpose of seeking assistance in establishing toll calls. The operator was also required in such system[s] to prepare toll tickets for billing purposes.
With the advent of extended area free service, it became possible for subscribers to dial into or through distant offices, but operators with cord boards were still required in establishing dial assistance and toll calls, and for the purpose of preparing and completing toll tickets for billing purposes. In more recent years automatic toll ticketing has been developed which permits subscribers to dial so-called non-premium toll calls, with automatic ticketing equipment providing a ticket for the call to thereby relieve the operator of such burden. A non-coin, direct distance dialed, station-to-station call is typical of the type of call which might be handled by the system and ticketed without operators' participation.
While such capability did reduce the burdens placed upon the operators, and did provide more efficient service to the subscribers, it was still necessary for operators with cord boards to handle and make out toll tickets for dial assistance calls and for person-to-person calls, collect calls, credit card calls, charge to third party calls, direct distance dialed coin calls, premium toll ticketed coin and non-coin premium toll calls. Therefore it was necessary for the operator to stay with such calls until they were released. In certain installations (CAMA equipment, for example) (internal link) operators using cord boards were called in momentarily to ascertain the calling subscriber identity, and after keying such identity into the equipment, were permitted to release.
Furthermore, recently there has been developed a system having toll service positions and associated equipment wherein operator boards with pushbuttons (instead of plugs and jacks) provide greater operator convenience and efficiency in handling dial assistance calls, CAMA calls, and toll calls. With such equipment, in most types of calls, (1) the operator is only required to connect to the call momentarily and can then release; (2) is not required to transfer the calls to cord and plug boards; and (3) is not required to manually tickets for billing purposes.
While such equipment is a definite advance in the art, the operator involvement is still too great; that is, in each call to an operator's position requiring time and charge, the operator is required to perform a manual operation to insert time and charge; in certain types of calls (such as coin dial 0 calls, notification calls, and time and charge calls) operators are required to stay connected to the call for the duration of the call (a condition which seriously limits the efficiency of the system) and in certain other types of calls (such as mobile calls) the operators are required to transfer the calls to plug and jack boards; and on certain types of calls (such as coin dial O calls, coin dial 1+ calls changed to coin dial O+ calls, operator originated calls, any third number calls, credit card calls, and time and charge calls) the operator is required to manually prepare tickets. Further, flash recall is operative only on calls originated from coin stations, and then for only the first 42 seconds. On calls returned to the operator's board such as by means of flash recall within the 42 seconds which can only be from a coin station, the operator has to again key pulse the called number. On coin dial 1+ calls (i.e., non-premium direct distance dialed calls originated at a coin station by first dialing the digit "1") the operator has to insert the class charge. The boards further were not arranged t o handle hotel dial 1+ calls, inward assistance calls, and WH calls.
Equipment which is generally indicative of the state of the art at the time of the present invention is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,341,661, which issued to R.B. Curtis on September 12, 1967, and U.S. Patent No. 3,341,662, which issued to L. J. Cernyetal on September 1
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a novel system which provides many of the above noted services which were not previously available, and which achieves such service with a substantially reduced number of special trunks. That is, novel universal toll recording trunks are provided which a r e capable of handling any of the many different forms of toll calls , any of the inward assistance calls, and any of the outgoing calls a from a toll service position.
In addition to the new and different universal trunks, the switching system is connected to permit establishment a connection from each toll recording trunk to an idle toll service desk over a set of switching equipment, and to there- after establish a bypath between the memory, trunk and toll service desk for signalling purposes, whereby a substantial reduction in the amount of switching equipment is effected.
The novel system further includes an arrangement which permits flash recall of the operator on any call at any time (particularly on non-coin calls and on coin calls beyond the first 42 seconds of the prior art); and which upon flash recall on non-coin calls effects automatic answer time display to the operator. answer time display is automatic during the initial period (3, 4, o r 5 minutes) and elapsed time display is automatic after the initial period.
In addition, upon flash recall on coin calls, After flash recall, release and re-establishment of the call in the forward direction is accomplished by the operator without re-keying.
The new and different system also provides time and charge Information automatically without requiring a manual operation of any device, and without requiring the operator to stay on the call, and without requiring the operator to prepare a ticket.
The system is the first arrangement which is capable of handling calls requiring an additional number or room number for ticketing purposes (such as hotel dial 1+ calls), inward assistance calls, and WH calls, and which is also operative to handle special originated calls, such as calls originated by a mobile subscriber, without the requirement that the operator transfer the call to a plug and jack board. Also, automatic insert of class charge for coin 1+ calls (as well as for all other dial 1+ calls) is provided without requiring a manual operation. Furthermore, for the first time the operator may release after monetary assistance has been provided for coin dial 0 calls, notification calls, and time and charge calls.
The system is further novel in its ability to automatically prepare tickets for coin dial 0, coin dial 1+ changed to coin dial O + calls or vice versa, third number, credit card, time and charge, and operator originated (OGT) calls, whereby the operator time in handling type calls is reduced.
Yet another feature of the system is the manner in which all calls are initially allowed to float. As a result an operator's desk requires connection to a call only during the time that manual functions are required. Once the operator has satisfied the immediate requirements of the call, she can release her desk from the call and be available to other calls requiring her participation.
The toll recording trunk, however, may connect an operator several times during a call. For example, a subscriber may ask to be notified at the end of the base charge period. In this case the operator, after keying in the base charge period indication, can release the call from her desk. The trunk will time the call and request an operator when the time period has lapsed. It should be noted that the operator connected the second time may not be the same one that originally handled the call . All of the call’s statistics are available to the new operator through lamp indications and numerical displays.
The operator has the ability to change any number at any time, until timing has started, and the keying of numbers can occur in any sequential order. allows an operator to key information in the order that receives it from a subscriber. This feature eliminates the need for her to make scratch pad notes. The fact that numbers can be changed allows the operator to follow a called person to another terminating number without forcing the originating subscriber to replace the call even though he may have dialed the original number himself.
Another feature allows the operator to re-send the called number without re-keying. For example, a call may reach a busy signal on the first attempt. The operator can release the forward connection by pushing the release forward key and then simply reoperate the start key. The machine will re-send the called number that has been stored in the memory. This operation can be repeated as many times as required.
The flexibility of operation of the desk is complemented by a status checking feature which insures that all required billing information has been stored in the memory. Should any of this required information be absent, the equipment will not permit the operator to release from the call.
Also, the system permits the operator to change class-charge at any time until timing has started.
---------------------------
Patent continues in .pdf form at the Canadian Patent Office
Canadian Patent Office (external link)
Here's the Toll Service Desk console layout:
http://www.privateline/Snyder/NorthernTelecomTSD1.gif
(Huge file to make the keys readable)
Compare and contrast to the Bell System console for TSP or Traffic Service Position:
http://www.privateline.com/circuits/TSPconsole.jpg
- Many, many more related pages! Click for a list. Information on J.R. Snyder Jr., operators, directory assistance working and history, placing toll calls and so on. Great reading.
-
-
a look inside a modern telecommunications company
|
